Query - compare answers to the same questions from only ID-X in first table to all ID's in second table

Question

Hello!
I am designing a database for a summer exchange school. There are two main tables – Students and Host Families. I am struggling to create a command that would connect any chosen student with possible suitable host families.
To determine, who is suitable, I created a table of 15 Yes/No questions, which are answered both by students and families. Now I would like to add a command button to the student form to create a query which would (1) search through all of the families and
their answers and (2) compare these with the ones the chosen student gave (e.g. the student whose form is open). In the end it should (3) list all the families according to number of matching answers and also (4) show where they don’t match.
Basically, I am completely lost here.
Any help would be much appreciated! Thank you in advance,
Vit

Answer 1

The reason this is harder than it needs to be is because you have violated important database design rules by creating what's called a Repeating Group.
Rather you should have a couple of tables:
Stock list of questions:
tblQuestions
QuestionID autonumber PK
QuestionText text(255) required uniqueindex
Answers given by students:
tblAnswers_Students
QuestionID long int required PK
StudentID long int required PK
Answer yesno required default=false
Similar for tblAnswers_GuestFamilies
Then put the tables on the Relationships diagram, draw the relations, and in the dialog that comes up check the box to enforce the relation.
Then see if you can figure it out with this correct database design.
-Tom. Microsoft Access MVP