Form scores and calculated field totals are evaluated server-side in ACP, not in real time as you complete the form. This means a score will only appear or update once the form has been submitted or a rule evaluation is triggered. This article explains how scoring works and what to check when a score is incorrect or missing.
How form scoring works
When you submit a form, the server evaluates any calculate rules attached to the form's fields. A calculate rule on a total field typically does one of two things:
Sums numeric values from several source fields (for example, adding scores from individual questions in a Waterlow risk assessment)
Assigns a numeric value to a dropdown or radio selection, then sums those assigned values into a total
The calculation runs against the values submitted in that session. If any source field is empty at the time of submission, it is treated as zero or excluded from the calculation depending on how the rule is written.
Conditional show/hide rules are evaluated the same way: server-side, triggered by form submission or by a page interaction that calls the rule engine. The result is returned to the form and the field is shown or hidden accordingly.
Score is not calculating or shows zero
Work through these checks in order.
1. All source fields must contain a numeric value at submission. If a source field is empty, contains text, or uses a field type that does not return a number (for example, a dropdown that has not been assigned a numeric value in the rule), the calculation will fail silently for that component. Check that every field contributing to the score has been completed with a value the rule expects.
2. The component IDs in the rule must match the current fields. Each field in ACP has a unique component ID (for example, form_component_45). If the form has been edited since the rule was created and a field was added, removed, or renamed, the component ID in the rule may no longer match a real field. To check: go to Configuration > Forms, open the form, open the component that contains the calculate rule, and verify each component ID in the rule expression matches a live field on the form. See Form condition rules for the syntax reference.
3. Dropdown or radio values must match exactly. If the rule assigns a score to a dropdown option (for example, [#assign form_component_X = 5] when the option selected is "Requires improvement"), the text in the rule must match the dropdown option text exactly, including case, punctuation, and spacing. A trailing space in either the option text or the rule expression will cause a mismatch and the value will not be assigned.
4. Test with known values. If the above checks do not identify the issue, submit a test version of the form with controlled values (for example, selecting the first option in every dropdown) and note what score the system returns. Compare this against your expected calculation. This helps isolate which component is contributing incorrectly or not contributing at all.
A conditional rule is not showing or hiding a field correctly
The most common causes are:
Case sensitivity mismatch. All conditional expressions in ACP are case-sensitive. If the rule expression uses "Yes" and the dropdown option is "yes", the condition will never evaluate as true. Check the exact text of the option in the field settings and ensure the rule matches it character for character.
Component ID mismatch. The component ID referenced in the conditional rule must match the current ID of the field being evaluated. If the field has been removed and replaced with a new one, the new field will have a different component ID and the old rule will reference a field that no longer exists.
Hide rule applied to a field inside a table. Hide rules cannot be applied to individual fields within a table component. This is a known limitation. If you need conditional logic inside a table, consider moving the affected fields outside the table or using a separate section.
Syntax error in the rule expression. A missing bracket, an extra space, or an unclosed quotation mark will cause the rule to fail. Review the expression carefully, paying particular attention to brackets and quotation marks. Compare it against the examples in Form condition rules.
Waterlow and multi-field risk assessment scoring
Waterlow scores, and similar risk assessment forms that assign numeric values to clinical observations, are particularly sensitive to configuration errors because they combine many source fields into a single score. The most common failure patterns are:
A dropdown option text was changed without updating the rule. If a dropdown option was renamed after the calculate rule was written, the old rule no longer matches the option and will not assign the correct value. Open each source field in the form and compare the option text against the corresponding rule expression.
A new field was added to the assessment but not added to the calculate rule. If new clinical criteria were added to the form after the initial build, the total field rule must be updated to include the new component IDs. Check that the rule expression includes all fields that should contribute to the score.
A required field is sometimes left blank. If carers or clinicians routinely skip a question on the form (for example, a question not applicable to all service users), and the rule does not handle empty values with a fallback (such as [#if !form_component_X?has_content][#assign form_component_X = 0]), the missing value will cause the total to be understated. Add a fallback assignment in the rule to treat unanswered fields as zero.
When to raise a Support case
If you have worked through all of the checks above and the score or conditional rule is still not behaving correctly, raise a support case via the Access Digital Assistant. Include the following:
The form name and the component ID of the field with the rule
The full rule expression as it is currently configured
An example of the input values submitted and the expected versus actual output
Whether the form has been edited recently and if so what was changed