Evaluating online information

Working out which websites and sources you can trust using the CRAAP test

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Try each question. If you're stuck, leave it and come back. The answer key is on the last page.

1
Why is it important to check whether online information is reliable? A) Anyone can post anything online, so some sources are wrong or misleading B) All websites are checked by teachers before they are published C) Information on the internet is always correct D) Websites get tested by a robot
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2
True or false? A website with no author and no date is just as reliable as one written by an expert. A) True B) False
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3
Which of these is the most reliable source for facts about animals? A) A wildlife charity's official website B) A random comment on a video C) A meme on a friend's phone D) A made-up story online
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4
Why should you evaluate online information? A) Not everything online is true B) Everything online is true C) It uses less battery D) It is colourful
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5
Match each letter of the CRAAP test to what it stands for. Match each item on the left to one on the right. Left: C, R, A, P Right: Currency (how up to date), Relevance (to your topic), Authority (who wrote it), Purpose (why it was written)
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6
A web page about climate was written 15 years ago. Which CRAAP test does this fail? A) Currency B) Relevance C) Authority D) Purpose
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7
True or false? A website ending in .gov or .edu is usually run by a government or education organisation. A) True B) False
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8
A blog post claims a famous fact, but no other site has the same claim. What does this suggest? A) The claim may not be accurate - it should be verified elsewhere B) The claim must be 100% true C) All other sites must be wrong D) The blog should be deleted immediately
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9
True or false? Even if a source is reliable, it might still not be Relevant to your research question. A) True B) False
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10
What is 'fake news'? A) False information designed to mislead B) Real news in a small font C) News from yesterday D) News printed on paper
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Answer key

Evaluating online information · for parents and teachers

1
Anyone can post anything online, so some sources are wrong or misleading
Anyone can publish online. That makes the internet full of useful info, but also full of mistakes, opinions and even lies. We need to check.
2
False
No. A clear author and date help you judge a source. Missing both is a warning sign. Expert-written, dated sources are more reliable.
3
A wildlife charity's official website
Official charity websites employ experts and check their facts. Random comments, memes and made-up stories are not reliable sources.
4
Not everything online is true
Some online information is wrong, biased or out of date. You need to check.
5
C → Currency (how up to date); R → Relevance (to your topic); A → Authority (who wrote it); P → Purpose (why it was written)
The CRAAP test checks Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose. Each one helps you judge whether a source is reliable.
6
Currency
Currency is about how recent and up to date the source is. A 15-year-old climate article is likely out of date.
7
True
Yes. Domains like .gov (government) and .edu (education) are usually official sources, which helps with the Authority test.
8
The claim may not be accurate - it should be verified elsewhere
The 'A' for Accuracy in CRAAP means you should be able to verify a claim from other reliable sources. If you can't, treat it with care.
9
True
Yes. Relevance is its own check. A source can be reliable but useless if it does not actually answer your specific question.
10
False information designed to mislead
Fake news is made-up content meant to mislead readers.