### [How to Create PDF Certificates from Quiz Results in WordPress](https://wpforms.com/how-to-create-pdf-certificates-from-quiz-results-in-wordpress/)

**Published:** June 16, 2026
**Author:** Kacie Cooper

**Excerpt:** A branded PDF certificate — with user name, their score, and your logo — turns a forgettable form submission into something people save, print, and share. It makes your course feel real. It makes your training program look professional. And it gives quiz-takers a reason to tell other people about it.

You don't need a dedicated LMS or a pile of plugins to pull this off. WPForms' Quiz addon handles the grading, and the PDF addon generates polished certificates automatically.

**Content:**

You built a quiz on your WordPress site. Maybe it’s a training assessment for new hires, a course final for students, or a certification exam for your community. People are taking it, scoring well, and then seeing a generic “Thanks for submitting!” message.

That’s a missed opportunity. A branded PDF certificate — with their name, their score, and your logo — turns a forgettable form submission into something people save, print, and share. It makes your course feel real. It makes your training program look professional. And it gives quiz-takers a reason to tell other people about it.

You don’t need a dedicated LMS or a pile of plugins to pull this off. WPForms’ Quiz addon handles the grading, and the PDF addon generates polished certificates automatically. Pair them with conditional logic, and you’ve got a system that only sends certificates to people who actually pass… without you touching a thing.

Let me walk you through the whole setup.

## How to Create PDF Certificates from Quiz Results in WordPress

- [Step 1: Create a New Quiz Form](#aioseo-step-1-create-a-new-quiz-form-15)
- [Step 2: Configure Your Grading Scale](#aioseo-step-2-configure-your-grading-scale-40)
- [Step 3: Set Up Quiz Outcomes](#aioseo-step-3-set-up-quiz-outcomes-56)
- [Step 4: Design Your PDF Certificate](#aioseo-step-4-design-your-pdf-certificate-76)
- [Step 5: Attach the Certificate to an Email Notification](#aioseo-step-5-attach-the-certificate-to-an-email-notification-121)
- [Step 6: Embed the Quiz and Test It](#aioseo-step-6-embed-the-quiz-and-test-it-146)
- [FAQs](#aioseo-faqs-182)

#### What You’ll Need

Before we get started, here’s what you’ll need in place:

- **WPForms Pro** — The Quiz addon and the PDF addon are both included with the Pro plan. You’ll need WPForms version 1.9.7.3 or higher.
- **Quiz Addon** — Activated from **WPForms >> Addons**.
- **PDF Addon** — Also activated from **WPForms >> Addons**.

If you already have WPForms Pro installed, head to **WPForms >> Addons** and search for “Quiz” and “PDF.” Click **Install Addon** on each one, then activate them. That’s it for setup.

![wpforms quiz addon](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/WPF_QuizAddon-1024x338.png)Now let’s build the quiz.

### Step 1: Create a New Quiz Form

Go to **WPForms >> Add New** to create a fresh form. You can start from one of the quiz templates (search “quiz” in the template library) or start with a blank form.

Give your form a name — something like “Safety Training Quiz” or “Course Module 3 Final” — so you can find it later.

![](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/quiz-templates-1024x540.jpg)#### Enable Quiz Mode

Once you’re in the form builder, head to **Settings >> Quiz** and toggle **Enable Quiz** on. Select **Graded Quiz** as the quiz type.

Graded quizzes auto-calculate a score based on correct answers and map it to a letter grade (or a custom label like “Pass” or “Fail”). That score is what we’ll pull into the certificate later using smart tags.

**Note:** WPForms also offers Personality Quizzes and Weighted Quizzes, but for certificates, Graded Quiz is what you want — it gives you a clear pass/fail threshold to work with.

#### Add Your Quiz Questions

Now add your questions. WPForms supports these field types for quiz questions:

- **Multiple Choice** — Best for single-correct-answer questions. The most common pick.
- **Checkboxes** — Use when a question has more than one correct answer (“Select all that apply”).
- **Dropdown** — Works the same as Multiple Choice but saves space on longer forms.
- **Single Line Text / Paragraph Text** — For typed answers (graded quizzes only). WPForms matches the response against your answer key.

For each question, drag the field onto the form, type your question and answer choices, then click the correct answer to mark it. A toggle shows which answer WPForms will score as correct.

![](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ServicePackageQuiz-1024x540.jpg)**Pro Tip:** If you’ve already got your quiz content written out, try the AI quiz generator. Click the **Generate With AI** button at the top of the builder, describe your quiz topic and difficulty level, and WPForms builds the questions for you. You can always tweak them after.

#### Add a Name and Email Field

Your quiz form also needs two non-quiz fields:

- A **Name** field — so the certificate can address the recipient by name.
- An **Email** field — so WPForms knows where to send the certificate.

I usually put these at the top of the form, before the quiz questions start. That way, quiz-takers identify themselves first and then jump into the questions.

**Pro Tip:** Turn on the **Email Confirmation** sub-field (click the Email field >> **Advanced** >> toggle **Confirmation**). It adds a “Confirm your email” box so people don’t mistype their address and miss the certificate.

[Build Your WordPress Form Now](https://wpforms.com/pricing/)

### Step 2: Configure Your Grading Scale

Now that your questions are in place, let’s define what counts as passing.

Go to **Settings >> Quiz** and scroll down to the **Grading Scale** section. By default, WPForms uses a standard A through F letter grade setup:

- A: 90–100%
- B: 80–89%
- C: 70–79%
- D: 60–69%
- F: 0–59%

For a certificate workflow, I’d simplify this to two tiers — **Pass** and **Fail**. Here’s what that looks like:

- **Pass:** 70–100%
- **Fail:** 0–69%

You can adjust the threshold to whatever makes sense for your quiz. A compliance exam might require 80%. A casual course quiz might set the bar at 60%. The point is that this grade label is what the `{quiz_grade}` smart tag will pull into your certificate, so name it exactly how you want it to appear.

![](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GradingScaleQuiz-1024x540.jpg)Click **Save** when you’re happy with the scale.

### Step 3: Set Up Quiz Outcomes

Outcomes control what quiz-takers see after they submit. You can show different messages, redirect to different pages, or trigger different actions depending on how someone scored.

Click the **Outcomes** tab at the top of the form builder.

#### Create a “Pass” Outcome

Click **Add New Outcome** and set up the conditional logic:

- **If** quiz percentage **is greater than or equal to** 70

In the message area, write something encouraging. Keep it specific — people just finished a quiz, they want to know what happened. For example:

> Congratulations! You scored {quiz\_percentage}% and earned a {quiz\_grade} grade. Your certificate is on its way to {field\_id=”1″} — check your inbox in the next few minutes.

Swap `{field_id="1"}` with the actual ID of your Email field (you’ll see the ID in the form builder when you click the field).

#### Create a “Fail” Outcome

Add a second outcome for people who didn’t meet the threshold:

- **If** quiz percentage **is less than** 70

Your message here should be helpful, not discouraging:

> You scored {quiz\_percentage}%. You need at least 70% to pass and receive your certificate. Review the material and give it another try — you’ve got this.

![](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/quizoutcomes-1024x540.jpg)**Pro Tip:** If you want people to be able to retake the quiz, make sure your confirmation redirects them back to the quiz page or includes a link. You can also use WPForms’ **Form Locker** addon to limit the number of retakes per person if that matters for your program.

### Step 4: Design Your PDF Certificate

This is the part where it all comes together. The PDF addon lets you design a certificate template that auto-populates with each quiz-taker’s results.

Go to **Settings >> PDF** in the form builder and click **Add New PDF**.

#### Pick a Certificate Template

WPForms gives you three certificate-specific templates:

- **Classic Certificate** — Traditional look with a border and formal layout.
- **Modern Certificate** — Clean, minimal design with plenty of white space.
- **Elegant Certificate** — Decorative borders with a more ornate feel.

Pick the one that matches your brand. You can customize all of them, so don’t overthink this step — choose the closest starting point and make it yours.

![Three certificate designs—Classic, Modern, and Elegant—displayed side by side with orange accents and a 'Certificates' heading above.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/certificatestyles-1024x527.png)#### Customize the Design

Once you’ve selected a template, the PDF editor opens. Here’s where you make it feel like yours:

- **Logo** — Upload your organization’s logo. You can set the size (Small, Medium, Large, or Full) and position it left, center, or right.
- **Color Theme** — Choose from 40+ built-in themes or create a custom one that matches your brand colors.
- **Background** — Pick a solid color or one of the decorative patterns (ribbons, waves, gradients).
- **Borders** — Adjust the style, width, and color.
- **Paper Size** — A4, Letter, or Legal. Portrait or Landscape.

#### Add Smart Tags for Quiz Results

This is the part that makes the certificate dynamic. In the certificate body, use the rich text editor to write your certificate text and drop in smart tags wherever you want quiz data to appear.

Here’s a certificate body that works well:

> **Certificate of Completion**
> 
> This certifies that
> 
> **{field\_id=”1″}**
> 
> has successfully completed **\[Your Course/Quiz Name\]**
> with a score of **{quiz\_percentage}%** and a grade of **{quiz\_grade}**.
> 
> Date: {date format=”F j, Y”}

Replace `{field_id="1"}` with the smart tag for your Name field. Click the **Smart Tags** icon next to any field in the editor to see all available tags.

Available quiz smart tags you can use:

- `{quiz_grade}` — The grade earned (e.g., “Pass” or “A”)
- `{quiz_percentage}` — The percentage score (e.g., “85%”)
- `{quiz_correct_answers}` — Number of correct answers
- `{quiz_total_questions}` — Total number of questions
- `{quiz_summary_link}` — A link to a full question-by-question breakdown

![](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/quizsmart_tags-1024x540.jpg)#### Set Conditional Logic on the PDF

This is the step most people miss — and it’s the most important one.

Scroll down to the bottom of the PDF settings and toggle **Enable Conditional Logic**. Set the rule:

- **Generate this PDF if** quiz percentage **is greater than or equal to** 70

This ensures the certificate PDF only generates for people who passed. Without this, every submission — passing or failing — would create a certificate, which defeats the purpose.

![](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/quiz_conditional_logic-1024x540.jpg)Click **Save** to lock in your certificate design.

### Step 5: Attach the Certificate to an Email Notification

Your certificate is built, but right now it just lives in the WPForms entry. To deliver it automatically, you’ll attach it to an email notification.

Go to **Settings >> Notifications** in the form builder.

#### Create a “You Passed” Notification

You can either edit the default notification or create a new one by clicking **Add New Notification**. I’d recommend creating a separate notification just for certificate delivery, so you can keep your admin notification separate.

Set up the notification like this:

- **Send To Email Address:** `{field_id="2"}` (your Email field’s smart tag)
- **Email Subject:** Your Certificate: {quiz\_grade} on \[Quiz Name\]
- **From Name:** Your organization name
- **Message:**

> Hi {field\_id=”1″},
> 
> Congratulations on passing the quiz with a score of {quiz\_percentage}%!
> 
> Your certificate is attached to this email. You can also view a detailed breakdown of your answers here: {quiz\_summary\_link}
> 
> \[Your sign-off\]

#### Attach the PDF

Scroll down in the notification settings and you’ll see a **PDF Attachments** section. Toggle on the certificate PDF you just created. That’s it — the certificate will now auto-attach to this email as a PDF file.

#### Add Conditional Logic to the Notification

Just like you did with the PDF itself, enable conditional logic on this notification:

- **Send this notification if** quiz percentage **is greater than or equal to** 70

This way, only passing quiz-takers receive the certificate email. People who don’t pass get the outcome message you set up in Step 3, but no certificate email.

![Notifications panel showing a rule to attach a PDF to the 'Service Package Quiz Notification' based on conditional logic: send the PDF when Quiz Score Percentage is greater than 70%.](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/quiz_conditional_logic-1024x315.png)**Pro Tip:** You’ll probably still want your default admin notification running for every submission (passing or failing) so you can track all quiz attempts. Keep that one separate and unconditional.

### Step 6: Embed the Quiz and Test It

Your quiz is grading itself, your certificate is designed with smart tags, and your notification is set to deliver it automatically on a passing score. Time to put it live and make sure everything works.

#### Embed the Form

Click the **Embed** button at the top of the form builder.

WPForms gives you a few options:

- **Gutenberg Block** — Select an existing page or create a new one, and the WPForms block drops right in.
- **Elementor / Divi Module** — If you’re using a page builder, WPForms has native modules for both.
- **Shortcode** — Copy the shortcode and paste it anywhere your theme supports shortcodes.

![](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/wpforms-form-embed-wizard-1024x542.png)Pick the method that matches your setup and publish the page.

#### Run a Test Submission

Before you announce the quiz to anyone, take it yourself:

1. Open the page in an incognito/private browser window.
2. Fill in a name and your email address.
3. Answer the questions — intentionally score above your passing threshold.
4. Submit the form.

Now check three things:

- **Your inbox** — Did the certificate email arrive? Open the attachment. Does the PDF show the correct name, score, and grade?
- **The confirmation message** — Did the “Pass” outcome display on-screen?
- **WPForms >> Entries** — Open the entry. You should see the quiz score, the grade, and a PDF section where you can download the generated certificate.

![](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/quiz_certificate-781x1024.png)If something looks off — a wrong smart tag, a missing field, a conditional logic rule that’s not firing — head back to the form builder and adjust. Most issues come down to a field ID mismatch in a smart tag or a conditional logic threshold that doesn’t match your grading scale.

**Pro Tip:** Run a second test where you intentionally fail the quiz. Make sure you get the “Fail” outcome message and that no certificate email arrives. Testing both paths catches the most common setup mistakes.

### Ideas for Using Quiz Certificates

Once this system is running, it works for a lot more than one quiz. Here are a few ways to use it:

- **Online courses** — Issue a certificate of completion when students pass the final assessment. It gives your course a tangible deliverable.
- **Employee onboarding** — Run new hires through a training quiz and automatically certify their readiness. HR gets a paper trail without doing any manual work.
- **Volunteer training** — Nonprofits and churches can verify that volunteers understand policies and procedures before they start.
- **Product knowledge assessments** — Sales teams or partner organizations can certify that reps actually know the product before they represent it.
- **Membership certifications** — Professional communities and associations can issue credentials tied to a knowledge check.
- **Compliance training** — HIPAA, food safety, workplace safety — any situation where you need documented proof that someone passed.

Each of these is the same setup: a graded quiz, a pass threshold, a branded certificate, and an automated email. The only thing that changes is the questions and the certificate text.

### FAQs

#### Do I need any other plugins besides WPForms?

No. WPForms Pro includes both the Quiz addon and the PDF addon natively. You don’t need a separate PDF plugin, a certificate plugin, or an LMS. Everything runs inside WPForms.

#### Which WPForms plan do I need for quiz certificates?

You’ll need the Pro plan or higher. Both the Quiz addon and the PDF addon are included with Pro. The Basic and Plus plans don’t include these addons.

#### Can I customize what the certificate looks like?

Yes. The PDF addon gives you full control over the certificate design — your logo, brand colors, borders, backgrounds, fonts, and layout. There are three certificate-specific templates (Classic, Modern, and Elegant) as starting points, plus 40+ color themes and a rich text editor for the body content.

#### Does the certificate email send automatically?

Yes. Once you attach the PDF to a notification and set the conditional logic, the whole process is automatic. Someone takes the quiz, passes, and the certificate arrives in their inbox — no manual steps on your end.

### Next, Track Your Quiz Results Over Time

Now that your certificate system is running, you’ll want to keep an eye on how people are scoring. WPForms’ quiz results dashboard gives you graphs and charts that show score distributions, pass/fail rates, and individual question performance — so you can spot questions that are too easy, too hard, or confusing.

You can also export quiz results to CSV or connect them to Google Sheets with the Google Sheets addon for real-time tracking across your team.

Check out our guide on [how to view and analyze quiz results in WPForms](https://claude.ai/epitaxy/local_e59673c1-d56e-4867-b491-1e357cba195e#) to get the most out of your data.

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**Categories:** WordPress Tutorials

**Tags:** conditional logic, employee training, form notifications, graded quiz, online courses, pdf addon, PDF Certificates, quiz addon, smart tags, wordpress forms, wordpress quiz, wpforms pro

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