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Exam Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Exams

Essay exams involve a significant written component in which you are asked to discuss and expand on a topic.  These could include written responses in the form of a formal essay or a detailed short-answer response.

  • Short answer vs essay questions

Preparing for an essay exam

Answering essay questions.

Check out our visual resources for " Test Taking Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Questions " below!

What is the difference between a short answer and an essay question?

  • Both short-answer and essay questions ask you to demonstrate your knowledge of course material by relating your answer to concepts covered in the course.
  • Essay questions require a thesis (argument) and supporting evidence (from course material - lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments) outlined in several paragraphs, including an introduction, body, and conclusion.
  • Short-answer questions are more concise than essay answers - think of it as a “mini-essay” - and use a sentence or two to introduce your topic; select a few points to discuss; add a concluding sentence that sums up your response.
  • Review your course material - look for themes within the topics covered, use these to prepare sample questions if your instructor has not given direction on what to expect from essay questions.
  • Create outlines to answer your practice questions. Choose a definite argument or thesis statement and organize supporting evidence logically in body paragraphs. Try a mnemonic (like a rhyme or acronym) to help remember your outline.
  • Practice! Using your outline, try using a timer to write a full response to your practice or sample questions within the exam time limit.
  • Review the question carefully. Think about what it is asking - what are you expected to include?  What material or examples are relevant?
  • Underline keywords in the question to identify the main topic and discussion areas.
  • Plan your time. Keep an eye on the time allowed and how many essay questions you are required to answer. Consider the mark distribution to determine how much time to spend on each question or section.
  • Make a plan. Take a few minutes to brainstorm and plan your response - jot down a brief outline to order your points and arguments before you start to write.
  • Include a thesis statement in your introduction so that your argument is clear, even if you run out of time, and help structure your answer.
  • Write a conclusion , even if brief - use this to bring your ideas together to answer the question and suggest the broader implications.
  • Clearly and concisely answer the question :
  • In your introduction, show that you understand the question and outline how you will answer it.
  • Make one point or argument per paragraph and include one or two pieces of evidence or examples for each point.
  • In your conclusion, summarize the arguments to answer the question.

"Test Taking Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Questions"

Does your next test have short answer or essay questions? Let's look at how to prepare for these type of questions, how to answer these types of questions, and strategies to keep in mind during the exam. Fight exam writer's block and achieve your best marks yet!

  • "Test Taking Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Questions" PDF
  • "Test Taking Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Questions" Video

Looking for more strategies and tips? Check out MUN's Academic Success Centre online!

Carnegie Mellon University. (n.d.). Successful exam strategies. Carnegie Mellon University: Student Academic Success. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://www.cmu.edu/student-success/other-resources/fast-facts/exam-strategies.pdf

Memorial University of Newfoundland. (n.d.). Exam strategies: Short answer & essay exams. Memorial University of Newfoundland: Academic Success Centre. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://www.mun.ca/munup/vssc/learning/exam-strategies-essays.php

Trent University. (n.d.). How to understand and answer free response or essay exam questions. Trent University: Academic Skills. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/how-guides/how-study/prepare-and-write-exams/how-understand-and-answer-free-response-or-essay-exam

University of Queensland Australia. (n.d.). Exam tips. University of Queensland Australia: Student support, study skills. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/student-support/study-skills/exam-tips

University of Waterloo. (n.d.). Exam questions: Types, characteristics, and suggestions. University of Waterloo: Centre for Teaching Excellence. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/developing-assignments/exams/questions-types-characteristics-suggestions

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Short Answer & Essay Tests

Strategies, Ideas, and Recommendations from the faculty Development Literature

General Strategies

Save essay questions for testing higher levels of thought (application, synthesis, and evaluation), not recall facts. Appropriate tasks for essays include: Comparing: Identify the similarities and differences between Relating cause and effect: What are the major causes of...? What would be the most likely effects of...? Justifying: Explain why you agree or disagree with the following statement. Generalizing: State a set of principles that can explain the following events. Inferring: How would character X react to the following? Creating: what would happen if...? Applying: Describe a situation that illustrates the principle of. Analyzing: Find and correct the reasoning errors in the following passage. Evaluating: Assess the strengths and weaknesses of.

There are three drawbacks to giving students a choice. First, some students will waste time trying to decide which questions to answer. Second, you will not know whether all students are equally knowledgeable about all the topics covered on the test. Third, since some questions are likely to be harder than others, the test could be unfair.

Tests that ask only one question are less valid and reliable than those with a wider sampling of test items. In a fifty-minute class period, you may be able to pose three essay questions or ten short answer questions.

To reduce students' anxiety and help them see that you want them to do their best, give them pointers on how to take an essay exam. For example:

  • Survey the entire test quickly, noting the directions and estimating the importance and difficulty of each question. If ideas or answers come to mind, jot them down quickly.
  • Outline each answer before you begin to write. Jot down notes on important points, arrange them in a pattern, and add specific details under each point.

Writing Effective Test Questions

Avoid vague questions that could lead students to different interpretations. If you use the word "how" or "why" in an essay question, students will be better able to develop a clear thesis. As examples of essay and short-answer questions: Poor: What are three types of market organization? In what ways are they different from one another? Better: Define oligopoly. How does oligopoly differ from both perfect competition and monopoly in terms of number of firms, control over price, conditions of entry, cost structure, and long-term profitability? Poor: Name the principles that determined postwar American foreign policy. Better: Describe three principles on which American foreign policy was based between 1945 and 1960; illustrate each of the principles with two actions of the executive branch of government.

If you want students to consider certain aspects or issues in developing their answers, set them out in separate paragraph. Leave the questions on a line by itself.

Use your version to help you revise the question, as needed, and to estimate how much time students will need to complete the question. If you can answer the question in ten minutes, students will probably need twenty to thirty minutes. Use these estimates in determining the number of questions to ask on the exam. Give students advice on how much time to spend on each question.

Decide which specific facts or ideas a student must mention to earn full credit and how you will award partial credit. Below is an example of a holistic scoring rubric used to evaluate essays:

  • Full credit-six points: The essay clearly states a position, provides support for the position, and raises a counterargument or objection and refutes it.
  • Five points: The essay states a position, supports it, and raises a counterargument or objection and refutes it. The essay contains one or more of the following ragged edges: evidence is not uniformly persuasive, counterargument is not a serious threat to the position, some ideas seem out of place.
  • Four points: The essay states a position and raises a counterargument, but neither is well developed. The objection or counterargument may lean toward the trivial. The essay also seems disorganized.
  • Three points: The essay states a position, provides evidence supporting the position, and is well organized. However, the essay does not address possible objections or counterarguments. Thus, even though the essay may be better organized than the essay given four points, it should not receive more than three points.
  • Two points: The essay states a position and provides some support but does not do it very well. Evidence is scanty, trivial, or general. The essay achieves it length largely through repetition of ideas and inclusion of irrelevant information.
  • One point: The essay does not state the student's position on the issue. Instead, it restates the position presented in the question and summarizes evidence discussed in class or in the reading.

Try not to bias your grading by carrying over your perceptions about individual students. Some faculty ask students to put a number or pseudonym on the exam and to place that number / pseudonym on an index card that is turned in with the test, or have students write their names on the last page of the blue book or on the back of the test.

Before you begin grading, you will want an overview of the general level of performance and the range of students' responses.

Identify exams that are excellent, good, adequate, and poor. Use these papers to refresh your memory of the standards by which you are grading and to ensure fairness over the period of time you spend grading.

Shuffle papers before scoring the next question to distribute your fatigue factor randomly. By randomly shuffling papers you also avoid ordering effects.

Don't let handwriting, use of pen or pencil, format (for example, many lists), or other such factors influence your judgment about the intellectual quality of the response.

Write brief notes on strengths and weaknesses to indicate what students have done well and where they need to improve. The process of writing comments also keeps your attention focused on the response. And your comments will refresh your memory if a student wants to talk to you about the exam.

Focus on the organization and flow of the response, not on whether you agree or disagree with the students' ideas. Experiences faculty note, however, that students tend not to read their returned final exams, so you probably do not need to comment extensively on those.

Most faculty tire after reading ten or so responses. Take short breaks to keep up your concentration. Also, try to set limits on how long to spend on each paper so that you maintain you energy level and do not get overwhelmed. However, research suggests that you read all responses to a single question in one sitting to avoid extraneous factors influencing your grading (for example, time of day, temperature, and so on).

Wait two days or so and review a random set of exams without looking at the grades you assigned. Rereading helps you increase your reliability as a grader. If your two score differ, take the average.

This protects students' privacy when you return or they pick up their tests. Returning Essay Exams

A quick turnaround reinforces learning and capitalizes on students' interest in the results. Try to return tests within a week or so.

Give students a copy of the scoring guide or grading criteria you used. Let students know what a good answer included and the most common errors the class made. If you wish, read an example of a good answer and contrast it with a poor answer you created. Give students information on the distribution of scores so they know where they stand.

Some faculty break the class into small groups to discuss answers to the test. Unresolved questions are brought up to the class as a whole.

Ask students to tell you what was particularly difficult or unexpected. Find out how they prepared for the exam and what they wish they had done differently. Pass along to next year's class tips on the specific skills and strategies this class found effective.

Include a copy of the test with your annotations on ways to improve it, the mistakes students made in responding to various question, the distribution of students' performance, and comments that students made about the exam. If possible, keep copies of good and poor exams.

The Strategies, Ideas and Recommendations Here Come Primarily From:

Gross Davis, B. Tools for Teaching. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1993.

McKeachie, W. J. Teaching Tips. (10th ed.) Lexington, Mass.: Heath, 2002.

Walvoord, B. E. and Johnson Anderson, V. Effective Grading. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1998.

And These Additional Sources... Brooks, P. Working in Subject A Courses. Berkeley: Subject A Program, University of California, 1990.

Cashin, W. E. "Improving Essay Tests." Idea Paper, no. 17. Manhattan: Center for Faculty

Evaluation and Development in Higher Education, Kansas State University, 1987.

Erickson, B. L., and Strommer, D. W. Teaching College Freshmen. San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass, 1991.

Fuhrmann, B. S. and Grasha, A. F. A Practical Handbook for College Teachers. Boston:

Little, Brown, 1983.

Jacobs, L. C. and Chase, C. I. Developing and Using Tests Effectively: A Guide for Faculty.

San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992.

Jedrey, C. M. "Grading and Evaluation." In M. M. gullette (ed.), The Art and Craft of Teaching.

Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1984.

Lowman, J. Mastering the Techniques of Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1984.

Ory, J. C. Improving Your Test Questions. Urbana:

Office of Instructional Res., University of Illinois, 1985.

Tollefson, S. K. Encouraging Student Writing. Berkeley:

Office of Educational Development, University of California, 1988.

Unruh, D. Test Scoring manual: Guide for Developing and Scoring Course Examinations.

Los Angeles: Office of Instructional Development, University of California, 1988.

Walvoord, B. E. Helping Students Write Well: A Guide for Teachers in All Disciplines.

(2nded.) New York: Modern Language Association, 1986.

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Short answer and essay questions

Short answer and essay questions are types of assessment that are commonly used to evaluate a student’s understanding and knowledge.

Tips for creating short answer and essay questions

e.g., What is __? or how could __ be put into practice?
  • Consider the course  learning outcomes . Design questions that appropriately assess the relevant learning objectives.
  • Make sure the  content measures knowledge  appropriate to the desired learner level and learning goal.
  • When students think critically they are required to  step beyond recalling factual information , incorporating evidence and examples to corroborate and/or dispute the validity of assertions/suppositions and compare and contrast multiple perspectives on the same argument.
e.g., paragraphs? sentences? Is bullet point format acceptable or does it have to be an essay format?
  • Specify how many  marks each question is worth .
  • Word limits  should be applied within Canvas for discursive or essay-type responses.
  • Check that your  language and instructions  are appropriate to the student population and discipline of study. Not all students have English as their first language.
  • Ensure the  instructions to students are clear , including optional and compulsory questions and the various components of the assessment.

Questions that promote deeper thinking

Use “open-ended” questions to provoke divergent thinking.

These questions will allow for a variety of possible answers and encourage students to think at a deeper level. Some generic question stems that trigger or stimulate different forms of critical thinking include:

  • “What are the implications of …?”
  • “Why is it important …?”
  • “What is another way to look at …?”

Use questions that are deliberate in the types of higher order thinking to promote/assess

Rather than promoting recall of facts, use questions that allow students to demonstrate their comprehension, application and analysis of the concepts.

Generic question stems that can be used to trigger and assess higher order thinking

Comprehension.

Convert information into a form that  makes sense to the individual .

  • How would you put __ into your own words?
  • What would be an example of __?

Application

Apply abstract or theoretical principles to  concrete ,  practical  situations.

  • How can you make use of __?
  • How could __ be put into practice?

Break down  or  dissect  information.

  • What are the most important/significant ideas or elements of __?
  • What assumptions/biases underlie or are hidden within __?

Build up  or  connect  separate pieces of information to form a larger, more coherent pattern

  • How can these different ideas be grouped together into a more general category?  

Critically judge  the validity or aesthetic value of ideas, data, or products.

  • How would you judge the accuracy or validity of __? 
  • How would you evaluate the ethical (moral) implications or consequences of __?

Draw conclusions about  particular instances  that are logically consistent.

  • What specific conclusions can be drawn from this general __? 
  • What particular actions would be consistent with this general __? 

Balanced thinking

Carefully consider arguments/evidence  for  and  against  a particular position.

  • What evidence supports and contradicts __? 
  • What are arguments for and counterarguments against __? 

Causal reasoning

Identify  cause-effect relationships  between different ideas or actions.

  • How would you explain why __ occurred? 
  • How would __ affect or influence __? 

Creative thinking

Generate  imaginative  ideas or  novel  approaches to traditional practices.  

  • What might be a metaphor or analogy for __? 
  • What might happen if __? (hypothetical reasoning)

Redesign test questions for open-book format

It is important to redesign the assessment tasks to authentically assess the intended learning outcomes in a way that is appropriate for this mode of assessment. Replacing questions that simply recall facts with questions that require higher level cognitive skills—for example analysis and explanation of why and how students reached an answer—provides opportunities for reflective questions based on students’ own experiences.

More quick, focused problem-solving and analysis—conducted with restricted access to limited allocated resources—will need to incorporate a student’s ability to demonstrate a more thoughtful research-based approach and/or the ability to negotiate an understanding of more complex problems, sometimes in an open-book format.

Layers can be added to the problem/process, and the inclusion of a reflective aspect can help achieve these goals, whether administered in an oral test or written examination format.

Example 2: Analytic style multiple choice question or short answer

Acknowledgement: Deakin University and original multiple choice questions: Jennifer Lindley, Monash University.

Setting word limits for discursive or essay-type responses

Try to set a  fair and reasonable word count  for long answer and essay questions. Some points to consider are:

  • Weighting  – what is the relative weighting of the question in the assessment?
  • Level of study  – what is the suggested word count for written assessments in your discipline, for that level of study?
  • Skills development  – what skills are you requiring students to demonstrate? Higher level cognitive skills, such as evaluation and analysis, tend to require a lengthier word count in order to adequately respond to the assessment prompt.
  • Referencing  – will you require students to  reference their sources ? This takes time, which should be accounted for in the total time to complete the assessment. References generally would not count towards the word count. Include clear marking guidelines for referencing in rubrics, including assessing skills such as critical thinking and evaluation of information.

Communicate your expectations around word count to students in your assessment instructions, including how you will deal with submissions that are outside the word count.

E.g.,  Write 600-800 words evaluating the key concepts of XYZ. Excess text over the word limit will not be marked.

Let students know how to check the word count in their submission:

  • Show  word count in Inspera  – question type: Essay.

Canvas shows the word count at the bottom of the text editor.

Multi-choice questions

Write MCQs that assess reasoning, rather than recall.

Page updated 16/03/2023 (added open-book section)

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Exam Questions: Types, Characteristics, and Suggestions

Examinations are a very common assessment and evaluation tool in universities and there are many types of examination questions. This tips sheet contains a brief description of seven types of examination questions, as well as tips for using each of them: 1) multiple choice, 2) true/false, 3) matching, 4) short answer, 5) essay, 6) oral, and 7) computational. Remember that some exams can be conducted effectively in a secure online environment in a proctored computer lab or assigned as paper based or online “take home” exams.

Multiple choice

Multiple choice questions are composed of one question (stem) with multiple possible answers (choices), including the correct answer and several incorrect answers (distractors). Typically, students select the correct answer by circling the associated number or letter, or filling in the associated circle on the machine-readable response sheet.

Example : Distractors are:

A) Elements of the exam layout that distract attention from the questions B) Incorrect but plausible choices used in multiple choice questions C) Unnecessary clauses included in the stem of multiple choice questions Answer: B

Students can generally respond to these type of questions quite quickly. As a result, they are often used to test student’s knowledge of a broad range of content. Creating these questions can be time consuming because it is often difficult to generate several plausible distractors. However, they can be marked very quickly.

Tips for writing good multiple choice items:

Suggestion : After each lecture during the term, jot down two or three multiple choice questions based on the material for that lecture. Regularly taking a few minutes to compose questions, while the material is fresh in your mind, will allow you to develop a question bank that you can use to construct tests and exams quickly and easily.

True/false questions are only composed of a statement. Students respond to the questions by indicating whether the statement is true or false. For example: True/false questions have only two possible answers (Answer: True).

Like multiple choice questions, true/false questions:

  • Are most often used to assess familiarity with course content and to check for popular misconceptions
  • Allow students to respond quickly so exams can use a large number of them to test knowledge of a broad range of content
  • Are easy and quick to grade but time consuming to create

True/false questions provide students with a 50% chance of guessing the right answer. For this reason, multiple choice questions are often used instead of true/false questions.

Tips for writing good true/false items:

Suggestion : You can increase the usefulness of true/false questions by asking students to correct false statements.

Students respond to matching questions by pairing each of a set of stems (e.g., definitions) with one of the choices provided on the exam. These questions are often used to assess recognition and recall and so are most often used in courses where acquisition of detailed knowledge is an important goal. They are generally quick and easy to create and mark, but students require more time to respond to these questions than a similar number of multiple choice or true/false items.

Example: Match each question type with one attribute:

  • Multiple Choice a) Only two possible answers
  • True/False b) Equal number of stems and choices
  • Matching c) Only one correct answer but at least three choices

Tips for writing good matching items:

Suggestion:  You can use some choices more than once in the same matching exercise. It reduces the effects of guessing.

Short answer

Short answer questions are typically composed of a brief prompt that demands a written answer that varies in length from one or two words to a few sentences. They are most often used to test basic knowledge of key facts and terms. An example this kind of short answer question follows:

“What do you call an exam format in which students must uniquely associate a set of prompts with a set of options?” Answer: Matching questions

Alternatively, this could be written as a fill-in-the-blank short answer question:

“An exam question in which students must uniquely associate prompts and options is called a ___________ question.” Answer: Matching.

Short answer questions can also be used to test higher thinking skills, including analysis or evaluation. For example:

“Will you include short answer questions on your next exam? Please justify your decision with two to three sentences explaining the factors that have influenced your decision.”

Short answer questions have many advantages. Many instructors report that they are relatively easy to construct and can be constructed faster than multiple choice questions. Unlike matching, true/false, and multiple choice questions, short answer questions make it difficult for students to guess the answer. Short answer questions provide students with more flexibility to explain their understanding and demonstrate creativity than they would have with multiple choice questions; this also means that scoring is relatively laborious and can be quite subjective. Short answer questions provide more structure than essay questions and thus are often easy and faster to mark and often test a broader range of the course content than full essay questions.

Tips for writing good short answer items:

Suggestion : When using short answer questions to test student knowledge of definitions consider having a mix of questions, some that supply the term and require the students to provide the definition, and other questions that supply the definition and require that students provide the term. The latter sort of questions can be structured as fill-in-the-blank questions. This mix of formats will better test student knowledge because it doesn’t rely solely on recognition or recall of the term.

Essay questions provide a complex prompt that requires written responses, which can vary in length from a couple of paragraphs to many pages. Like short answer questions, they provide students with an opportunity to explain their understanding and demonstrate creativity, but make it hard for students to arrive at an acceptable answer by bluffing. They can be constructed reasonably quickly and easily but marking these questions can be time-consuming and grader agreement can be difficult.

Essay questions differ from short answer questions in that the essay questions are less structured. This openness allows students to demonstrate that they can integrate the course material in creative ways. As a result, essays are a favoured approach to test higher levels of cognition including analysis, synthesis and evaluation. However, the requirement that the students provide most of the structure increases the amount of work required to respond effectively. Students often take longer to compose a five paragraph essay than they would take to compose five one paragraph answers to short answer questions. This increased workload limits the number of essay questions that can be posed on a single exam and thus can restrict the overall scope of an exam to a few topics or areas. To ensure that this doesn’t cause students to panic or blank out, consider giving the option of answering one of two or more questions.

Tips for writing good essay items:

Suggestions : Distribute possible essay questions before the exam and make your marking criteria slightly stricter. This gives all students an equal chance to prepare and should improve the quality of the answers – and the quality of learning – without making the exam any easier.

Oral examinations allow students to respond directly to the instructor’s questions and/or to present prepared statements. These exams are especially popular in language courses that demand ‘speaking’ but they can be used to assess understanding in almost any course by following the guidelines for the composition of short answer questions. Some of the principle advantages to oral exams are that they provide nearly immediate feedback and so allow the student to learn as they are tested. There are two main drawbacks to oral exams: the amount of time required and the problem of record-keeping. Oral exams typically take at least ten to fifteen minutes per student, even for a midterm exam. As a result, they are rarely used for large classes. Furthermore, unlike written exams, oral exams don’t automatically generate a written record. To ensure that students have access to written feedback, it is recommended that instructors take notes during oral exams using a rubric and/or checklist and provide a photocopy of the notes to the students.

In many departments, oral exams are rare. Students may have difficulty adapting to this new style of assessment. In this situation, consider making the oral exam optional. While it can take more time to prepare two tests, having both options allows students to choose the one which suits them and their learning style best.

Computational

Computational questions require that students perform calculations in order to solve for an answer. Computational questions can be used to assess student’s memory of solution techniques and their ability to apply those techniques to solve both questions they have attempted before and questions that stretch their abilities by requiring that they combine and use solution techniques in novel ways.

Effective computational questions should:

  • Be solvable using knowledge of the key concepts and techniques from the course. Before the exam solve them yourself or get a teaching assistant to attempt the questions.
  • Indicate the mark breakdown to reinforce the expectations developed in in-class examples for the amount of detail, etc. required for the solution.

To prepare students to do computational questions on exams, make sure to describe and model in class the correct format for the calculations and answer including:

  • How students should report their assumptions and justify their choices
  • The units and degree of precision expected in the answer

Suggestion : Have students divide their answer sheets into two columns: calculations in one, and a list of assumptions, description of process and justification of choices in the other. This ensures that the marker can distinguish between a simple mathematical mistake and a profound conceptual error and give feedback accordingly.

If you would like support applying these tips to your own teaching, CTE staff members are here to help.  View the  CTE Support  page to find the most relevant staff member to contact.

  • Cunningham, G.K. (1998). Assessment in the Classroom. Bristol, PA: Falmer Press.
  • Ward, A.W., & Murray-Ward, M. (1999). Assessment in the Classroom. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co.

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This Creative Commons license  lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as they credit us and indicate if changes were made. Use this citation format:  Exam questions: types, characteristics and suggestions . Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo .

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Studying & Test Taking

difference between short answer and essay test

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Short Answer questions can be difficult for students. While not as lengthy as an essay question, you are still expected to cover enough material in the question to get full marks.

Unlike multiple choice and true/false questions, short answer questions have no possible answers written down for you—you have to recall and summarize ideas in your own words.

Despite the added difficulty, there are still some tricks you can use when writing responses to short answer questions.

Keyword Clues in Short Answer Questions

Here are some typical words (instructions) you might find in a short-answer test and their meaning. Understanding the question ensures that you respond to it fully—and earn full marks!

Short Answer Quick Tips

  • Read the questions carefully : Take your time to make sure you fully understand what is being asked of you.
  • Do not over analyze : Go with your first instinct on your answer.
  • Don't leave the answer blank! You can still get partial marks for having some of the answer.
  • Make sure you answer the entire question : That's why reading the question carefully is so important.
  • Check how many marks each question is worth : Each point you write down will be worth one mark in your final grade. For example, if the short answer question is worth five (5) marks, write down five (5) points in your answer.
  • Last Updated: Jan 12, 2024 2:29 PM
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How to Understand and Answer Free Response or Essay Exam Questions

Short answer and essay exams, the challenge of free response questions, exam basics.

  • Identify Questions
  • Explain Questions
  • Compare and Contrast Questions
  • Argue Questions
  • Assess Questions
  • Plan Your Answer
  • Writing Your Response

Short answer and essay questions often comprise the most challenging and the most heavily weighted sections of an exam. They require you to analyze and respond to questions, develop coherent arguments, and draw on specific examples, all within a strict time limit. Consider the following techniques to help you to avoid common problems with free responses and improve your answers.

Read the Instructions Closely

Every examination requires you to do different things in different ways. It is essential that you read all of the instructions very carefully before you begin to respond to the questions. Where are you to record your answers? How many questions or sections are you required to answer? Also ensure that you have clearly labelled all exam papers with your full name, student number, and instructor’s name because papers can be lost, and you do not want to have to write an exam a second time.

Manage your Time

While you review the examination instructions and questions, it is important to consider how each section or question is graded. Short answers may be worth five or ten marks, and essays can be worth up to fifty marks. Establish priorities for response and set parameters for the amount of time you need to spend on each section and each question.

Understand the Question

Many students dive into short answer and essay questions and quickly begin writing their responses. While this may save a few minutes in the short term, it can lead to major problems. Before you can answer a question effectively, you need to make sure that you understand what it is asking you to do.

If, for example, the question asks you to compare the Harper administration to that of previous Prime Ministers, and instead you do a critical evaluation of it, you will write an incomplete answer and lose marks.

In order to understand short answer and essay questions, you need to pay particular attention to words like “identify,” “explain,” “compare,” “argue,” “assess”: these words dictate the nature of the task before you. Understanding what you need to include in order to fully answer a question requires you to interpret the degree of complexity and range of information that asks for.

Five Common Types of Questions

There are overlaps and crossovers, of course, but most short answer and essay questions belong primarily in one of these five categories:

Identify questions:

Provide a detailed description of an event, process, or idea. These questions often include words such as Identify, Enumerate, Define, Describe, List, or Summarize.

As a general rule, “Identify” questions demand detailed, information-packed answers. Rather than asking you for your opinion or evaluation, identify questions ask you to accurately recall what you have learned about a topic. These questions are often used on the short answer portion of exams as they elicit concise paragraphs, not fully developed arguments or assessments.

  • “Enumerate the varieties of food-borne illnesses caused by the ingestion of improperly preserved foods”
  • “List the seven deadly sins”
  • “Summarize Kant’s argument for the Categorical Imperative.”

Explain questions:

Analyze why, how, or in what order a set of events or processes occur. These questions often include words such as Explain, Account for, Analyze, Discuss, Trace, or Outline.

“Explain” questions are somewhat more demanding than identify questions: they are the “why” to identify’s “what.” One is often expected to establish cause and effect relationships or to develop the steps of a process or series of events in explain questions.

  •  “Discuss the processes by which improperly preserved foods cause food borne illnesses.”

Compare and contrast questions:

Analyze the similarities and differences; answer with an investigation of a relationship. These questions often include words such as Compare, Contrast, Distinguish, Relate.

These questions are popular because they encourage students to undertake more complex analyses; we see a thing more precisely and astutely when we have been asked to distinguish it from something else.

The task of a compare/contrast question is not simply to describe two events, characters, or ideas, but to analyse them in relation to one another. It is also important to note that comparisons generally involve pointing out BOTH similarities AND differences, though you can certainly argue that the two things you are comparing are more similar than they are different or vice versa.

  • Compare the use of the epic form in classical and neoclassical verse.

Argue questions:

Answer with a defence of a position that considers potential detractors. These questions often include words such as Argue, Agree, Disagree, Debate, Defend, Justify, Prove.

All essays are forms of argument in the general sense of being developed from a premise towards a conclusion via a structure of support built on logic and evidence. Some, though, are argumentative in the more common sense of requiring that a position be defended against potential detractors.

  • If the question were, “Prove that the nuclear industry provides a safe form of power,” you would need to provide evidence to show that nuclear power is safe, despite what its critics might argue.
  • Or you may be asked to pick a side and defend it: Argue for or against the feasibility of world government as a solution to the hostilities between nation states

Assess Questions:

Answer with an evaluation. These questions often include words such as Assess, Criticize, Evaluate, Interpret, Propose, Review.

Just as all essay questions require an answer in the form of an argument, all require you to exercise your judgement or powers of discrimination in determining what is relevant or not, significant or not, authentic or not. “Assess” questions require that judgement to become the focus and purpose of the essay. In assess questions, one is frequently asked to measure degree, to answer, “How well?” To do this, sensible criteria must be established against which to judge the subject in question, and then one’s judgement must be defended.

  • Assess the significance of the American civil rights movement in the struggle for social justice.
  • Evaluate the efficacy of the endangered species tracking program in Northern Canada.

Plan your Answer

Once you have a clear sense of what the question is asking you to do, take a few minutes to plan your answer. This planning can take many forms. For short answer questions, you may just need to jot down a couple of key terms on your exam paper. For essay questions, you will likely need to do more planning. You might start by brainstorming ideas or different perspectives.

Sample Planning for a Compare/Contrast Essay

Midsummer’s Night Dream and Twelfth Night

Similarities Between the Plays:

1. Both have aspects of fantasy

2. Both have happy, romantic endings

3. Both involve characters who are rejected by their loves.

Differences Between Plays:

1. Bottom is not affected by his rejection

2. Malvolio is deeply depressed by it

3. Midsummer’s is always romantic comedy

4. Twelfth Night is more serious in tone

You then want to write out a thesis and some form of brief outline.

Remember, you are aiming for a very rough sketch of your answer: use whatever outlining method you are comfortable with — mind map or conventional hierarchical structure. You may also want to use a chart that lists your main points across from supporting examples rather than a formal outline. This outline provides your response with a focus and clear structure.

Write your Response

Answer the question as clearly as possible.

Remember that your professor is reading dozens and dozens of exam papers; your goal is to highlight for him or her that you have fully answered the question as clearly as possible. Begin an essay answer with a very clear thesis statement that directly responds to the question. Start all paragraphs with a clear topic sentence that explains the main point that you will develop. Use cue phrases such as “for example,” “another example,” or “in contrast” to highlight the fact that you are using specific evidence to support your ideas.

Balance Argument and Evidence

When writing responses to short answer and essay questions, it is important to recognize that arguments and evidence are less valuable when they are separated from one another. A response that lists a long string of facts but that fails to interpret or explain these facts is just as flawed as a response that contains many interesting ideas but that does not support these ideas with specific examples. To avoid these flaws, you need to find a balance between argument and evidence.

Be as Specific as You Can Be Without Being Wrong

Be as specific as possible. Most exam questions will address general course themes, issues that anyone who attended the lectures would be familiar with. To excel on an exam, therefore, you must establish that you are not merely acquainted with these themes, but that you have considered them carefully and are aware of their connections to and ramifications for the more particular material discussed in the course. In a literature course, this means numerous references to the texts studied; in a history course, it might mean using a specific historical event to illustrate a broader theory. In psychology, the student might make reference to relevant experiments, in geography to particular landmarks.

While specific is best, take care not to be wrong.

For example, writing “Hitler came to power in 1903,” on a history exam really weakens your credibility. The best response would cite the year correctly: “Hitler came to power in 1933.” If you are not sure, be as specific as you can be without being wrong. For example, “When Hitler came to power in the mid-1930s,” or simply “When Hitler came to power.”

Focus on Course Content

Try to establish for your professor that you have taken the course that was taught. All too often, the student answers a question very personally, making reference to details and issues that were never discussed in class. To a certain extent, this approach is acceptable; it shows an ability to apply knowledge to a broad spectrum. However, overdoing it can be dangerous, because you need to show that you can understand concepts within the framework in which they were discussed, not outside it.

Try not to get carried away in your literature course, then, making references to all of the books you have recently read; focus your answer on the authors you have been studying in class.

Don’t Worry Too Much About Style

Many students worry about proper essay style in exams: are they losing marks by not having a formal introduction and conclusion, or by having an answer that looks a bit messy? Some advice: worry about something else. Provide reasonable introductions and conclusions as guides to your response, but do not waste time on them. Professors at this point are marking for content, not style. Elegantly worded introductions are wonderful, but they will likely take up too much time and keep you from completing your essay.

Further, don’t waste time “rewriting in good.” Write so that your words can be read at normal speed the first time, and leave it at that. Don’t labour excessively over word choice, style and spelling (unless you are using specific vocabulary words that you should know the spelling of) as though you are writing the final draft of an essay. It is perfectly acceptable to cross things out and insert words. If you have any extra time at the end, reread your answers to improve the rough bits of wording, weak transitions, and so on.

CLJ

Home » University Of Texas At Austin » What Is The Difference Between Short Answer And Essay Questions?

What Is The Difference Between Short Answer And Essay Questions?

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Short answer and essay tests can be the final section of a bigger test, or a test by itself. While both ask that you take the basic knowledge of a topic and state the key ideas in your own words, a short answer question may require a few sentences, whereas an essay prompt may require a paragraph or more .

What is a short answer essay question?

Short answer questions are almost harder to write than a personal essay, since you usually have a word limit. Often, this may be as short as 150 words (a paragraph). This means that your answers must be clear and concise without being so bare bones that you don’t seem to have a personality .

What are essay questions?

Definition of essay question : an examination question that requires an answer in a sentence, paragraph, or short composition .

What does short answer mean on a test?

What is a short-answer exam? On a short-answer exam you are asked to provide a concise, yet thorough, written answer to a question, usually using complete sentences . These exams test your ability to integrate what you’ve learned in the lectures, readings, and discussions, and to apply that knowledge.

What do short answer questions look like?

Short Answer Questions do not have a generic structure. Questions may require answers such as complete the sentence, supply the missing word, short descriptive or qualitative answers, diagrams with explanations etc. The answer is usually short, from one word to a few lines . Often students may answer in bullet form.

How do you write a short answer question?

Short answer questions in exams

  • Deconstruct the question.
  • Rephrase the question in your own words.
  • Plan the structure of your answer before starting to write.
  • Use examples to give evidence and help give your writing credibility.
  • Use plain language and keep your writing straight to the point.

How long is a short essay question?

According to Janet D. Stemwedel, a philosophy professor at San Jose State University, the answer is: A short essay is 500 words long, which is about two pages with double spacing and one page with single spacing. That number is based on the assumption that you use Times New Roman font (12pt) with standard margins.

How do you start an essay question?

Establishing what you already know about a topic/ subject is a good starting point for any essay. It also helps you figure out what you don’t know and where you need to start researching. An effective way of doing this is using a word dump.

How do you answer an essay question?

Answer the question according to general rules of academic writing. Use indentations; begin each paragraph with a topic sentence; support the topic sentence(s) with reasons and/or examples; use transition words to show logical organization; write a conclusion. Use correct punctuation throughout.

How do I prepare for a short answer exam?

Short Answer Test Preparation Tips

  • Study for understanding.
  • Focus on topics and concepts.
  • Employ self testing.
  • Use flashcards.
  • If in doubt, make an educated guess.
  • Answer the easy questions first.
  • Read all instructions.
  • Budget your time.

How long is a short answer question?

What Is the Ideal Short Answer Essay Length? You’ve probably heard the advice, “keep it brief.” As for brevity, 150 words is already very short. At 150 words, your answer will be a single paragraph that the person reviewing applications can read in less than a minute.

What is an essay test?

essay test in British English (ˈɛseɪ tɛst ) US. a test that requires answers in essay form . Most students would rather take a multiple-choice exam than an essay test. Essay tests are designed to showcase students’ abilities to provide specific information.

Why are short answer questions important?

Short answer questions are a great middle ground for professors. They are easier to develop than multiple choice and generate a more in-depth answer . Because of their brevity, they are easier to grade and they encourage students to integrate information into a coherent written answer.

What is short essay?

What Is Short Essay Format? The main feature of short essay writing is that students must put all their ideas and arguments into a limited amount of space . Usually, short essays take between 200 and 500 words, depending on the topic and teacher’s requirements.

What’s another word for short answer?

What is another word for short answer?

How many words should be in a short answer question?

The maximum word count for each short-answer response is 450. We suggest that responses be about 300 words but there is no word minimum required in order to submit.

How many words is a short essay?

approximately 500 words Each short essay should be a short essay of approximately 500 words , about 2 typewritten double-spaced pages in length. You must write in full sentences and use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

What are the example of an essay?

There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays. The Four Main Types of Essay | Quick Guide with Examples.

What is the main advantage of essay type questions?

Advantages of Essay Questions: Test takers can elaborate and provide detailed answers . Test takers are not able to guess and select an answer. Can review individualized responses from each user. Can be used for all types of subjects.

How many paragraphs is an essay?

The basic format for an essay is known as the five paragraph essay – but an essay may have as many paragraphs as needed. A five paragraph essay contains five paragraphs. However, the essay itself consists of three sections: an introduction, a body and a conclusion.

When should essay questions be used?

Unlike objective test items that are ideally suited for testing students’ broad knowledge of course content in a relatively short amount of time, essay questions are best suited for testing higher-level learning . By nature, they require longer time for students to think, organize and compose their answers.

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TIP Sheet HOW TO TAKE ESSAY TESTS

There are basically two types of exams:

Objective - requires answers of a word or short phrase, or the selection of an answer from several available choices that are provided on the test . Essay - requires answers to be written out at some length. The student functions as the source of information.

An essay exam requires you to see the significance and meaning of what you know. It tests your knowledge and understanding of the subject and your skill in reading and writing. To be successful on an essay exam, you must:

  • Prove immediately that you know the material.
  • Make your meaning unmistakably clear.
  • Employ a reasonable organization and show sufficient thought development.
  • Make every word count.
  • Be specific.
  • Use your own voice and style.

When you are writing an essay as part of an exam, all this must be done within what amounts to a first draft written in a very limited amount of time. As with all writing, if you think of your essay as being produced in three stages, you can tackle the test in an organized fashion. The three stages are pre-writing, writing, and revision. Suggestions for each of these stages follow.

The last section addresses preparation for essay exams. PRE-WRITING

Your first impulse in a writing exam is probably to read the question and start writing immediately, especially when you see those seconds ticking away on the clock. RESIST THAT IMPULSE! You can't successfully address the subject until you know precisely what you're required to do, you understand and have thought about the subject, and you are organized in how you approach the specific points you wish to make in your answer. 1.  Understanding what to do:

  • When you get your copy of the exam, read through to make sure you understand what is expected of you. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY!
  • Underline or circle key words that direct the approach your answer should take. Some of the most common key words are:

Agree/Disagree : State your position and support it with facts Comment or Evaluate: State your position and support it with facts, discussing the issue and its merits. Analyze : Break down into all the parts or divisions looking at the relationships between them. Compare/Contrast : Show differences and similarities. Describe/Discuss : Examine in detail. Explain : Tell why something is as it is. Illustrate : Give examples and relate them to the statement in question. Prove/Defend : Demonstrate why something is true. Interpret : Explain the significance or meaning of something. List/State : Make a list of points or facts. Summarize : Hit the high points.

2.  Understanding the subject

  • When you are confident that you understand the instructions, direct your attention to the topic.
  • Collect your ideas.
  • Formulate a thesis. Make sure it is a strong, concise statement that specifically addresses the question.
  • Think of as many specific details and facts as you can that support the thesis.

3.  Getting organized

  • Jot your ideas down on paper, in very brief format.
  • Evaluate your ideas in light of the question. Ask yourself repeatedly: "Does this apply to the question I'm supposed to answer?" Select only those ideas most relevant to your purpose.
  • Number your ideas in order of appropriate sequence (first step to last step, most important to least important, etc.)

1.  Remember your thesis. Now stick to it, referring back to it periodically throughout your essay. This gives your essay unity and coherence, and helps insure that you are not digressing. 2.  Write in an orderly fashion. If you suddenly think of a new point, jot it down in a margin or on scratch paper until you find an appropriate place for it. Don't just put it into the middle of what you were writing. 3. Avoid:

  • Repeating, in other words, what you have already said.
  • Digressing into material that does not answer the question.
  • Language that is too broad or general. Be specific.
  • Bluffing. This far too common practice of using elegant but empty language to conceal ignorance or lack of effort rarely works, and often irritates the reader(s).
  • Write as legibly as you can. If you want, write on every other line so you have room to add later. When you want to cross something off, simply draw a straight line through it. This is much better than scribbling out an entire passage.
  • If you run out of time, simply write "Ran out of time" at the close of the essay. This is much better than adding a hurriedly tacked on, and possibly incoherent, conclusion.

Essay examinations are difficult because of the time pressures, yet you should always try to leave a few minutes at the end to proofread your essay. 1.  Ask yourself, before you hand in the essay:

  • Did I provide the information requested? That is, did I "explain" or "define" as the directions asked?
  • Is the answer simply, clearly, and logically organized?
  • Do I stick to my thesis statement? Is there unnecessary information in here?
  • Did I proofread to check content and/or mechanical errors?

2.  Proofreading:

  • Gives you a chance to catch and correct errors in content.
  • Gives you a chance to correct your mechanical errors.
  • Allows you to add material that may have occurred to you after writing the essay.

3.  You should proofread for:

  • Complete sentences (watch for fragments, comma-splices, and run-ons).
  • Words omitted, or one word used when you meant another.
  • Logical transitions between sentences and paragraphs.
  • Unnecessary repetition of words or ideas.
  • Spelling errors.

3.  Essay type tests depend a great deal on your basic writing skills - organization, punctuation, grammar, and spelling. If your answer is not clearly written, your instructor won't be able to find it! Here are some basic guidelines to keep in mind as you take an essay test:

  • Read the directions carefully! Read every part of the directions!
  • Give yourself time to answer each question. Quickly look over the entire exam and budget your time per question accordingly.
  • Above all, stay calm. You are being asked to show competence, not perfection.
  • If you are not too sure about one question, leave it and go back.
  • When given a choice, answer the questions you know best.
  • State your points and support ideas clearly - don't make the instructor have to look for them.
  • Go back to check and proofread all of your answers.

PREPARING FOR ESSAY EXAMS

WRITING A SUCCESSFUL ESSAY EXAM BEGINS ON DAY ONE 1.  Study regularly as you go along.

  • Take careful lecture notes.
  • Read all material when assigned.
  • Become familiar with vocabulary.
  • Keep a study list of all main ideas.

2.  Final preparation

  • Review lecture notes and reading material.
  • Find a classmate or friend willing to talk over key ideas and implications.
  • Try to anticipate questions . This is very important!  Use your lecture notes to zero in on points that the instructor emphasized.
  • Think through the material and write up the best possible essay questions you can.
  • Then answer those questions.
  • Pinpoint key points that you would like to make when answering each question.
  • Put your answer into outline form or write it out completely.
  • For each potential test question, use mnemonics or other memory techniques to move the information to your long-term memory for the exam.
  • Create a list of the clue words for each point you wish to make.
  • Create a mnemonic device to memorize those points.

3.  Come to the exam confident that you have something specific to say on all possible topics. KEY WORDS COMMONLY FOUND ON ESSAY EXAMS

Compare: Look for qualities or characteristics that resemble each other. Emphasize similarities among them, but in some cases also mention differences.

Contrast: Stress the dissimilarities, differences, or unlikenesses of things, qualities, events, or problems.

Criticize: Express your judgement about the merit or truth of the factors or views mentioned. Give the results of your analysis of these factors, discussing their limitations and good points.

Define: Give concise, clear, and authoritative meanings. Don't give details, but make sure to give the limits of the definitions. Show how the thing you are defining differs from things in other classes.

Describe: Recount, characterize, sketch, or relate in sequence or story form.

Diagram: Give a drawing, chart, plan, or graphic answer. Usually you should label a diagram. In some cases, add a brief explanation or description.

Discuss: Examine, analyze carefully, and give reasons pro and con. Be complete, and give details.

Enumerate: Write in list or outline form, giving points concisely one by one.

Evaluate: Carefully appraise the problem, citing both advantages and limitations. Emphasize the appraisal of authorities and, to lesser degree, your personal evaluation.

Explain: Clarify, interpret, and spell out the material you present. Give reasons for differences of opinion or of results, and try to analyze causes.

Illustrate: Use a figure, picture, diagram, or concrete example to explain or clarify a problem.

Interpret: Translate, give examples of, solve, or comment on, a subject, usually giving your judgment about it.

Justify: Prove or give reasons for decisions or conclusions, taking pains to be convincing.

List: As in "enumerate," write an itemized series of concise statements.

Outline: Organize a description under main points and subordinate points, omitting minor details and stressing the arrangement or classification of things.

Prove: Establish that something is true by citing factual evidence or giving clear logical reasons.

Relate: Show how things are related to, or connected with, each other or how one causes another, or is like another.

Review: Examine a subject critically, analyzing and commenting on the important statements to be made about it.

Sketch: means "break down into its component parts."

State: Present the main points in brief, clear sequence, usually omitting details, illustrations, or examples.

Summarize: Give the main points or facts in condensed form, like the summary of a chapter, omitting details and illustrations.

Trace: In narrative form describe progress, development, or historical events from some point of origin.

Identify or characterize: means "distinguish this term, or this person from all others that are similar." Both are clear injunctions to be as specific as possible.

Illustrate or exemplify: means "giving examples," showing thereby, rather than by definition, that you understand the concept. TRANSITIONAL WORDS AND PHRASES

To achieve unity and coherence, writers use transitional words and phrases. Transitional expressions clarify the relationships between clauses, sentences, and paragraphs, helping guide the readers along. The following is a partial list of transitional expressions.

To Add or Show Sequence: again, also, and, and then, besides, equally important, finally, first, further, furthermore, in addition, in the first place, last, moreover, next, second, still, too

To Compare: also, in the same way, likewise, similarly

To Contrast: although, and yet, but, but at the same time, despite, even so, even though, for all that, however, in contrast, in spite of, nevertheless, notwithstanding, on the contrary, on the other hand, regardless, sill, though, whereas, yet

To Give Examples or Intensify: after all, an illustration of, even, for example, for instance, indeed, in fact, it is true, of course, specifically, that is, to illustrate, truly

To Indicate Place: above, adjacent to, below, elsewhere, farther on, here, near, nearby, on the other side, opposite to, there, to the east, to the left

To Indicate Time: after a while, afterward, as long as, as soon as, at last, at length, at that time, before, earlier, formerly, immediately, in the meantime, in the past, lately, later, meanwhile, now, presently, shortly, simultaneously, since, so far, soon, subsequently, then, thereafter, until, until now, when

To Repeat Summarize or Conclude: all in all, altogether, as has been said, in brief, in conclusion in other words, in particular, in short, in simpler terms, in summary, on the whole,that is, therefore, to put it differently, to summarize

To Show Cause or Effect: accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for this purpose, hence, otherwise, since, then, therefore, thereupon, this, to this end, with this object.

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Education Corner

Essay Test Preparation Tips and Strategies

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Essay test questions can be very intimidating, but they can also be very rewarding. Unlike other types of exams (i.e., multiple choice, true or false, etc.) essay tests allow you develop an answer based on your understanding or knowledge.

If you’ve studied all semester, understand the course concepts, and have reviewed prior to the test, the following strategies can help you improve your performance on essay tests and exams.

Strategies to Help You Improve Your Performance on Essay Tests and Exams

Read the directions.

Reading the directions seems so obvious. Unfortunately, it’s still one of the biggest test taking mistakes students make. Before answering an essay question, thoroughly read the instructions. Do not jump to the answer without being sure of what exactly the question is asking. In many cases, the teacher is looking for specific types of responses. Never assume you know what is being asked, or what is required, until you’ve read the entire question.

Ask for clarification

Read essay questions in their entirety before preparing an answer. If the instructions are unclear, or you simply don’t understand a question, ask the teacher for clarification. Chances are if you’re confused so is someone else. Never be scared to ask for clarification from your teacher or instructor.

Provide detail

Provide as many details and specific examples when answering an essay question as you can. Teachers are usually looking for very specific responses to see whether or not you’ve learned the material. The more relevant detail you provide, the higher grade is likely to be. However, only include correct, accurate and relevant information. Including irrelevant “filler” that doesn’t support your answer will likely lower your grade.

Budget your time

Manage your time wisely when answering essay questions so you are able answer all the questions, not just the easy or hard ones. If you finish your test before time is up, go back and review your answers and provide additional details.

We recommend answering those essay questions you’re most familiar with first and then tackling more challenging questions after. It’s also not uncommon on essay tests for some questions to be worth more than others. When budgeting your time, make sure to allocate more time to those questions that are worth the most.

Follow the instructions

When a question is only requiring facts, be sure to avoid sharing opinions. Only provide the information the instructions request. It’s important to provide an answer that matches the type of essay question being asked. You’ll find a list of common types of essay questions at the bottom of this page.

In your answers, get to the point and be very clear. It is generally best to be as concise as possible. If you provide numerous facts or details, be sure they’re related to the question. A typical essay answer should be between 200 and 800 words (2-8 paragraphs) but more isn’t necessarily better. Focus on substance over quantity.

Write clearly and legibly

Be sure your essays are legible and easy to understand. If a teacher has a difficult time reading or understanding what you’ve written, you could receive a lower score.

Get organized

Organize your thoughts before answering your essay question. We even recommend developing a short outline before preparing your answer. This strategy will help you save time and keep your essay organized. Organizing your thoughts and preparing a short outline will allow you to write more clearly and concisely.

Get to the point – Focus on substance

Only spend time answering the question and keep your essays focused. An overly long introduction and conclusion can be unnecessary. If your essay does not thoroughly answer the question and provide substance, a well developed introduction or conclusion will do you no good.

Use paragraphs to separate ideas

When developing your essay, keep main ideas and other important details separated with paragraphs. An essay response should have three parts: the introduction; the body; and the conclusion. The introduction is typically one paragraph, as is the conclusion. The body of the essay usually consists of 2 to 6 paragraphs depending on the type of essay and the information being presented.

Go back and review

If time permits, review your answers and make changes if necessary. Make sure you employed correct grammar and that your essays are well written. It’s not uncommon to make silly mistakes your first time through your essay. Reviewing your work is always a good idea.

Approximate

When you are unsure of specific dates, just approximate dates. For example, if you know an event occurred sometime during the 1820’s, then just write, “in the early 1800’s.”

Common Question Types on Essay Exams

Being able to identify and becoming familiar with the most common types of essay test questions is key to improving performance on essay exams. The following are 5 of the most common question types you’ll find on essay exams.

1. Identify

Identify essay questions ask for short, concise answers and typically do not require a fully developed essay.

  • Ask yourself: “What is the idea or concept in question?”, “What are the main characteristics?”, “What does this mean?”
  • Keywords to look for: Summarize, List, Describe, Define, Enumerate, State
  • Example question: “Define what is meant by ‘separation of church and state.'”

Explain essay questions require a full-length essay with a fully developed response that provides ample supporting detail.

  • Ask yourself: “What are the main points?”, “Why is this the case?”
  • Keywords to look for: Discuss, Explain, Analyze, Illustrate
  • Example question: “Discuss the differences between the political views of democrats and republicans. Use specific examples from each party’s 2017 presidential campaign to argue which views are more in line with U.S. national interests.”

Compare essay questions require an analysis in essay form which focuses on similarities, differences, and connections between specific ideas or concepts.

  • Ask yourself: “What are the main concepts or ideas?”, “What are the similarities?”, “What are the differences?”
  • Keywords to look for: Compare, Contrast, Relate
  • Example question: “Compare the value of attending a community college to the value of attending a 4-year university. Which would you rather attend?”

Argue essay questions require you to form an opinion or take a position on an issue and defend your position against alternative positions using arguments backed by analysis and information.

  • Ask yourself: “Is this position correct?”, “Why is this issue true?”
  • Keywords to look for: Prove, Justify
  • Example question: “Argue whether robotics will replace blue collar manufacturing jobs in the next ten years.”

Assess essay questions involve assessing an issue, idea or question by describing acceptable criteria and defending a position/judgment on the issue.

  • Ask yourself: “What is the main idea/issue and what does it mean?”, “Why is the issue important?”, “What are its strengths?”, “What are the weaknesses?”
  • Keywords to look for: Evaluate, Criticize, Evaluate, Interpret
  • Example question: “With respect to U.S. national security, evaluate the benefit of constructing a wall along the southern border of the United States of America.”

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Lesson 6.3: Understanding Test Items

Target with a bullseye dart

There are several common kinds of test items. For objective tests, students answer multiple choice questions, matching items, and fill-in-the-blank items. The other kind of test items are short-answer responses and essays. The following are explanations and examples of these along with tips for educated guessing, if applicable–after all, sometimes even though we study hard, a bit of test anxiety might cause a sudden mental block!

Multiple Choice Test Items

Explanation:.

These test items offer several answer choices. The test prompt (or question) is known as the “stem” for which you choose one or more of the answer options.

1. A simile is

  • a comparison without using “like”
  • a comparison using the word “as”
  • a comparison using either “like” or “as”
  • none of the above

2. Memory devices include

  • associations
  • 1, 3, and 4
  • all of the above

Make sure that all the rules of grammar apply when you match the stem with the option. for example, in example item number 2, above, notice that them stem directs you to look for a plural answer because “devices” is plural. Number 5, then, is the correct answer (answers 1, 3, and 4 are all plural).

Educated Guessing

  • Choose “3” or C, which is more often than not the correct answer (as in example item number 1, above).
  • Choose the longest or most inclusive answer, also as in example item number 1, above.
  • If the test item is for a math quiz, choose the in-between number, or one of the in-between numbers. example: 1) 432, 2) 77, 3) 12, 4)2,098. Your chances are better by choosing either 1 or 2.

Matching Test Items

Explanation.

This kind of test item features two columns, a numbered column and a lettered column. Students are asked to match the correct answer with the correct stem.

  • NASA                                                 ___organization device
  • headache                                          ___acronym
  • graphic organizer                           ___symptom of test anxiety

Count the number of items in each column. If there are more on one side, ask if an answer can be used more than once.

Fill-In-the-Blank Test Items

These are items for which you must fill in a word or words.

Fill in the ____________ questions are featured frequently on exams.

Fill-in-the-blank questions usually expect you to write one word per blank. If more than one word is expected, there will be more than one blank space or the blank will be long.

Short Answer Test Items

This type of test item usually involves a short answer of approximately 5-7 sentences. Typical short answer items will address only one topic and require only one “task” (see “essay test items,” below, for a test item requiring more than one task).

Define the term “mnemonic.”

Since many short answer test items ask the student to define a term, here are several ways to expand a definition to achieve the 5-7 sentence desired response (depending upon the course and the teacher’s requirements, that is):

  • the dictionary definition
  • an informal definition (in your own words, for example)
  • give an example of how the term is used
  • give the category in which the term is used, for example, what kind of essays belong in the “expository” genre (argument, explanation, cause and effect, etc.)
  • the history (etymology) of the term
  • include antonyms
  • include synonyms
  • tell what the term is not (some terms mean more than one distinct thing, for example, a “whatchamacallit is not only a slang term but also a candy bar.

Essay Test Items

This type of test is usually a multi-part prompt requiring several paragraphs or pages to answer. You can make use of writing formulas, for example how to write a basic, five-paragraph essay suitable for most classes. However, for writing classes the task will be expanded as per the type of writing class and the level of writing sophistication required.

Contrasted with short answer items where usually one task is required to fully answer them (such as a simple definition), there are typically several tasks required to fully answer an essay prompt. For example in the following prompt below, I have underlined all of the tasks and decisions required to fully address the prompt:

Many people believe Mark Twain’s book  Huckleberry Finn is racist and should not be included on high school reading lists. Others believe that Twain correctly portrayed race relations in the Southern part of the United States  in the latter part of the nineteenth century, and, in fact, by telling the story he exposed the negative racial attitudes existing then. Do you think the book should be kept on reading lists ? Explain why or why not in relation to today’s emphasis on “political correctness.”

  • compare–show similarities between items
  • contrast–show differences between items
  • sometimes both comparing and contrasting is required
  • define–give a concise meaning (see how to expand definitions, above)
  • describe–recount, characterize, or relate information in narrative form
  • discuss–examine, analyze, and present pros and cons regarding the topic. Detail is essential
  • enumerate–incorporate (which might require listing or outlining) major points in order
  • explain–clarify and interpret the material including explaining how and/or why. Detail is essential
  • Do NOT merely summarize the plot of the work if this is an essay for an English class or a literature class.

UNIT 6, EXERCISE 3.1

List how many tasks need to be accomplished in order to fully respond to the essay prompt below, or another one your instructor will provide for you.

Select a novel or a play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the themes of the work as a whole.

How to Learn Like a Pro! Copyright © 2016 by Phyllis Nissila is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Answering Exam Questions

Like any other kind of writing, answering essay test questions requires practice before it becomes easier. If you find yourself struggling with exam questions, ask your professor well in advance if you can have sample questions to practice on at home. Then set a timer and practice! Several practice sessions will give you better results than a single, long session, so give yourself plenty of time to prepare for this kind of writing under time pressure.

Several other strategies can also help you write better responses on essay tests.

  • Read through the entire exam to plan an overall strategy.
  • Look at each exam question to identify key words.
  • Think about what kind of writing the key word or words call for.
  • Make notes to yourself of the points you want to cover in the response.
  • Begin your response by echoing the question.
  • Leave yourself 10 minutes at the end of the test period to re-read both the questions and your responses.

Final advice

Read through the entire exam to plan an overall strategy.

An old story has it that a prof got tired of giving this advice to students, so he made up a long and complex set of questions for a final exam. The first instruction was to read the entire test and follow the instructions on the last page. The last page had one instruction: Sign your name and turn in the test. Only one student followed the instructions and passed; the rest failed the test because they tried to answer all the questions.

Not many profs will go to these extremes, but reading through the entire test does help you plan your approach to the test.

  • As you go through the exam, note which sections call for short answers, even single sentences, and which sections call for longer responses.
  • Pay special attention to the items that give you choices; many students have found themselves out of time when they answer every question instead of reading carefully to see that the test called for one response in section A and one response in section B.
  • If the test indicates how many points are attached to each question, plan to answer the heavily weighted questions first so that you have the most time to spend on those responses.
  • If you blank out on what you know about a question, plan to tackle that one late in the test session because answering other questions may help you remember the material.

Look at each exam question to identify key words

Once you've set up an overall plan about which questions to answer first and how much time you have for each response, read each question carefully. Perhaps the biggest problem teachers report is that students don't answer the question asked . You can't respond appropriately if you don't take the time to see what the question asks you to do, and key words typically tell you what to focus on. These are some of the most common key words in exam questions:

Warning : Teachers don't always use the most precise key word for the kind of writing that will best answer the question. Use your best judgment based on the content to decide if the question really wants you to analyze when it says "describe." If you're in doubt, ASK.

Think about what kind of writing the key word or words call for

Here's another reason to practice this kind of writing: you'll identify the key words and click onto the kinds of writing you should do more and more automatically.

When we describe, we note physical and sometimes chronological details. Descriptions generally rely on sensory perceptions (compared to "analysis" that typically gets at mental abstractions). Because vision is usually our dominant sense, most of our descriptions rely heavily on visual details. For many essay questions, being asked to "describe" means writing about what you've seen.

Writing tip : Although our field of vision takes in lots of details, we organize those to help remember them. As writers, we need to make our organizational pattern obvious to readers. That's why most descriptions follow a top-to-bottom, right-to-left, etc., consistent pattern of moving over a visual scene. Sometimes, the pattern is most-to-least important, and this pattern works especially well if your description is building to a particular point.

Depending on the situation in which you are asked to "describe," you may want to organize the details of your writing according to a chronological pattern. Particularly when you are recording observations that take place over a long time, you may want to capture the sense of passing time by using time markers (e.g., first, later, finally) to organize the details in your writing.

Specific advice for OT students : You are working with models of assessment that ask you to note certain kinds of physical movement or reactions in a certain order. When the model of assessment has a built-in order, you can use that to organize the details of your description.

Substitute key words : observe or notice

A nalyze in a test question usually means "take this concept apart and look at the relationships among parts." Sometimes the analysis focuses on causes and effects, as, for example, if you were to write about media coverage and election turnout. Sometimes the analysis will focus on a time sequence, as it might in tracking the progress of a degenerative disease.

Writing tip : Because we can look at relationships among parts in several different ways, be sure to signal your reader how you're "slicing the pie." If you're writing about cause-effect relationships among parts, use key transitional words and phrases such as "because" and "as a result" to show the causal relationship. If your analysis is based on a process, use transitions that indicate an appropriate time or developmental sequence. If your analysis looks at functional relationships, clearly indicate the functions and their interactions. In short, make clear not just the parts you're looking at but why you're looking at them the ways you are in your response.

Substitute key words : examine

C ompare is probably the easiest of the key terms to recognize and respond to. Fortunately, comparisons are also common on essay tests, so they're easy to practice. Compare basically asks the writer to take two or more objects, theories, events, concepts, applications, or explanations and show the similarities between them. One warning, though: when teachers use compare on a test question, they also often mean contrast, so don't forget to point out differences after you write out the similarities between items you're comparing.

Writing tip : Depending on the length and complexity of your response, you may find it easier to write everything about item A first and then to use that same sequence to write about item B. If you're not sure you can follow the same sequence in this block approach to comparison, then use a point-by-point method that allows you to make a point about A followed immediately by a point about B. Use clear transitions whether you adopt the block or point-by-point method so that your reader can clearly see how the similarities and differences relate to each item in your comparison.

Specific advice for OT students : The comparisons you're likely to focus on will be of theories or applications. Because theories are more general and applications are more specific, your comparisons may have to deal with both the abstract (theoretical level) and the concrete (specific client treatment). Practicing these complex comparisons will definitely make them easier to write.

Substitute key words : distinguish between (among), show similarities and differences

E valuate often gets misunderstood by students as compare . They're not the same. Comparing just points out similarities and differences; evaluation requires a judgment about which theory, application, approach, etc., is superior and why. Students working under time pressure are most likely to forget to write out their criteria for making the judgment in the first place. This rationale is often crucial for understanding the overall judgment.

Writing tip : Especially when you're pressed for time, keep the criteria obvious and straightforward. If one approach is cheaper and faster, and those are the two criteria anyone would use to evaluate the approaches in question, then talk about what makes one cheaper and faster. Don't forget, though, to also show what makes the alternative approaches more expensive and slower. Thoroughness does count when writing out evaluations.

If the obvious criteria are not appropriate in a specific context, though, be sure to explain why you're adopting not-so-obvious criteria for evaluating. So long as you can justify the criteria you choose and the final judgment you make, you're meeting the goals of the essay question that calls for evaluation.

Substitute key words : rank, order, justify your selection, explain your rationale for choosing

A rgue , as a key word, asks you specifically to take a position and defend it. The best arguments have a narrowly focused position statement, reasons to support the overall position, and then evidence to support each reason. If you have time, you can also look at other possible positions and support (again with evidence) why your position is better.

Writing tip : Most students have little trouble stating their overall position, but in the heat of writing under pressure students do often forget to give adequate evidence to support that position. Be sure to include not just general reasons why you hold the position but also the evidence--the details, examples, analysis--that supports your reasons. If you think of a solid argument like a house, you can't hold up the roof (overall position) with a frame (reasons for the position). And you surely can't keep out the rain without the substance (details) that covers the frame.

Specific advice for OT students : Not all arguments need to take a long time to develop. If you need to justify a particular intervention, sometimes a few details and a reference to a pertinent theoretical framework will suffice.

Substitute key words : defend, take a stand or position, justify

E xplain , like analyze, often points in the direction of cause-effect or process reasoning. But explaining isn't always limited to analysis. Like discuss, explain sometimes appears in a test question when the teacher is asking you to write everything you know about a concept or when the teacher is focusing on a specific set of relationships. Treat explain , then, as a key word that calls for more exploration of the rest of the question to see if there is additional focus elsewhere in the question.

Writing tip : Because explaining can include any of the strategies noted for analyzing, defining, or comparing, be prepared to use a combination of techniques as well as transitional devices to create coherence in these responses. And because explaining leads toward longer responses, be sure to make a list of key points to include before you begin these responses; check your list for completeness of your response at the end of the test time.

Substitute key words : tell how, discuss

D efine is another of the more straightforward of the key terms. Typically, a teacher asking you to define a term is asking for a translation of a technical term into language anyone could understand. Defining a concept calls for more elaboration, but it still builds on strategies for definition.

Writing tip : Standard definitions use a variety of strategies including synonyms, antonyms, analogies, comparisons, and explanations of where a term came from or the contexts in which it is used. If you've studied dictionary definitions for the terms, you can also build on those. Teachers are usually interested in seeing that you understand key terms, though, so when they ask you to define a term they sometimes also want you to show that you can apply it to a particular context. You can get a better sense of how long and detailed you should make the definitions based on the points allotted to the definitions and the number of words/concepts you're expected to define.

Some essay test questions are meant to gauge critical thinking. Generalize is one of those terms. When teachers ask you to generalize, they want to see you move from the particular to the general or from the concrete to the abstract.

Writing tip : If you haven't already noted some specific details elsewhere in the test, you'll find it easier to generalize if you start with some details and work your way to a higher level of abstraction.

Specific advice for OT students : Often you are asked to generalize from a theory to a particular person

Substitute key words : draw conclusions

L ist suggests that you can jot down single words or phrases quickly without taking the time to describe or explain in any detail. If your teacher has made a point of asking for complete sentences on essay tests, though, be sure to ask if list means a short-item list or an extended description list.

List also often gets combined with other key words. List and explain , for instance, tells you that you don't need to spend much time labeling the items but that you do need to elaborate on their importance or their relationships.

Writing tip : If your teacher is saving your time by allowing you to list short-item answers, consider using bullets to give a visual clue about how many items you have in your final list. Especially on handwritten tests, visual clarity becomes increasingly important to teachers as they read dozens of pages.

Substitute key words : identify, note, label

R eflect doesn't appear often as a key word on exam questions, but when it does it typically asks you to express how the ideas or applications you've been studying have affected your personal point of view. Reflection is one of the more personal kinds of writing because it invites self-exploration. Of course, taking a personal perspective doesn't mean giving up any connection to outside reality. The idea is to connect your own "take" on the idea with what you've heard in class, studied in the text, or practiced in the lab.

Writing tip : Because reflection is more personal, don't try to write this response without using an "I" point of view. And don't forget to make explicit connections between your personal critical thinking and the idea or concept you've been thinking about.

D iscuss is the trickiest of the key words in essay-test questions because it doesn't give you much guidance about how to structure your response. When a teacher says discuss , it might be most appropriate to describe, analyze, or explain. If you can't get other clues from the question, your best bet is probably to ask for clarification from the teacher.

Substitute key words : consider, speculate about, write about

Make notes to yourself of the points you want to cover in the response

Especially for long responses, jot down a quick list of key points you need to cover. It's easy when writing a paragraph or two under time pressure to forget key ideas as you get involved in writing out your response. The list or notes will help you remember to include items, and you can use your notes as a checklist for completeness as you review your response at the end of the test period.

Begin your response by echoing the question

If you echo the question, you are more likely to write a response that answers the question because the question will usually spark your thinking along the right lines. For example, assume the test question asks, "If the reaction had been present, what would we have observed?" If you start your response with, "If the reaction had been present, we would have observed…," you are more likely to get right to descriptive details based on what you saw. Similarly, a test question such as, "Why would the key point you chose be the most effective?" calls for an answer that begins, "This key point is the most effective because…." The "because" sets you up immediately to get at the rationale behind your thinking.

Many teachers also prefer to have students write complete sentences when they answer essay questions on tests, so echoing the question gives you a head start on a complete sentence in your response.

Leave yourself 10 minutes at the end of the test period to re-read

Sometimes students feel too pressed for time to review anything. Generally, teachers will tell you that you're better served by writing the more important responses clearly and completely than by finishing every last question. So take some time to re-read and revise parts of your responses. (Teachers are generally willing to follow arrows to inserted points or read sentences in a certain order if you number them; these revision strategies can help you fill in detail and order the sentences in your responses for maximum clarity.)

However, it's a tactical mistake to re-read responses just after you write them. Sometimes, the ideas are still too fresh in your mind to see if the response is clear. Finishing the test and coming back to re-read gives you several advantages:

  • If you've misunderstood the question, you're more likely to see that after you work through the entire test because the test questions as a whole typically have a logic that connects them in some way.
  • Re-reading the questions carefully will help you see if you've misinterpreted the question and, thus, misdirected your response.
  • Re-reading the questions carefully will remind you of other points you might need to include in the response.

Re-reading your responses carefully will help you see

  • where you need to include points or details to answer the question thoroughly,
  • where you need to add transitions and other connectors to make your ideas coherent,
  • where you might have left out words that make sentences unclear or confusing.

Much of the success on an essay test comes not during the test time but in the preparation time. If you know the material, you'll be able to generate your lists and notes quickly to help you write complete answers. If you fully understand the theory that a test question asks you to apply, then you'll be able to make coherent connections between theory and application. If you understand the specialized terminology being covered on a test, you will not only understand the questions more quickly, but you'll be able to use the jargon appropriately to write professional responses. Teachers know when students are padding responses to avoid answering a question, so writing skills can't carry you through a testing situation if you don't know the content.

Citation Information

Kate Kiefer and Anita Bundy. (1994-2024). Answering Exam Questions. The WAC Clearinghouse. Colorado State University. Available at https://wac.colostate.edu/repository/writing/guides/.

Copyright Information

Copyright © 1994-2024 Colorado State University and/or this site's authors, developers, and contributors . Some material displayed on this site is used with permission.

difference between short answer and essay test

What makes effective test questions and answers for assessments?

What instructors and administrators need to know

Christine Lee

Understanding the meaning and function of summative assessment helps clarify its role within education as a critical component of bridging teaching and learning. In this post, we take a closer look at summative assessment’s qualities with the end goal of ensuring that summative assessment supports learning and informs teaching.

difference between short answer and essay test

Choosing a balance of assessment formats that enable feedback loops and learning insights is not a light task. Let's examine different forms of assessment to help teachers make thoughtful decisions when it comes to how we evaluate our students.

difference between short answer and essay test

Dive into the differences between test validity and reliability and how they can affect student learning outcomes and a program's overall success.

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Thoughtful test questions and answers can help create an effective assessment, one that accurately measures student knowledge. When test questions are crafted with learning objectives in mind, they help foster study habits, influence knowledge retention, and prepare students for eventual summative assessments. Furthermore, when students feel an assessment is fair and relevant, they are less likely to engage in academic misconduct.

Assessment is the intersection at which instructors can provide feedback to guide students but also where instructors gain insights into student learning . In many cases, this feedback exchange can solidify student-teacher relationships and influence learning outcomes. With effective assessments, students can feel seen and supported. And instructors have the information they need to further learning. Thoughtful decisions about test questions and formats can make a difference in this data exchange.

There are many forms of test questions, each with their own strengths when it comes to upholding learning objectives. Some types of questions are efficient and measure breadth of student knowledge whereas other types of questions offer more opportunities to gain insights into higher order thinking.

Some of the most common question types and the roles of each in the realm of assessment are:

  • Multiple-choice
  • Extended matching sets
  • Fill-in-the-blank
  • Short answer
  • Long answer / essay

To that end, this blog post will cover the above question types and then dive into methodology to bolster exam design.

What sets this question type apart?

Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) have the ability to test a wide swath of knowledge in a short amount of time; this characteristic, plus the fact that MCQs enable faster grading and uphold objective scoring , make them a very popular standardized exam format.

That said, there are many critics of MCQs, some going so far as to say “multiple-choice tests are not catalysts for learning” and that “they incite the bad habit of teaching to tests” (Ramirez, 2013). Multiple research articles, too, indicate multiple-choice questions may result in surface-level study habits . However, they can still be leveraged for effective assessment when utilized appropriately. Multiple-choice questions can be paired with other question types to provide a complementary assessment or they can themselves be designed to test deeper conceptual understanding.

There are examples of how this question type can be useful in testing reading comprehension and practical knowledge of learned principles. In response to criticism surrounding the inclusion of multiple-choice questions on the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), The Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center at Touro College cites the “case file” format of a 1983 performance test in California , a multiple-choice exam paired with documents typical of a legal case file. Successful completion of this exam did not rely on rote memorization of rules. Rather, this exam used a series of multiple-choice questions to assess the application of relevant theories and practices to true-to-life scenarios presented in the mock case file.

Those considering the value of multiple-choice questions should also keep in mind any summative assessments that lie ahead for students, beyond the scope of a single course. In a recent webinar on the subject of multiple response type questions in nursing programs, Assistant Professor Cheryl Frutchey noted that many of her students at Oklahoma City University’s School of Nursing have been reporting that 70-75% of NCLEX questions are now the “select all that apply” format. In weighing the benefits of a particular question type in determining student success, field-related insights like these may help tip the scale.

A true/false question asks the exam-taker to judge a statement’s validity. Rather than calling upon powers of memorization, the exam-taker ideally demonstrates their command of verbal knowledge and a working knowledge of a given subject by converting abstract principles to a specific application .

That said, the nature of true/false questions makes it so that even when guessing, the test-taker has a fifty-percent chance of getting the correct answer.

The multiple-true-false question is an adaptation of the true-false question that incorporates (and improves upon) elements of the multiple-choice question type, requiring the test-taker to consider all answer options in relation to a given question stem. This hybrid question type differs from “select all that apply” in asking the test-taker to identify both correct and incorrect statements rather than just the “true” ones, shedding light on incorrect or incomplete understandings .

For both true/false and multiple-choice question types, opportunity for feedback is severely limited.

Particularly helpful for the usual format of clinical assessments in nursing exams, this item type provides a series of individual questions and a longer list of possible answers for the test-taker to choose from. By design, extended matching set questions prioritize an understanding of the question stems before a correct selection can be made, making it difficult to quickly eliminate incorrect answers from the list .

With an extended list of answers to accompany perhaps only a handful of question stems, this question type encourages the test-taker to process information within each question before parsing relevant answers from the provided list , emphasizing a deeper subject mastery than simple memorization can provide.

A known benefit of free response question types like fill-in-the-blank is the decreased possibility of guessing the correct answer. Since the exam-taker must provide an answer that fits contextually within the provided question stem, fill-in-the-blank questions are more likely to exercise language skills.

In a recent study composed of 134 final-year undergraduate dental students at the University of Peradeniya, 90% found fill-in-the-blank questions more challenging than the same question in multiple-choice format, and only 19% reported encountering fill-in-the-blank questions during their time in the program. By withholding answer choices that lead to quick answer recall, fill-in-the-blank questions can effectively gauge an exam-taker’s understanding. Though, as revealed above, the prevalence and/or feasibility of this item type may vary from program to program. And again, feedback is minimal with this type of question.

Short-answer questions are valuable for measuring a test-taker’s understanding of a subject beyond simple recall. Preparing for an assessment with this question type promotes study habits that reinforce comprehension over memorization , thus increasing the likelihood that the test-taker will retain this knowledge.

For example: After using ExamSoft to convert their assessment format from multiple-choice to short-answer questions, the Donald & Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell conducted a survey to measure student attitudes about the switch. Sixty-four percent of the 274 students surveyed thought that short-answer questions better equipped them for a clinical setting. By exercising abilities in critical thinking, reasoning, and communication, the free-response format of this question type allows the cultivation of skills necessary for the workplace.

Long answer or essay questions allow individual students to formulate their unique ideas and responses to demonstrate their understanding of a concept. This question is one that can most easily measure higher-order thinking and depth of knowledge, though at the same time, it may not cover a wide range of said knowledge.

Marking essay questions can be a time burden on instructors; additionally, long answers involve some measure of subjective scoring. They may also measure writing skills as well as subject-specific knowledge.

Beyond building assessments using all of these common question types, ExamSoft users can:

  • Supplement individual questions with audio, video, or image attachments
  • Create “hotspot” questions for exam-takers to select an area of an image as an answer
  • Tag questions with categories, including learning objectives and accreditation criteria. Additionally, ExamSoft offers robust item analysis.
  • Explore various question types offered by ExamSoft , such as bowtie, matrix, and drag-and-drop.

With Gradescope , instructors can:

  • Accommodate a variety of question types with audio, video, or image attachments
  • Utilize item analysis to measure exam design effectiveness, particularly for multiple-choice questions
  • Grade question by question with answer groups and AI-assisted grading instead of student-by-student to promote more objective scoring
  • Use Dynamic Rubrics to ensure students receive detailed insight into how points were awarded or deducted. Dynamic Rubrics also allow for flexibility to adjust grading criteria midstream to account for later accommodations for all students.

Examplify, ExamSoft’s test-taking application, offers several built-in exam tools for test-takers to use, including:

  • Highlighter and notepad
  • Programmable spreadsheet
  • Scientific and graphing calculators

Gradescope accommodates a variety of assignment types and enables:

  • Grading of paper-based exams, bubble sheets, and homework
  • Programming assignments (graded automatically or manually)
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Assessment is a crucial part of education, no matter the subject or level. Assessments are tools to measure how much a student has learned, though with the right post-exam data, they can be so much more, including assessments themselves being a learning opportunity. But not all assessments are created equal ; a poorly written exam or exam item may skew results, giving instructors a false sense of student learning.

Effective exam items provide an accurate demonstration of what students know, and they also support fair and equitable testing. To get the most out of your assessments, it’s important to write well-constructed exam items with every student in mind and then test item efficacy.

There are two general categories of exam items: objective items and subjective items . Objective test items have a clear correct answer; item types can include multiple choice, true/false, short answer, and fill-in-the-blank items. Subjective items, on the other hand, may have a range of correct answers. Answers to subjective questions often involve persuasive/defensible arguments or present various options for in-depth discernment. Test items like these usually come in the form of long answers, essays, or performance-based evaluations.

According to the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University , “There is no single best type of exam question: the important thing is that the questions reflect your learning objectives.” It is the educator’s place to determine whether a subjective or objective test item will better align with their learning objectives.

If you want students to explain the symbolism in a literary text, subjective-based questions like short answers and essays are usually best. Objective test items are great if you want to make sure your students can recall facts or choose the best argument to support a thesis. If you want your students to match medical terms to their definitions? A matching task, which is an objective item, may be your best bet. No matter the subject, it is imperative to ensure the question types serve the intended learning objectives.

As you consider exam items, and whether you’re going to use objective or subjective items, it’s important to keep cognitive complexity in mind. Bloom’ s Taxonomy can help with planning not only curriculum but assessment . Bloom’s consists of six levels of cognitive understanding. From the lowest to highest order, these are:

As you move up the ladder from recall to creation, there is a gradual shift from objective to subjective exam items. If students are new to the concepts you’re teaching, it’s often best to focus on the initial three levels with objective items and set an appropriate knowledge foundation. As students progress through a course or program, you can start to assess the top three levels of cognition with subjective exam items to determine higher-order thinking or capability. While some courses may span testing student factual recall to synthesizing and creating their own ideas, many introductory classes may only pertain to parts of Bloom’s Taxonomy. More advanced courses, like graduate seminars, may target the higher order categories like analyze, evaluate, and create.

You might assess students’ grasp of the “remember” level with a multiple-choice question about the date of a significant period in history. Whereas testing students’ skills in “evaluation” may look like a persuasive essay prompting students to argue and support their stance on a topic with no one correct position such as interpretation of metaphors in written works.

As exam creators, we may sometimes write an item that is difficult for students to understand. After writing an item, ask yourself if the question or statement could be written more clearly. Are there double negatives? Have you used passive voice construction? Are you attempting to teach the concept in the question stem itself? Often, the more concise the item is, the better. If possible, do not use absolutes such as “never” and “always.” We’re writing questions, not riddles; it is best practice to test the students’ knowledge, not how well they read. The point is to focus on student knowledge acquisition and effectively convey the point of the question.

Avoid idioms and colloquialisms that may not be clear to international students. Questions containing regional references demonstrate bias. Also consider references that may exclude historically marginalized groups. For instance, an item that refers to a regional sport may not be as clear to these groups as a sport with international reach. Another example is the infamous critique of the SAT question referring to “regattas.” This term, which might be familiar to one certain socioeconomic group and completely unfamiliar to others, is simultaneously not a measure of aptitude.

Using psychometrics , specific and widely accepted statistical measures of exam data, you can test the reliability of your exam and items. One way to measure exam reliability through psychometrics is the item Difficulty Index, or p-value. Simply put, what percentage of exam-takers answered a specific question correctly?

If the p-value is low, the item may be too difficult. If the p-value is high, the item may be too easy. However, this data point alone is not a strong measure of reliability and should be used in context with other psychometric measures. If your difficult question has a high Discrimination Index and Point Biserial values, you can more confidently say that only the higher-order thinkers answered correctly, while the lower-performers did not. A high corresponding Point Biserial value also tells you that generally, students performing well on this item, albeit difficult, performed well on the overall exam. When psychometrics are used together, you are able to gain a solid holistic picture of item performance and whether your question was well written.

Psychometric analysis measures include:

  • Difficulty (p-value)
  • Discrimination Index
  • Upper and Lower Difficulty Indexes
  • Point Biserial Correlation Coefficient
  • Kuder-Richardson Formula 20

The above strategies for writing and optimizing exam items is by no means exhaustive, but considering these as you create your exams will improve your questions immensely. By delivering assessments with a data-driven digital exam platform, instructors, exam creators, and programs can use the results of carefully created exams to improve learning outcomes, teaching strategies, retention rates, and more.

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For questions or information:

  • Choosing between Objective and Subjective Test Items

Multiple-Choice Test Items

True-false test items, matching test items, completion test items, essay test items, problem solving test items, performance test items.

  • Two Methods for Assessing Test Item Quality
  • Assistance Offered by The Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL)
  • References for Further Reading

I. Choosing Between Objective and Subjective Test Items

There are two general categories of test items: (1) objective items which require students to select the correct response from several alternatives or to supply a word or short phrase to answer a question or complete a statement; and (2) subjective or essay items which permit the student to organize and present an original answer. Objective items include multiple-choice, true-false, matching and completion, while subjective items include short-answer essay, extended-response essay, problem solving and performance test items. For some instructional purposes one or the other item types may prove more efficient and appropriate. To begin out discussion of the relative merits of each type of test item, test your knowledge of these two item types by answering the following questions.

Quiz Answers

1 Sax, G., & Collet, L. S. (1968). An empirical comparison of the effects of recall and multiple-choice tests on student achievement. J ournal of Educational Measurement, 5 (2), 169–173. doi:10.1111/j.1745-3984.1968.tb00622.x

Paterson, D. G. (1926). Do new and old type examinations measure different mental functions? School and Society, 24 , 246–248.

When to Use Essay or Objective Tests

Essay tests are especially appropriate when:

  • the group to be tested is small and the test is not to be reused.
  • you wish to encourage and reward the development of student skill in writing.
  • you are more interested in exploring the student's attitudes than in measuring his/her achievement.
  • you are more confident of your ability as a critical and fair reader than as an imaginative writer of good objective test items.

Objective tests are especially appropriate when:

  • the group to be tested is large and the test may be reused.
  • highly reliable test scores must be obtained as efficiently as possible.
  • impartiality of evaluation, absolute fairness, and freedom from possible test scoring influences (e.g., fatigue, lack of anonymity) are essential.
  • you are more confident of your ability to express objective test items clearly than of your ability to judge essay test answers correctly.
  • there is more pressure for speedy reporting of scores than for speedy test preparation.

Either essay or objective tests can be used to:

  • measure almost any important educational achievement a written test can measure.
  • test understanding and ability to apply principles.
  • test ability to think critically.
  • test ability to solve problems.
  • test ability to select relevant facts and principles and to integrate them toward the solution of complex problems. 

In addition to the preceding suggestions, it is important to realize that certain item types are  better suited  than others for measuring particular learning objectives. For example, learning objectives requiring the student  to demonstrate  or  to show , may be better measured by performance test items, whereas objectives requiring the student  to explain  or  to describe  may be better measured by essay test items. The matching of learning objective expectations with certain item types can help you select an appropriate kind of test item for your classroom exam as well as provide a higher degree of test validity (i.e., testing what is supposed to be tested). To further illustrate, several sample learning objectives and appropriate test items are provided on the following page.

After you have decided to use either an objective, essay or both objective and essay exam, the next step is to select the kind(s) of objective or essay item that you wish to include on the exam. To help you make such a choice, the different kinds of objective and essay items are presented in the following section. The various kinds of items are briefly described and compared to one another in terms of their advantages and limitations for use. Also presented is a set of general suggestions for the construction of each item variation. 

II. Suggestions for Using and Writing Test Items

The multiple-choice item consists of two parts: (a) the stem, which identifies the question or problem and (b) the response alternatives. Students are asked to select the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. For example:

Sample Multiple-Choice Item

*correct response

Advantages in Using Multiple-Choice Items

Multiple-choice items can provide...

  • versatility in measuring all levels of cognitive ability.
  • highly reliable test scores.
  • scoring efficiency and accuracy.
  • objective measurement of student achievement or ability.
  • a wide sampling of content or objectives.
  • a reduced guessing factor when compared to true-false items.
  • different response alternatives which can provide diagnostic feedback.

Limitations in Using Multiple-Choice Items

Multiple-choice items...

  • are difficult and time consuming to construct.
  • lead an instructor to favor simple recall of facts.
  • place a high degree of dependence on the student's reading ability and instructor's writing ability.

Suggestions For Writing Multiple-Choice Test Items

Item alternatives.

13. Use at least four alternatives for each item to lower the probability of getting the item correct by guessing.

14. Randomly distribute the correct response among the alternative positions throughout the test having approximately the same proportion of alternatives a, b, c, d and e as the correct response.

15. Use the alternatives "none of the above" and "all of the above" sparingly. When used, such alternatives should occasionally be used as the correct response.

A true-false item can be written in one of three forms: simple, complex, or compound. Answers can consist of only two choices (simple), more than two choices (complex), or two choices plus a conditional completion response (compound). An example of each type of true-false item follows:

Sample True-False Item: Simple

Sample true-false item: complex, sample true-false item: compound, advantages in using true-false items.

True-False items can provide...

  • the widest sampling of content or objectives per unit of testing time.
  • an objective measurement of student achievement or ability.

Limitations In Using True-False Items

True-false items...

  • incorporate an extremely high guessing factor. For simple true-false items, each student has a 50/50 chance of correctly answering the item without any knowledge of the item's content.
  • can often lead an instructor to write ambiguous statements due to the difficulty of writing statements which are unequivocally true or false.
  • do not discriminate between students of varying ability as well as other item types.
  • can often include more irrelevant clues than do other item types.
  • can often lead an instructor to favor testing of trivial knowledge.

Suggestions For Writing True-False Test Items

In general, matching items consist of a column of stimuli presented on the left side of the exam page and a column of responses placed on the right side of the page. Students are required to match the response associated with a given stimulus. For example:

Sample Matching Test Item

Advantages in using matching items.

Matching items...

  • require short periods of reading and response time, allowing you to cover more content.
  • provide objective measurement of student achievement or ability.
  • provide highly reliable test scores.
  • provide scoring efficiency and accuracy.

Limitations in Using Matching Items

  • have difficulty measuring learning objectives requiring more than simple recall of information.
  • are difficult to construct due to the problem of selecting a common set of stimuli and responses.

Suggestions for Writing Matching Test Items

5.  Keep matching items brief, limiting the list of stimuli to under 10.

6.  Include more responses than stimuli to help prevent answering through the process of elimination.

7.  When possible, reduce the amount of reading time by including only short phrases or single words in the response list.

The completion item requires the student to answer a question or to finish an incomplete statement by filling in a blank with the correct word or phrase. For example,

Sample Completion Item

According to Freud, personality is made up of three major systems, the _________, the ________ and the ________.

Advantages in Using Completion Items

Completion items...

  • can provide a wide sampling of content.
  • can efficiently measure lower levels of cognitive ability.
  • can minimize guessing as compared to multiple-choice or true-false items.
  • can usually provide an objective measure of student achievement or ability.

Limitations of Using Completion Items

  • are difficult to construct so that the desired response is clearly indicated.
  • are more time consuming to score when compared to multiple-choice or true-false items.
  • are more difficult to score since more than one answer may have to be considered correct if the item was not properly prepared.

Suggestions for Writing Completion Test Items

7.  Avoid lifting statements directly from the text, lecture or other sources.

8.  Limit the required response to a single word or phrase.

The essay test is probably the most popular of all types of teacher-made tests. In general, a classroom essay test consists of a small number of questions to which the student is expected to demonstrate his/her ability to (a) recall factual knowledge, (b) organize this knowledge and (c) present the knowledge in a logical, integrated answer to the question. An essay test item can be classified as either an extended-response essay item or a short-answer essay item. The latter calls for a more restricted or limited answer in terms of form or scope. An example of each type of essay item follows.

Sample Extended-Response Essay Item

Explain the difference between the S-R (Stimulus-Response) and the S-O-R (Stimulus-Organism-Response) theories of personality. Include in your answer (a) brief descriptions of both theories, (b) supporters of both theories and (c) research methods used to study each of the two theories. (10 pts.  20 minutes)

Sample Short-Answer Essay Item

Identify research methods used to study the S-R (Stimulus-Response) and S-O-R (Stimulus-Organism-Response) theories of personality. (5 pts.  10 minutes)

Advantages In Using Essay Items

Essay items...

  • are easier and less time consuming to construct than are most other item types.
  • provide a means for testing student's ability to compose an answer and present it in a logical manner.
  • can efficiently measure higher order cognitive objectives (e.g., analysis, synthesis, evaluation).

Limitations In Using Essay Items

  • cannot measure a large amount of content or objectives.
  • generally provide low test and test scorer reliability.
  • require an extensive amount of instructor's time to read and grade.
  • generally do not provide an objective measure of student achievement or ability (subject to bias on the part of the grader).

Suggestions for Writing Essay Test Items

4.  Ask questions that will elicit responses on which experts could agree that one answer is better than another.

5.  Avoid giving the student a choice among optional items as this greatly reduces the reliability of the test.

6.  It is generally recommended for classroom examinations to administer several short-answer items rather than only one or two extended-response items.

Suggestions for Scoring Essay Items

Examples essay item and grading models.

"Americans are a mixed-up people with no sense of ethical values. Everyone knows that baseball is far less necessary than food and steel, yet they pay ball players a lot more than farmers and steelworkers."

WHY? Use 3-4 sentences to indicate how an economist would explain the above situation.

Analytical Scoring

Global quality.

Assign scores or grades on the overall quality of the written response as compared to an ideal answer. Or, compare the overall quality of a response to other student responses by sorting the papers into three stacks:

Read and sort each stack again divide into three more stacks

In total, nine discriminations can be used to assign test grades in this manner. The number of stacks or discriminations can vary to meet your needs.

  • Try not to allow factors which are irrelevant to the learning outcomes being measured affect your grading (i.e., handwriting, spelling, neatness).
  • Read and grade all class answers to one item before going on to the next item.
  • Read and grade the answers without looking at the students' names to avoid possible preferential treatment.
  • Occasionally shuffle papers during the reading of answers to help avoid any systematic order effects (i.e., Sally's "B" work always followed Jim's "A" work thus it looked more like "C" work).
  • When possible, ask another instructor to read and grade your students' responses.

Another form of a subjective test item is the problem solving or computational exam question. Such items present the student with a problem situation or task and require a demonstration of work procedures and a correct solution, or just a correct solution. This kind of test item is classified as a subjective type of item due to the procedures used to score item responses. Instructors can assign full or partial credit to either correct or incorrect solutions depending on the quality and kind of work procedures presented. An example of a problem solving test item follows.

Example Problem Solving Test Item

It was calculated that 75 men could complete a strip on a new highway in 70 days. When work was scheduled to commence, it was found necessary to send 25 men on another road project. How many days longer will it take to complete the strip? Show your work for full or partial credit.

Advantages In Using Problem Solving Items

Problem solving items...

  • minimize guessing by requiring the students to provide an original response rather than to select from several alternatives.
  • are easier to construct than are multiple-choice or matching items.
  • can most appropriately measure learning objectives which focus on the ability to apply skills or knowledge in the solution of problems.
  • can measure an extensive amount of content or objectives.

Limitations in Using Problem Solving Items

  • require an extensive amount of instructor time to read and grade.
  • generally do not provide an objective measure of student achievement or ability (subject to bias on the part of the grader when partial credit is given).

Suggestions For Writing Problem Solving Test Items

6.  Ask questions that elicit responses on which experts could agree that one solution and one or more work procedures are better than others.

7.  Work through each problem before classroom administration to double-check accuracy.

A performance test item is designed to assess the ability of a student to perform correctly in a simulated situation (i.e., a situation in which the student will be ultimately expected to apply his/her learning). The concept of simulation is central in performance testing; a performance test will simulate to some degree a real life situation to accomplish the assessment. In theory, a performance test could be constructed for any skill and real life situation. In practice, most performance tests have been developed for the assessment of vocational, managerial, administrative, leadership, communication, interpersonal and physical education skills in various simulated situations. An illustrative example of a performance test item is provided below.

Sample Performance Test Item

Assume that some of the instructional objectives of an urban planning course include the development of the student's ability to effectively use the principles covered in the course in various "real life" situations common for an urban planning professional. A performance test item could measure this development by presenting the student with a specific situation which represents a "real life" situation. For example,

An urban planning board makes a last minute request for the professional to act as consultant and critique a written proposal which is to be considered in a board meeting that very evening. The professional arrives before the meeting and has one hour to analyze the written proposal and prepare his critique. The critique presentation is then made verbally during the board meeting; reactions of members of the board or the audience include requests for explanation of specific points or informed attacks on the positions taken by the professional.

The performance test designed to simulate this situation would require that the student to be tested role play the professional's part, while students or faculty act the other roles in the situation. Various aspects of the "professional's" performance would then be observed and rated by several judges with the necessary background. The ratings could then be used both to provide the student with a diagnosis of his/her strengths and weaknesses and to contribute to an overall summary evaluation of the student's abilities.

Advantages In Using Performance Test Items

Performance test items...

  • can most appropriately measure learning objectives which focus on the ability of the students to apply skills or knowledge in real life situations.
  • usually provide a degree of test validity not possible with standard paper and pencil test items.
  • are useful for measuring learning objectives in the psychomotor domain.

Limitations In Using Performance Test Items

  • are difficult and time consuming to construct.
  • are primarily used for testing students individually and not for testing groups. Consequently, they are relatively costly, time consuming, and inconvenient forms of testing.
  • generally do not provide an objective measure of student achievement or ability (subject to bias on the part of the observer/grader).

Suggestions For Writing Performance Test Items

  • Prepare items that elicit the type of behavior you want to measure.
  • Clearly identify and explain the simulated situation to the student.
  • Make the simulated situation as "life-like" as possible.
  • Provide directions which clearly inform the students of the type of response called for.
  • When appropriate, clearly state time and activity limitations in the directions.
  • Adequately train the observer(s)/scorer(s) to ensure that they are fair in scoring the appropriate behaviors.

III. TWO METHODS FOR ASSESSING TEST ITEM QUALITY

This section presents two methods for collecting feedback on the quality of your test items. The two methods include using self-review checklists and student evaluation of test item quality. You can use the information gathered from either method to identify strengths and weaknesses in your item writing. 

Checklist for Evaluating Test Items

EVALUATE YOUR TEST ITEMS BY CHECKING THE SUGGESTIONS WHICH YOU FEEL YOU HAVE FOLLOWED.  

Grading Essay Test Items

Student evaluation of test item quality , using ices questionnaire items to assess your test item quality .

The following set of ICES (Instructor and Course Evaluation System) questionnaire items can be used to assess the quality of your test items. The items are presented with their original ICES catalogue number. You are encouraged to include one or more of the items on the ICES evaluation form in order to collect student opinion of your item writing quality.

IV. ASSISTANCE OFFERED BY THE CENTER FOR INNOVATION IN TEACHING AND LEARNING (CITL)

The information on this page is intended for self-instruction. However, CITL staff members will consult with faculty who wish to analyze and improve their test item writing. The staff can also consult with faculty about other instructional problems. Instructors wishing to acquire CITL assistance can contact [email protected]

V. REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READING

Ebel, R. L. (1965). Measuring educational achievement . Prentice-Hall. Ebel, R. L. (1972). Essentials of educational measurement . Prentice-Hall. Gronlund, N. E. (1976). Measurement and evaluation in teaching (3rd ed.). Macmillan. Mehrens W. A. & Lehmann I. J. (1973). Measurement and evaluation in education and psychology . Holt, Rinehart & Winston. Nelson, C. H. (1970). Measurement and evaluation in the classroom . Macmillan. Payne, D. A. (1974).  The assessment of learning: Cognitive and affective . D.C. Heath & Co. Scannell, D. P., & Tracy D. B. (1975). Testing and measurement in the classroom . Houghton Mifflin. Thorndike, R. L. (1971). Educational measurement (2nd ed.). American Council on Education.

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TOPICS A. Fill-in-the-Blank Items B. Essay Questions C. Scoring Options

Assignments

Extended Response

Extended responses can be much longer and complex then short responses, but students should be encouraged to remain focused and organized. On the FCAT, students have 14 lines for each answer to an extended response item, and they are advised to allow approximately 10-15 minutes to complete each item. The FCAT extended responses are scored using a 4-point scoring rubric. A complete and correct answer is worth 4 points. A partial answer is worth 1, 2, or 3 points.

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Short essay question rubric

Sample grading rubric an instructor can use to assess students’ work on short essay questions.

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Essay Test vs Objective Test

Essay Test vs Objective Test

An essay item is one in which the examinee relies upon his memory and past associations to answer the questions in a few words only. Since such items can be answered in whatever manner one likes and these items are also known as free answer items.

Essay items are most appropriate for measuring higher mental processes which involve the process of synthesis, analysis, evaluation, organization and criticism of the events of the past. Essay tests are thus suitable for measuring traits like critical thinking, originality and the ability to integrate synthesis or analyze different events.

Types of essay items

Essay items are of two types

  • Short answer types
  • Long answer type / Extended answer essay type

A short answer essay item is one where the examinee supplies the answer In one or two lines and is usually concerned with one central concept.

A long answer essay item is one where the examinee’s answer comprises several sentences. Such an item is usually concerned with more than one central concept.

Suggestions for Writing Good Essay Items

1 – An essay item must contain explicitly defined problems usually essay items are intended to measure the higher mental process as such its essential that they contain problems in clear cut and explicit terms so that every examinee interprets them in more or less the same way. Therefore, essay item is set to be not valid if its interpretation varies among examinees

2 – It must contain such problems whose answers are not very wide. In case a student is asked to answer a problem with a larger content area. He may start writing whatever he knows without making any discrimination in such a situation he may not write about the facts or information needed by the item, thus lowering the validity of the essay item.

3 – Essay items must have clear cut directions or instructions for the examinees the instruction should indicate the total time to be spent on any particular test item. What type of information is required and the likely weight age to be given to each item so that the examinee may pick up the relative importance of the essay questions and accordingly adjust the length of the answer.

4 – Sufficient time should be allowed in the construction of essay items such items measure the higher mental processes and in order that they actually measure what they intend to measure. It is essential that essay items are carefully worded and ordered so that all the items can be interrupted in the same way.

Difference between Essay tests and Objective Tests

1 – In essay items the examinee writes the answer in her/his own words whereas the in objective type of tests the examinee selects the correct answer from the among several given alternatives.

2 – Thinking and writing are important in essay tests whereas reading and thinking are important in objective type tests. In essay tests the examinee answers the questions in several lines. S/he critically thinks over the problems posed by the questions and arranges the idea in sequence and expresses them in writing. In objective type the examinee doesn’t have to write in many cases. He is simply asked to put a tick/mark. However, in order to make a correct choice he is required to read both the stem as well as the alternative answers very carefully and then critically think and decide.

3 – It is difficult to score objectivity and accurately in essay tests whereas in objective tests can be easily scored objectively and accurately.

4 – Essay tests are difficult to evaluate objectively and partially because the answers are not fixed like the answers of objective items because of the variability in the scorer judgment regarding the contents of the answers in the objective types of tests whether of the selection or supply type scoring can be done accurately because the answers are fixed in them. The scoring will also be objective because when the answers are fixed there will obviously be complete interpersonal agreement among the students.

5 – In objective type tests the quality of the item is dependent upon the skill of the test constructor but in essay test the quality of the item is dependent upon the scorer’s skill. Writing item for an objective type test is a relatively difficult task. Only a skilled test constructor can write good objective items. The quality of the test items are bound to suffer. If the test constructor lacks skill in writing items as well as limited knowledge regarding the subject matter items in essay tests are easy to construct. A test constructor is even with a minimum knowledge of writing items can prepare relatively good essay items.

6 – Objective test items no matter how well they are constructed permit and encourage guessing by the examinee whereas essay test items no matter how well they are constructed permit and encourage bluffing by examinees. In objective type test items the probability of guessing can’t be fully nullified. The effect of the guessing is the inflation of the actual score obtained on the test. Guessing is the most obvious when the length of the test is short and the two alternative objectives form is used or when difficult alternative responses are included in multiple choice items or matching items and the length of the test is short.

7 – Assignment of numerical scores in essay test items is entirely in the hands of the scorer whereas assignment of numerical scores in objective type test items is entirely determined by the scoring key of the manual.

Common Points between Essay Tests and Objective Tests

Despite of all these differences following are the common points or main similarities that lie in essay test or objective test.

  • An element of subjectivity is involved in both objective type as well as essay tests. In objective tests subjectivity is involved in writing the test items in selecting particular criterion for validation of the test. In essay tests subjectivity is involved in writing and selecting the items. The most obvious effect of the subjectivity in essay test is seen in scoring of the essay items.
  • In both essay tests as well as objective type tests, emphasize is placed upon the objectivity in the interpretation of the test scores. By objectivity is meant the score must mean nearly the same to all observers or graders who have assigned it. If this is not so it means that the scoring lacks objectivity thus reducing the usefulness of the score.
  • Any educational achievement such as the ability to spell the English words, proficiency in grammar, and performance in history, geography, and educational psychology can be measured through both the essay test and objective type tests.

When the intention is to measure critical thinking, originality and the organizational ability essay tests are preferred but when the intention is to measure the piecemeal knowledge in any subject, objective type tests are preferred.

However, this line of demarcation is fast vanishing now because objective items have been used effectively for measuring achievement representing, critical thinking and originality of the examinees. Likewise, essay items particularly short answer essay items have been successfully used in measuring achievement representing piecemeal knowledge of any subject.

  • Tags: Essay Test , Essay Test vs Objective Test , Essay Writing , Objective Test , Subjective Test , Writing Good Essay

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IMAGES

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  1. Exam Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Exams

    Short-answer questions are more concise than essay answers - think of it as a "mini-essay" - and use a sentence or two to introduce your topic; select a few points to discuss; add a concluding sentence that sums up your response. Preparing for an essay exam

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    Ask students to write more than one essay. Tests that ask only one question are less valid and reliable than those with a wider sampling of test items. In a fifty-minute class period, you may be able to pose three essay questions or ten short answer questions. Give students advice on how to approach an essay or short-answer test.

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    Becton Loveless Last Updated: January 8, 2024 Most tests contain at least a few short answer questions. The following are proven study and test preparation strategies that will help improve your performance on short answer/essay questions and tests. Contents show Best Short Answer Test Preparation Tips and Strategies Study for understanding

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  7. Exam Questions: Types, Characteristics, and Suggestions

    Essay questions differ from short answer questions in that the essay questions are less structured. This openness allows students to demonstrate that they can integrate the course material in creative ways. As a result, essays are a favoured approach to test higher levels of cognition including analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

  8. Short Answer

    Short Answer. Short Answer questions can be difficult for students. While not as lengthy as an essay question, you are still expected to cover enough material in the question to get full marks. Unlike multiple choice and true/false questions, short answer questions have no possible answers written down for you—you have to recall and summarize ...

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    Answering the Essay/Short Answer Exam Question What does your professor expect? Many faculty members include short-and long-answer essay questions as a part of their major exams. What does the faculty member expect from your answer? Your essay answers the question. In an essay exam, most professors want more than just the facts.

  10. How to Understand and Answer Free Response or Essay Exam Questions

    Short answers may be worth five or ten marks, and essays can be worth up to fifty marks. Establish priorities for response and set parameters for the amount of time you need to spend on each section and each question. Understand the Question Many students dive into short answer and essay questions and quickly begin writing their responses.

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    According to Janet D. Stemwedel, a philosophy professor at San Jose State University, the answer is: A short essay is 500 words long, which is about two pages with double spacing and one page with single spacing. That number is based on the assumption that you use Times New Roman font (12pt) with standard margins.

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    TIP Sheet HOW TO TAKE ESSAY TESTS. There are basically two types of exams: Objective - requires answers of a word or short phrase, or the selection of an answer from several available choices that are provided on the test. Essay - requires answers to be written out at some length. The student functions as the source of information. An essay exam requires you to see the significance and meaning ...

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  18. What makes effective test questions and answers for assessments?

    Objective test items have a clear correct answer; item types can include multiple choice, true/false, short answer, and fill-in-the-blank items. Subjective items, on the other hand, may have a range of correct answers. Answers to subjective questions often involve persuasive/defensible arguments or present various options for in-depth discernment.

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  21. Short essay question rubric

    Short essay question rubric. Sample grading rubric an instructor can use to assess students' work on short essay questions. Download this file. Page. /. 2. Download this file [62.00 KB] Back to Resources Page.

  22. Essay Test vs Objective Test

    In objective type the examinee doesn't have to write in many cases. He is simply asked to put a tick/mark. However, in order to make a correct choice he is required to read both the stem as well as the alternative answers very carefully and then critically think and decide.

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