Watu Quiz
- wp.org slug:
watu - Installed version: 3.4.7
- Evidence tier: Live-bench
- Live subsite: https://wpqp.loca.zone/watu/
Identity and official links
Watu Quiz is a free WordPress plugin for exams, surveys and quizzes. The version under test is the wordpress.org distribution.
- Directory page: https://wordpress.org/plugins/watu/
- Download link (3.4.7): https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/watu.3.4.7.zip
- WordPress.org API snapshot:
showcase/evidence/wporg-snapshot.json(evidence index)
WatuPRO is a separate paid product and was not installed.
wordpress.org metrics (captured 2026-08-03)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Version | 3.4.7 |
| Active installs | 3,000 |
| Rating | 94 / 100 (136 ratings) |
| Last updated | 2026-05-28 |
| Requires WordPress | 6.0 |
| Requires PHP | 8.0 |
| Tested up to | 7.0.2 |
| Support threads resolved | 1 / 1 |
Pricing and source
- Core plugin: $0 (GPL, wordpress.org).
- Paid tier: WatuPRO is a separate paid product; certificates and advanced features live there.
- Sources: wordpress.org/plugins/watu and
showcase/evidence/incumbent-claims.json.
Live coverage: Standard Ten
Watu expresses the Standard Ten with native radio and checkbox questions rendered through the [watu] shortcode. The live benchmark quiz is at https://wpqp.loca.zone/watu/benchmark/ and the Core-Six-only measurement page is at https://wpqp.loca.zone/watu/benchmark-core/.
| Question | Type | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | single-choice | ok |
| Q2 | single-choice | ok |
| Q3 | single-choice | ok |
| Q4 | single-choice | ok |
| Q5 | single-choice | ok |
| Q6 | single-choice | ok |
| Q7 | multiple-correct | ok |
| Q8 | true-false | ok |
| Q9 | fill-in | unsupported |
| Q10 | ordering | unsupported |
Q9 and Q10 have no native free question type in Watu. The certificate feature is recorded as proGated; it is not available in the installed free plugin and was not worked around.
Observed completion
In a logged-out Chromium session the live benchmark was answered with all canonical correct responses and submitted. Watu returned:
You scored 9 points out of 9 points total.
The result also showed the configured grade bands: Needs review (0–3), Passed (4–6), and Excellent (7–8). The multiple-correct Q7 contributed two points, pushing the total to 9. This is recorded as a completion pass in showcase/evidence/coverage/watu.json and in showcase/content/watu/notes.md.
Runtime weight (benchmark-core)
Measured on WordPress 7.0.2 / PHP 8.3.33, cache disabled, logged out, networkidle2. See showcase/evidence/runtime-weight.json and the measurement notes.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total requests | 8 |
| JS files / bytes | 5 / 55,956 |
| CSS files / bytes | 1 / 2,028 |
| Total transfer | 112,955 bytes |
| jQuery loaded | no |
| DOM nodes | 305 |
Watu’s front-end footprint is small: no jQuery, one small CSS file, and five JS files.
Signature demo: graded exam with grade bands
The signature page is at https://wpqp.loca.zone/watu/signature/. It walks through the same benchmark exam and calls out the grade-band logic. The free plugin supports configurable grade bands and immediate score output. The certificate step shown in the site map is not available without WatuPRO, so the page documents that limitation rather than faking it.
Catches and caveats
- No native fill-in or ordering question types in the free plugin; Q9 and Q10 are unsupported.
- Certificates are pro-gated to WatuPRO.
- Smaller ecosystem: 3,000 active installs and a narrower add-on library than larger roster plugins.
- Admin model separates questions and exams: questions live in a global bank and are assembled into exams, which is flexible but less visual than some block-based builders.
- Audit score 71.52 in
showcase/evidence/audit-scores.json(see the rubric): strong on logic/results and value, weaker on integrations/data ownership and learner UX polish.
Verdict
Watu is a dependable, lightweight choice when the goal is a scored exam with clear pass/fail/excellent bands and immediate feedback. It is not the most modern authoring experience and it cannot express fill-in or ordering questions on the free tier, but its tiny front-end weight and honest free feature set make it a solid value pick for straightforward assessments.
See the other plugin dossiers or return to the comparison index.