Add and display numerical values chosen by user - advanced actions?

Question

I am creating a course that includes a quiz. What the customer wants is for the users to view a case study, and then give scores based on a scale with multiple descriptors; the quiz will then total the scores or rankings that the user inputs.  It would look like this (here are samples of the first few questions; there are 6 of these in all, plus slide 32):
Slide 30
1. Based on the case study and the chart on this slide, what is the patient's Mobility score?
(the user enters a number from 1-4 in a text entry box, or selects a button or radio button indicating the patient's score)
Slide 31
2. Based on the case study and the chart on this slide, what is the patient's Activity score?
(user chooses an answer, which is a number one through four)
Slide 32
(A total_score text box at the top of the screen shows the cumulative total of the user's inputs from slide 30 and slide 31. For example, if the user typed "2" into the TEB on slide 30, and typed "3" on slide 31, then the number in the total_score box would say "5")
3. Based on the cumulative score you gave this patient, what is the appropriate action?
(The user then has to choose the correct answer from a list of 5 options. The correct answer is based on the number displaying in the total_score text box. If the score is a 2, they must choose option A, but if the score is an 8, they must choose option E.)
In reality, then, there are three parts to this:
1. Questions 1 & 2 each have a correct answer, and the user is graded on these answers for the quiz.
2. The actual values they choose are tallied on slide 32, regardless of whether they chose the correct responses.
3. The correct answer for question 3 depends on the number that appears in the total_score box on slide 32. If that's too hard, I can re-work the wording of the question to avoid this requirement, so that there will be just one correct answer for question 3, regardless of what the user had entered for the other questions.
I have been trying to learn about Advanced Actions, but even finding online help/tutorials is hard when I'm using the archaic version of the software. It looks like the big difference between versions is not increased functionality in terms of the Advanced Actions; the difference to me looks mostly cosmetic, with that wizard in 5 that helps you write the scripts, while in 4 you have to type them out manually. So I don't think that I'm too handicapped by the technology. The hard part is figuring out how Captivate uses the advanced actions and how to connect it all together.
My first question is, Can this be done in Captivate?  Or should I stop wracking my brains and turn to another tool (keeping in mind that my knowledge of flash, java and the like is almost zero)?
If it can be done, can anyone offer any help in creating the appropriate variables and actions?
I appreciate any help that can be offered.

Answer 1

Thanks, Jim!
So, here’s how I understand the steps I need to take:
Create 6 slides, one for each question. Create captions and other elements to frame the question.  Create a Text Entry Box, one on each of the question slides, where the user will record their answer to each question.
Create a caption on the first question slide where the total score will be compiled. Display this object for the rest of the project.  Type $$v_total$$ in the text of the caption.
Create one variable for each question.
Create an advanced action that adds all of the associated variables into the v_total variable.
Apply the advanced action to the appropriate quiz slides.
I was able to duplicate what you sent me, so I know that it works.
One follow-up question:  If users want to retake the quiz, I need another action that will reset the v_total variable to zero, right? Where do I apply this advanced action?