PAST PAPERS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Exam Questions: Types and Characteristics
1. 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.
2. True/false
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).
3. Matching
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.
4. 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.
5. Essays
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
