An exam question composed of a brief prompt that demands an answer that ranges from a few words to a few sentences.

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- Multiple Choice
- True/False
- Matching
- Short Answer
- Essay
- Computational

Types of Written Examination Questions

Exam questions: Types, characteristics, and suggestions. Centre for Teaching Excellence. (2021, November 12). Retrieved November 12, 2021, from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/developing-assignments/exams/questions-types-characteristics-suggestions. 

Exam questions: Types, characteristics, and suggestions. Centre for Teaching Excellence.

An exam question composed of one question and multiple different answer choices of which only one is correct.

Multiple Choice Questions

An exam question that is composed of a statement that the test taker must indicate if it is true or false.

True/False Questions

An exam question where a test taker pairs one item from one list to one item on a second list. Matching questions test recall and recognition.

Matching Questions

Short Answer Questions

An exam question composed of a complex prompt that demands an answer that ranges of several paragraphs to several pages.

Essay Questions

An exam question where test takers perform calculations to solve for an answer.

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