Essay questions
Essay exams are good to use when trying to determine what students know about a few broad topics. Essay exams typically consist of a small number of questions to which the student is expected to demonstrate his/her ability to:
- recall knowledge
- organize this knowledge
- present the knowledge in a logical, integrated answer
Students should be given the criteria used to grade the exams in advance to help them prepare for them.
Strengths
- Allows students to interpret and integrate their knowledge of course content.
- Easier and less time consuming to create than other question types.
- Provides a more realistic task for the student.
- Allows students to express individuality and creativity in their answers.
- Reduces guessing.
- Requires students to organize their own answers an
- to express them in their own words.
- Can efficiently measure higher order cognitive objectives.
Example
Example question for each cognitive learning level:
| Example question | Learning level |
|---|---|
What are the five sections of a research report? |
Knowledge |
In one sentence give the point of a written passage. |
Comprehension |
Given the data available on an issue, take a position and defend it. |
Evaluation |
Given an argument for the abolition of guns, enumerate the positive and negative points presented. |
Analysis |
Construct an original work which incorporates five common materials in sculpture. |
Synthesis |
Write a short poem in iambic pentameter. |
Application |
Given two opposing theories, design an experiment to compare them |
Evaluation |
Limitations:
- Time consuming to score.
- Students may complain about subjectivity in scoring.
- Difficult to measure a large amount of content.
- Generally has low test and scorer reliability.
- Can encourage bluffing.
Tips for writing essay questions:
- Specify the length of the answer desired for each question (e.g., number of words or pages)
- Require all students to answer the same questions.
- Indicate the relative importance of each question (e.g., time to be spent or points assigned).
Example
(Points: 10) 1. In order for an authoritarian government to maintain its….
(Time: 15 minutes) 1. In order for an authoritarian government to maintain its…
- State questions precisely, clearly focusing on the desired answer.
Example
Original: Explain the interval combustion engine? How does it run?
Revised: Explain the interrelationship of the fuel, the mixture of fuel and air in the carburetor, and the piston in the operation of an internal combustion engine.
Suggestions for scoring:
- Test the question yourself by writing an ideal answer to it. Develop your scoring criteria from this answer.
- Use either analytic scoring (point system) or holistic scoring rubrics (an overall score based on a set of criteria).
- Provide students the general scoring criteria by which they will be evaluated prior to the examination.
- Read and evaluate each student’s answer to the same question before scoring the next question.
- The student’s identity should remain anonymous during scoring.
- Keep scores of previously read questions out of sight.
- Decide on a policy for dealing with incorrect, irrelevant, or illegible responses.
- Write comments about the responses.
Additional information
Marshall, J. C., & Hales, L. W. (1971). Classroom test construction. Reading MA: Addison-Wesley, p. 56.
