News Number of the Day Credit Score Quiz Stumps Average American Number of the Day: The most relevant or interesting figure in personal finance By Medora Lee Medora Lee Medora Lee began covering the financial markets almost 30 years ago and has worked at news outlets including Reuters and theStreet.com. learn about our editorial policies Published on March 17, 2021 Photo: The Balance That’s the failing grade the average American received on a recent credit score quiz issued by Zillow Population Science. When asked five questions about credit scores, the average American answered only two correctly, and the lack of knowledge spanned all age groups, the survey showed. Young people fared worse, likely due to lack of experience with credit, with only a quarter of Gen Z’ers (age 18-26) correctly answering at least three questions. But even less than half, or 46%, of Gen X’ers (age 42-46) and 41% of Boomers (57 and older) could answer at least three questions correctly. The failing grade highlights the struggle Americans have in understanding the complicated scoring system that helps determine how much you can take out on a loan and at what interest rate, how much your auto insurance might cost, and even whether you will get the job or home you want. Zillow surveyed more than 2,000 people across the nation between Feb. 11 and Feb. 19. Quiz Yourself You can take the quiz here and see how you stack up:1) Which of these things does not typically impact on your credit score?Paying off the minimum balance on your credit cards every monthMaking your car loan payment on time every monthThe amount of money you have invested in the stock marketHow long your credit accounts have been open2) When buying a house, your credit is monitored and can affect your mortgage up until...Pre-approvalMaking an offerGoing under contractThe day of closing3) How long should you wait to buy a house after taking out a car loan?2 weeks3 months6 months2 years4) How high does your credit score need to be to qualify for a conventional mortgage?7005506207405) Rank the most important pieces of your credit score from most to least important.Payment historyThe length of your credit historyAmount of credit you’re usingAnswers:The amount of money you have invested in the stock market (67% of respondents answered correctly)The day of closing (47% answered correctly)6 months (41% answered correctly)620 (32% answered correctly)Payment historyAmount of credit you’re usingThe length of your credit history(26% answered correctly) Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Zillow. "Americans Struggle With Credit Score Knowledge."