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Quizzes > Literature & Language > English & Grammar

Can You Nail the APA Quiz? Test Your Citation Skills

Dive into this APA style quiz and master your format questions and answers!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art books and pencils on dark blue background for free APA citation quiz to test skills and boost confidence.

This APA quiz helps you practice APA citation style, from in-text citations to reference list entries, so you can apply the rules with confidence. Use it to spot gaps before a paper or exam, then explore a deeper APA style quiz when you want more practice.

What does APA stand for?
American Philosophical Association
American Professional Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association
The acronym APA refers to the American Psychological Association, the organization that established this citation style. APA style is widely used in the social sciences to ensure consistency and clarity in scholarly writing. It provides guidelines for formatting, in-text citations, and reference list entries. For more information, see .
In APA 7th edition, how should a single-author in-text citation appear?
[Smith, 2020]
(Smith 2020)
Smith, 2020
(Smith, 2020)
APA in-text citations for a single author include the author's surname followed by the publication year in parentheses, separated by a comma. There should be no brackets, semicolons, or omission of the comma. Correct usage ensures readers can easily locate the source in the reference list. See .
How should the reference list be formatted in APA style?
Double-spaced with first-line indents
Single-spaced with a first-line indent
Single-spaced with no indent
Double-spaced with a hanging indent
APA requires that every entry in the reference list be double-spaced with a hanging indent (the first line flush left and subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches). This format helps readers see each reference clearly. For full guidelines, visit .
How is the title of a journal article formatted in an APA reference?
Sentence case, italicized
Title case, not italicized and underlined
Sentence case, not italicized
Title case, italicized
In an APA reference, journal article titles use sentence case (only the first word and proper nouns capitalized) and are not italicized or placed in quotation marks. The journal title itself is in title case and italicized. For details, see .
For direct quotations of 40 words or more, which formatting is required?
Quotation with italics
Block quote indented 0.5 inches without quotation marks
Indent and use double quotation marks
Use smaller font and single quotation marks
APA style requires that quotations of 40 words or more be formatted as a block quote: start on a new line, indent 0.5 inches from the left margin, and omit quotation marks. The citation follows after the final punctuation. Learn more at .
How are two authors formatted in an APA in-text citation?
(Smith et al., 2020)
(Smith, Jones, 2020)
(Smith & Jones, 2020)
Smith and Jones (2020)
When a work has two authors, APA style uses an ampersand between their surnames inside parentheses: (Smith & Jones, 2020). In narrative citations you can spell out 'and'. For more, see .
Where is the DOI placed in a reference entry for a journal article?
Before the volume number
Immediately after the author's name
Before the journal title
At the end of the reference, after page numbers
In APA 7th edition, the digital object identifier (DOI) is placed at the end of the reference entry following the page range or article number. It is formatted as a URL (e.g., https://doi.org/xxx). See .
For a work with three or more authors, which format does APA require for in-text citations?
(Smith, Jones, Brown, 2020)
(Smith et al., 2020)
(Smith, Jones, & Brown, 2020)
(Smith and others, 2020)
APA 7th edition uses 'et al.' after the first author's surname for works with three or more authors in every in-text citation: (Smith et al., 2020). This simplifies citations and maintains readability. For reference, see .
How do you cite a chapter in an edited book in the reference list?
Author, A. A. (Year). Chapter title. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Book title (pp. xx - xx). Publisher.
Author, A. A. (Year). Book title. In Editor (Ed.), Chapter title. Publisher.
Editor, E. E. (Year). Book title: Chapter title. Publisher.
Author, A. A. (Year). Chapter title. Book title (pp. xx - xx). Publisher.
APA format for a chapter in an edited book lists the chapter author, year, chapter title, editors, book title, page range, and publisher. Editors' initials precede their surnames and '(Eds.)' denotes multiple editors. Learn more at .
If a webpage has no author, what is used in the in-text citation?
(Anon., Year)
(Website, Year)
(Title of Webpage, Year)
(n.d., Title of Webpage)
When no author is available, the title of the work moves into the author position and is shortened for in-text citations: (Shortened Title, Year). Italicize titles of webpages in the reference list but use plain text in citations. See .
What does 'et al.' signify in APA citations?
Edited by
And others
Electronic article
For example
'Et al.' is an abbreviation of the Latin term 'et alia,' meaning 'and others.' In APA style, it is used for in-text citations with three or more authors to simplify citations. For details, visit .
How should the reference entry for a journal article include a DOI?
https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx
DOI: xx.xxxx/xxxxx
doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx
doi:xx.xxxx/xxxxx
In APA 7th edition, DOIs are formatted as URLs beginning with 'https://doi.org/'. Including the full URL ensures readers can click through directly to the source. See .
When citing a secondary source in APA, which format is correct?
(Smith, 2020, as cited in Freud, 1900)
(Freud & Smith, 1900/2020)
(Freud, 1900, as cited in Smith, 2020)
(Freud, 1900; Smith, 2020)
For secondary sources, APA requires you name the original author and date then 'as cited in' the secondary source you read. Only the secondary source is listed in the reference list. See .
What is the proper format for referencing an e-book with a URL?
Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Retrieved from URL
Author, A. A. (Year). Title [E-book version]. URL
Author, A. A. (Year). Title (E-reader ed.). Publisher
Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Publisher. URL
APA style for e-books with a URL includes the author, year, title in italics with '[E-book version]' in brackets, followed by the direct URL. This distinguishes the format clearly in the reference list. More details at .
When multiple works by the same author appear with different coauthors, how should they be ordered in the reference list?
Alphabetical by second author's surname
Chronological by publication date
Order cited in text
Alphabetical by title
APA alphabetizes entries by the surname of the first author, then by the surnames of subsequent authors if the same first author appears multiple times. This ensures a consistent and logical reference list. See .
How are personal communications (e.g., emails, interviews) cited in APA style?
Included as a footnote at the bottom of the page
Cited in-text with 'pers. comm.' and listed
Listed in the reference list under 'Personal Communications'
Cited in-text only and not included in the reference list
Personal communications are cited only in-text because they are not recoverable by readers. The citation includes the communicator's initials, surname, and exact date of communication. For more, visit .
For classical works (e.g., Plato, Aristotle), which date should be included in an in-text citation?
The date you accessed the work
The most recent translation date
The original publication date of the work
The author's death date
When citing classical works, APA uses the original publication date (often ancient) in the in-text citation and places the translation date in the reference list. This distinguishes historical context. See .
If the author and publisher are the same group, how should the publisher appear in the reference entry?
Use 'Author' in place of the publisher
Repeat the group name as publisher
List the publisher's division
Omit the publisher name
When the author and publisher are identical, APA instructs you to omit the publisher element to avoid redundancy. This keeps the reference concise. For more information, see .
How should you cite multiple works in one in-text citation according to APA?
(Jones 2019, Smith 2020)
(Jones, 2019; Smith, 2020)
(Jones & Smith, 2019/2020)
(2019: Jones; 2020: Smith)
APA requires multiple in-text citations be separated by semicolons and listed alphabetically by the first author's surname: (Jones, 2019; Smith, 2020). This clarifies which sources support a statement. See .
How do you format a government report reference that includes a report number in APA?
Author. (Year). Title (Report No. 123). Publisher.
Author. (Year). Title. Report No. 123: Publisher.
Author. (Year). Report No. 123. Title. Publisher.
Report No. 123. (Year). Title. Publisher.
APA format for reports places the report number in parentheses immediately after the title: Title (Report No. 123). Publisher details follow. This clarifies the document type. For more, visit .
Which abbreviation is used in place of a missing publication year in APA citations?
n.d.
n.y.
no date
i.d.
When no publication date is available, APA uses 'n.d.' (no date) in place of the year in both in-text citations and the reference list. This alerts readers to the missing information. See .
When you need to include parentheses within parentheses in APA style, how should you format the inner parentheses?
Use double parentheses around the inner content
Omit the inner parentheses entirely
Keep both sets of parentheses as is
Convert the inner parentheses to brackets
APA style requires that parentheses inside already parenthetical text be converted to brackets to avoid confusion. This applies to editorial comments or additional information within quotes. Learn more at .
How should you format the author's name when citing a tweet in the APA 7th edition reference list?
Twitter handle in parentheses
Real name only
Twitter handle only
Real name followed by the Twitter handle in square brackets
In APA 7th edition, tweets are cited with the author's real name followed by their Twitter username in square brackets: Name [@username]. This ensures proper attribution. See .
How do you reference a republished classic work (originally published in 1900, republished in 1955) in APA?
Author, A. A. (1900/1955). Title. Publisher.
Author, A. A. (1955). Title (Original work published 1900).
Author, A. A. (1900). Title (Reprint 1955). Publisher.
Author, A. A. (1955/1900). Title. Publisher.
APA format for republished works lists the original publication date first, followed by the reprint date separated by a slash: (1900/1955). This clarifies both the work's original and reprint dates. See .
When citing two works by the same author published in the same year, how do you distinguish them in APA?
Use the titles in place of the years
Assign lowercase letters after the year (e.g., 2020a, 2020b)
List them in a single reference entry
Order by citation frequency
APA distinguishes multiple works by the same author in one year by adding lowercase letters after the year in both in-text citations and the reference list (e.g., 2020a, 2020b). This keeps each source unique. For details, see .
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand APA Quiz Fundamentals -

    After completing this apa quiz, you will identify the core components of APA citations and explain the essential rules of APA style.

  2. Apply Correct In-Text Citations -

    Practice with question and answer APA format prompts to format parenthetical and narrative citations accurately.

  3. Evaluate Common APA Format Errors -

    Use the apa format quiz practice to spot, analyze, and correct typical citation mistakes in references and in-text citations.

  4. Construct Flawless Reference List Entries -

    Leverage insights from the APA style quiz to craft accurate reference entries for books, journals, and online sources.

  5. Boost Citation Confidence -

    Drive your mastery forward by tackling engaging apa quiz questions and building confidence in every citation detail.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Mastering In-Text Citations -

    APA's author-date system requires including the author's surname and publication year in every in-text citation (e.g., "(Smith, 2020, p. 15)"). Use narrative citations ("Smith (2020) argues…") or parenthetical citations ("(Smith, 2020)") interchangeably for clarity. Remember the mnemonic "A-D" (Author - Date) to keep this straight.

  2. Perfecting Your Reference List -

    List all sources you've cited in alphabetical order by the author's last name, applying a 0.5" hanging indent to each entry (APA 7, Section 9.42). For example: Smith, J. A. (2020). Title of work. Publisher. Use the mnemonic "A, H, T" (Author, Hanging indent, Title) to recall the three golden rules.

  3. Citing DOIs and URLs Correctly -

    When referencing journal articles or online reports, include a DOI formatted as a URL (e.g., https://doi.org/10.1037/arc0002). If no DOI is available for a web page, provide a direct URL instead. This approach ensures your readers can locate sources reliably.

  4. Quoting vs. Paraphrasing Guidelines -

    Use quotation marks for direct quotes under 40 words and introduce block quotes (indented 0.5") for 40 words or more. Always accompany quotes with page numbers (e.g., p. 22) to respect intellectual property. Remember: "Under forty, use quotes; over forty, indent" to avoid slips.

  5. Handling Multiple Authors -

    For sources with one or two authors, list both names every time in-text; for three or more authors, use "et al." from the first citation (APA 7). In your reference list, include up to 20 authors before resorting to an ellipsis. A quick tip: "Two? List them through. Three plus? 'Et al.' does the job!"

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