The Score Quiz: 20 Questions to Test Your Knowledge

Think you know everything about Dean Di Laurentis and Allie Hayes? This 20-question quiz covers the entire arc of The Score—from the one-night stand that started it all to the emotional fallout and the unexpected finale. Questions mix multiple-choice and short-answer formats, and an answer key with explanations follows. No spoilers ahead until you’re ready to check your work.

Quiz Questions

Plot and Sequence (8 questions)

1. What event forces Allie to spend the night at Dean’s house for the first time?

   • A) Hannah invites her to a party.
   • B) She is avoiding her ex-boyfriend Sean after he announces an uninvited visit.
   • C) She needs a quiet place to study.
   • D) Dean asks her to come over.

2. During Dean and Allie’s early “sex date” in Allie’s dorm, what interrupts them?

   • A) Dean’s brother calls.
   • B) Allie’s roommate Hannah returns.
   • C) The fire alarm goes off.
   • D) Sean bangs on the door.

3. How does Dean initially cope after his best friend Beau dies?

   • A) He throws himself into extra hockey practice.
   • B) He drinks heavily and uses MDMA.
   • C) He isolates himself and reads.
   • D) He calls his ex-girlfriend Miranda.

4. What is Dean doing on the night of Allie’s opening performance in her play?

   • A) Attending the play and cheering.
   • B) Getting high on MDMA with football players.
   • C) Playing an away hockey game.
   • D) Babysitting his younger sister.

5. What leads to Dean being kicked off the hockey team?

   • A) He punches an opponent during a game.
   • B) He tests positive for MDMA in a surprise drug test.
   • C) He misses too many practices.
   • D) He argues with Coach O’Shea.

6. What does Dean bring to the Hurricanes youth hockey team as part of his apology?

   • A) New hockey sticks.
   • B) Pizza.
   • C) Video games.
   • D) Winter coats.

7. In the final chapter, what surprising news does Tucker announce?

   • A) He is moving to California.
   • B) He is having a baby with Sabrina James.
   • C) He is quitting hockey.
   • D) He is engaged to Hollis.

8. What does Allie’s father, Joe, challenge Dean about during the Thanksgiving dinner?

   • A) Dean’s ability to score goals.
   • B) Dean’s capacity to take care of Allie during hardship.
   • C) Dean’s family wealth.
   • D) Dean’s plan to go to law school.

Character Motivation (5 questions)

1. Short answer: Why does Dean refuse Allie’s offer of friendship after their one-night stand (Chapter 1)?

2. Why does Allie finally agree to a casual sexual arrangement with Dean, despite her guilt?

   • A) She wants to make Sean jealous.
   • B) She rationalizes that she wants the experience and decides to proceed.
   • C) Dean pressures her until she gives in.
   • D) She hopes the arrangement will become a real relationship.

3. Why does Dean impulsively send a friend request to his ex-girlfriend Miranda after the Yale loss?

   • A) He still has feelings for her.
   • B) He feels guilty about their past and the role he played in her depression.
   • C) He wants to apologize to O’Shea through her.
   • D) He is drunk and lonely.

4. Short answer: What is the main reason Allie finally ends things with Sean for good (Chapter 19)?

5. What ultimately motivates Dean to choose a teaching and coaching career over law school?

   • A) He fails his law entrance exam.
   • B) He discovers his passion while coaching the Hurricanes youth team.
   • C) His father cuts off his tuition.
   • D) Allie convinces him to change paths.

Theme and Symbol (4 questions)

1. The French soap opera Solange that Dean and Allie watch together most clearly symbolizes:

   • A) The language barrier between them.
   • B) Their shared enjoyment of decoding something together.
   • C) Allie’s dream of acting abroad.
   • D) Dean’s boredom with his own life.

2. What does Dean’s “Life of Dean” philosophy emphasize?

   • A) Pursuing pleasure without consequences.
   • B) Doing what you want without caring about others’ opinions.
   • C) Avoiding serious relationships.
   • D) Spending money freely.

3. Short answer: What does Allie’s vibrator, nicknamed “Winston,” represent in her relationship with Dean (Chapter 14)?

4. In Allie’s fantasy (Chapter 12), the setting shifts from a generic fantasy to a hockey rink. This shift symbolizes:

   • A) Dean’s influence on her sexuality.
   • B) Her growing interest in hockey.
   • C) Her competition with Dean.
   • D) Her fear of intimacy.

Synthesis (3 questions)

1. Short answer: Compare Dean’s apology tour in Chapter 33 (where he systematically asks forgiveness from Hannah, the team, the Hurricanes, and Dakota) with his earlier refusal to take responsibility after Beau’s death. What does this change reveal about his character growth?

2. Short answer: Give two specific examples from the novel that illustrate how class disparity creates tension between Dean and Allie, and explain how they resolve it.

3. Short answer: Dean’s father taught him a “ten-minute rule” for moving past disappointments. How does Dean’s actual grief response after Beau’s death contradict that rule, and what does this suggest about healthy coping?

Answer Key

Plot and Sequence

1. B. Allie goes to Dean’s house to avoid her ex Sean, who texted that he was coming over uninvited. Hannah offers her place to stay (Chapter 1).
2. B. Hannah returns to the dorm unexpectedly, forcing Allie to pretend she was masturbating alone (Chapter 13).
3. B. Dean copes by drinking heavily and using MDMA (molly), skipping Beau’s memorial and isolating himself (Chapters 30–31).
4. B. Instead of attending Allie’s play, Dean gets high on MDMA at his house with football players (Chapter 31).
5. B. Dean tests positive for MDMA in a surprise drug test after confessing to Coach Jensen that he took the drug (Chapter 32).
6. B. Dean promises to take the Hurricanes team out for pizza as part of his apology; Robbie says “you had us at pizza” (Chapter 33).
7. B. Tucker announces he is having a baby with Sabrina James, shocking Dean and Allie (Chapter 35).
8. B. Joe tells Dean he doesn’t trust Dean to step up when real problems arise and to care for Allie (Chapter 21).

Character Motivation

1. Dean refuses friendship because he wants more than a casual connection; he decides to pursue Allie seriously after their one-night stand (Chapter 1).
2. B. Allie rationally weighs the pros and cons of casual sex and concludes she wants it, even though it makes her uncomfortable. She texts Dean “Okay” (Chapter 12).
3. B. Dean feels guilt over the way his past relationship with Miranda ended—she fell into depression after a drunken encounter—and he sends the request impulsively (Chapter 15).
4. Allie no longer loves Sean; she realizes their life goals diverge (he wants her to give up acting) and she needs to move on (Chapter 19).
5. B. While coaching the Hurricanes youth team, Dean discovers he loves teaching and has a gift for it. Coach Ellis and his own experiences lead him to choose coaching over law (Chapters 26, 34).

Theme and Symbol

1. B. Solange brings them together as they decode plot twists and bond over the show, highlighting their growing connection (Chapter 9).
2. B. The “Life of Dean” means doing what you want and not caring what others think; Dean encourages Allie to adopt it to stop overthinking (Chapter 9).
3. Winston represents Allie’s sexual agency and comfort with Dean; it also adds humor and shows she is open with him (Chapter 14).
4. A. The rink fantasy shows that Dean has infiltrated Allie’s private desires, even though she’s resistant to falling for him (Chapter 12).

Synthesis

1. After Beau’s death, Dean avoided grief through denial and substances, hurting the people close to him. In Chapter 33, he actively seeks out everyone he wronged—Hannah, the team, the Hurricanes, Dakota, and even his ex Miranda—to apologize. This shows he has moved from avoidance to accountability and is ready to earn back trust.
2. Examples:
   • Joe Hayes tells Dean that growing up with money means Dean doesn’t understand real problems and wouldn’t step up in a crisis (Chapter 21).
   • Dean feels guilty about his privilege when Dakota says her family could only afford skating lessons for her older brother (Chapter 16).
     Resolution: Dean uses his family’s resources to help (e.g., buying plane tickets for Joe) and proves through actions that he can be counted on (Chapter 34).
3. The ten-minute rule works for small disappointments but fails for deep grief. Dean spirals into substance abuse instead of moving on quickly. This contrast suggests that healthy coping requires time, support, and emotional engagement—not a quick reset.

Want to explore more? Check out the full book summary, browse common questions and answers, or read the ending explained.