Exam Questions

Exams can provide a useful direct assessment of student learning.  There are a variety of question types instructors can use on an exam, and this makes exams a versatile assessment tool for measuring unit-level or course-level student learning outcomes.  Exam questions can be very straight-forward and objective, or they can be open-ended and invite a range of student responses.  In this post, I will describe a few common types of exam questions.  In future blog posts, I will discuss each question type in more detail.

First, Align Exam Questions to Outcomes

Before implementing an exam, align questions with unit-level and course-level student learning outcomes.  Aligning questions with outcomes will make the exam meaningful for assessment purposes.  Align each question in terms of content and skill level:

• Content. Align the question to the academic content area of a unit, course, or program outcome. For example, if the course outcome says “Students will demonstrate knowledge about accounting principles,” then questions should ask about accounting principles such as GAAP.
• Skill-Level. Align exam questions with the skill level identified in the program, course, or unit outcome. For example, if the course outcome says “Students will interpret data and make decisions,” a multiple choice question that asks students only to recall a definition and select the correct term does not measure the “interpretation” and “conclusion” skills.  Instead, the question would need to present data in a table or chart and ask students to interpret and answer a question; for example, “which blood pressure measurement demonstrates hypertension?”

Be aware that some question types may not be the best way to measure an outcome.  Higher-level skills such as problem solving or comparison-contrast may be measured more effectively in open-ended questions instead of multiple choice. In general, use the question type that will most effectively measure the knowledge or skill you want to assess; don’t use a question simply because it is easy to write or easy to score.

Next, Validate Questions

Before using the question in an exam, make sure it will produce reliable results.  This process of verifying a question’s reliability is called “validation.”  There are several ways to validate an exam question:

• Use a question from database (such as a publisher’s exam database) that is already validated.  Rather than creating and testing your own question, download a question from the publisher’s website.  You will probably need to ask the publisher to see it how it determined the question’s reliability.
• Ask another instructor or a field expert to review the question and to provide feedback.  The reviewer will comment on whether the question is asking what it is intended to assess.  Feedback from multiple reviewers will help confirm whether the question is worded effectively.
• Ask a small group of students to answer the question and analyze the results.  Results from this pilot group will demonstrate whether the question is performing effectively.  For example, if students are selecting only two answer choices, then the other two answer choices are not effective distractors.
• Pilot the question in a real exam but do not assign points to it.  Add the question on a chapter exam, but do not count it as part of the student’s score.  Review the results on this question to determine if it will effectively measure student learning.

Common Question Types

Exam questions can be grouped conveniently into two categories:  Objective Questions and Open-Ended (or Free Response) Questions.  Here is a list of the most common types of questions from each category:

Objective Exam Questions

Objective questions are frequently used to measure content knowledge and basic-level application skills. The answer is typically listed with the question, so the student has to select the correct answer. Objective questions can be answered and scored quickly, so exams can contain several questions without exhausting the exam taker or exam grader.

• Multiple Choice – These questions contain a question or an incomplete statement and four or five answer choices.  The student has to select the correct answer. Questions can have one or more correct answers, and the students can ear partial credit.  (Here are several example Multiple Choice questions from the GRE.)
• True-False – These questions contain a statement, and students determine if it is accurate or not. (Here are several example True-False questions.)
• Matching – These questions are often used for vocabulary, theories, and principles.  Students connect terms with definitions.  (The first section of this quiz includes sample Matching questions.)
• Ordering or Ranking – Students arrange items in a sequence, or they assign numbers to indicate most important or highest priority. These questions are useful for process explanations, such as Nursing clinical procedures, scientific processes, or any activity that requires a series of actions. These questions can also be written as short response questions.  (Here is an example of Ordering or Ranking questions that ask students both to select the correct order and to assign a number in a process.)

Objective Questions can be answered quickly, so an exam can include several questions without exhausting the student.  Objective Questions are most commonly used for lower-level knowledge assessment, such as definitions and facts.  These questions can also be graded automatically by the online platform, which means students can see their grades and receive feedback immediately.

Open-Ended / Free-Response / Essay-Style Questions

Free Response questions are open-ended and allow students to express their ideas in writing. They can be used to measure content knowledge, application skills, and higher-level skills such as analysis, problem solving, comparison-contrast, synthesis of ideas, and argumentation. Depending on the question, responses can range from one word to several pages.

These questions can require long and complex answers, so exams usually include very few of these questions (usually less than five).  An exam may include three to five short-answer questions that require a paragraph-long answer; these questions may follow a series of objective questions.  Exams that have essay-length questions may include only one question after the objective questions, or the exam may consist of only one to three essay-length questions.  The question may also have several parts, and the answer may be long and complex.  Because of this, these questions are more difficult to grade, and the instructor may use a grading rubric to assign points.

• Fill-in-the Blank – These questions are often written as a statement and omit an important term or phrase. They can be written as multiple choice or refer to a word bank, or students can be asked to generate their own answers.
• Short Answer (Paragraph-Length Response) – These questions ask students to explain a concept, define a term, or list components; they may also analyze data (such as a clinical chart or lab results) and make a conclusion or recommendation. The question is usually direct but open-ended.  Students earn points by identifying key ideas, writing an accurate definition, explaining a concept, describing a process, generating a list, creating a sequence.
• Short (or Long) Essay – These questions measure higher-level skills such as comparison of concepts, problem solving, analysis, synthesis, or argumentation; the question may also have multiple parts.  The answer requires a developed overall response with supporting reasons and evidence; the response is usually a long paragraph or a full multi-paragraph essay. Answers earn credit for both accurate information and complex explanation.
• Problem Solving – These questions measure application skills. They are common in math and science courses, where students are asked to perform a calculation, solve an equation, analyze data, etc.
• Hot Spot – These questions ask students to identify the correct portion of an image. Traditionally, these questions have asked students to identify the correct state on a map, the correct bone in a skeleton, or the correct part of a plant cell. These questions can be written as multiple choice (with labels for answer options).  New academic technology is allowing students to answer these questions by clicking their mouse pointer in the correct area.

These are a few of the most common exam types for assessment of unit-level and course-level student learning objectives.  Future blog posts will provide a more detailed discussion of each question type.  Contact Lirim for consulting services in writing and validating exam questions.

Which question types do you use in your courses?  Post a comment below.

Lirim Neziroski, Ph.D., MBA is an academic leader and an assessment and technology expert at a liberal arts university in the Chicago area. Contact Lirim directly for additional resources and speaking, consulting, and writing opportunities.