advantages of essay test

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17.6: What are the benefits of essay tests?

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• Page ID 87692

• Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students
• Old Dominion University

Learning Objectives

• Understand the benefits of essay questions for both Students and Teachers
• Identify when essays are useful

Introduction

Essays, along with multiple choice, are a very common method of assessment. Essays offer a means completely different than that of multiple choice. When thinking of a means of assessment, the essay along with multiple choice are the two that most come to mind (Schouller).The essay lends itself to specific subjects; for example, a math test would not have an essay question. The essay is more common in the arts, humanities and the social sciences(Scouller). On occasion an essay can be used used in both physical and natural sciences as well(Scouller). As a future history teacher, I will find that essays will be an essential part of my teaching structure.

The Benefits for Students

By utilizing essays as a mean of assessments, teachers are able to better survey what the student has learned. Multiple choice questions, by their very design, can be worked around. The student can guess, and has decent chance of getting the question right, even if they did not know the answer. This blind guessing does not benefit the student at all. In addition, some multiple choices can deceive the student(Moore). Short answers, and their big brother the essay, work in an entirely different way. Essays remove this factor. in a addition, rather than simply recognize the subject matter, the student must recall the material covered. This challenges the student more, and by forcing the student to remember the information needed, causes the student to retain it better. This in turn reinforces understanding(Moore). Scouller adds to this observation, determining that essay assessment "encourages students' development of higher order intellectual skills and the employment of deeper learning approaches; and secondly, allows students to demonstrate their development."

"Essay questions provide more opportunity to communicate ideas. Whereas multiple choice limits the options, an essay allows the student express ideas that would otherwise not be communicated." (Moore)

The Benefits for Teachers

The matter of preparation must also be considered when comparing multiple choice and essays. For multiple choice questions, the instructor must choose several questions that cover the material covered. After doing so, then the teacher has to come up with multiple possible answers. This is much more difficult than one might assume. With the essay question, the teacher will still need to be creative. However, the teacher only has to come up with a topic, and what the student is expected to cover. This saves the teacher time. When grading, the teacher knows what he or she is looking for in the paper, so the time spent reading is not necessarily more. The teacher also benefits from a better understanding of what they are teaching. The process of selecting a good essay question requires some critical thought of its own, which reflects onto the teacher(Moore).

Multiple Choice. True or False. Short Answer. Essay. All are forms of assessment. All have their pros and cons. For some, they are better suited for particular subjects. Others, not so much. Some students may even find essays to be easier. It is vital to understand when it is best to utilize the essay. Obviously for teachers of younger students, essays are not as useful. However, as the age of the student increase, the importance of the essay follows suit. That essays are utilized in essential exams such as the SAT, SOLs and in our case the PRAXIS demonstrates how important essays are. However, what it ultimately comes down to is what the teacher feels what will best assess what has been covered.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

1)What Subject would most benefit from essays?

B: Mathematics for the Liberal Arts

C: Survey of American Literature

2)What is an advantage of essay assessment for the student?

A) They allow for better expression

B) There is little probability for randomness

C) The time taken is less overall

D) A & B

3)What is NOT a benefit of essay assessment for the teacher

A)They help the instructor better understand the subject

B)They remove some the work required for multiple choice

C)The time spent on preparation is less

D) There is no noticeable benefit.

4)Issac is a teacher making up a test. The test will have multiple sections: Short answer, multiple choice, and an essay. What subject does Issac MOST LIKELY teach?

References Cited

1)Moore, S.(2008) Interview with Scott Moore, Professor at Old Dominion University

2)Scouller, K. (1998). The influence of assessment method on students' learning approaches: multiple Choice question examination versus assignment essay. Higher Education 35(4), pp. 453–472

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The ultimate essay test guide: achieve top grades with ease.

An essay test, a fundamental tool in academic assessment, measures a student's ability to express, argue, and structure their thoughts on a given subject through written words. This test format delves deeper into a student's critical thinking and writing skills unlike other conventional exam types.

What is an Essay Test?

An essay test is a type of assessment in which a student is prompted to respond to a question or a series of questions by writing an essay.

This form of test isn’t merely about checking a student’s recall or memorisation skills , but more about gauging their ability to comprehend a subject, synthesise information, and articulate their understanding effectively.

Types of Essay Tests

Essay tests can be broadly classified into two categories: Restricted Response and Extended Response .

• Restricted Response tests focus on limited aspects, requiring students to provide short, concise answers.
• Extended Response tests demand more comprehensive answers, allowing students to showcase their creativity and analytical skills.

Advantages and Limitations of an Essay Test

Essay tests offer numerous benefits but also have certain limitations. The advantages of an essay test are :

• They allow teachers to evaluate students’ abilities to organise, synthesise, and interpret information.
• They help in developing critical thinking and writing skills among students.
• They provide an opportunity for students to exhibit their knowledge and understanding of a subject in a broader context.

And the limitations of an essay test are :

• They are time-consuming to both take and grade.
• They are subject to scoring inconsistencies due to potential subjective bias.
• They may cause the students who struggle with written expression may face difficulties, and these tests may not accurately reflect the full spectrum of a student’s knowledge or understanding.

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Understanding the Structure of an Essay Test

Essay tests involve a defined structure to ensure organised, coherent, and comprehensive expression of thoughts. Adhering to a specific structure can enhance your ability to answer essay questions effectively .

The 7 Steps of an Essay

Writing an essay test typically involves seven steps :

• Understanding the question
• Brainstorming ideas
• Creating an outline
• Crafting a thesis statement
• Writing the essay body
• Formulating the conclusion
• Revising and editing for clarity and conciseness

The First Sentence in an Essay

The initial sentence of an essay, often termed a hook , plays a crucial role.

It aims to grab the reader’s attention and provoke interest in the essay topic. It should be engaging, and relevant, and set the tone for the rest of the essay .

The 5-Paragraph Essay Format

The 5-paragraph essay format is commonly used in essay tests, providing a clear and organised approach for students to articulate their ideas. In this format, the introduction and the conclusion include 1 paragraph, while the body of the essay includes 3 .

• Introduction : The introduction sets the stage, providing a brief overview of the topic and presenting the thesis statement – the central argument or point.
• Body : The body of the essay contains three paragraphs, each presenting a separate point that supports the thesis statement. Detailed explanations, evidence, and examples are included here to substantiate the points.
• Conclusion : The conclusion reiterates the thesis statement and summarises the main points. It provides a final perspective on the topic, drawing the essay to a close.

How to Prepare for an Essay Test?

Preparing for an essay test demands a structured approach to ensure thorough understanding and effective response. Here are some strategies to make this task more manageable:

#1 Familiarise Yourself with the Terminology Used

Knowledge of key terminologies is essential. Understand the meaning of directives such as “describe”, “compare”, “contrast”, or “analyse”. Each term guides you on what is expected in your essay and helps you to answer the question accurately.

To make it easier, you can take advantage of AI technologies. While preparing for your exam, use similar essay questions as prompts and see how AI understands and evaluates the questions. If you are unfamiliar with AI, you can check out The Best Chat GPT Prompts For Essay Writing .

#2 Review and Revise Past Essays

Take advantage of past essays or essay prompts to review and revise your writing . Analyse your strengths and areas for improvement, paying attention to grammar , structure , and clarity . This process helps you refine your writing skills and identify potential pitfalls to avoid in future tests.

#3 Practice Timed Writing

Simulate test conditions by practising timed writing . Set a specific time limit for each essay question and strive to complete it within that timeframe. This exercise builds your ability to think and write quickly , improving your efficiency during the actual test.

#4 Utilise Mnemonic Techniques

To aid in memorisation and recall of key concepts or arguments, employ mnemonic techniques . These memory aids, such as acronyms, visualisation, or association techniques, can help you retain important information and retrieve it during the test. Practice using mnemonics to reinforce your understanding of critical points.

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Strategies to Pass an Essay Test

Passing an essay test goes beyond understanding the topic; it also requires strategic planning and execution . Below are key strategies that can enhance your performance in an essay test.

• Read the exam paper thoroughly before diving into writing : read the entire exam paper thoroughly. Understand each question’s requirement and make a mental note of the points to be included in each response. This step will help in ensuring that no aspect of the question is overlooked.
• Answer in the First Sentence and Use the Language of the Question : Begin your essay by clearly stating your answer in the first sentence. Use the language of the question to show you are directly addressing the task. This approach ensures that your main argument is understood right from the start.
• Structure Your Essay : Adopt a logical essay structure , typically comprising an introduction, body, and conclusion. This helps in organising your thoughts, making your argument clearer, and enhancing the readability of your essay.
• Answer in Point Form When Running Out of Time : If time is running short, present your answer in point form. This approach allows you to cover more points quickly, ensuring you don’t leave any questions unanswered.
• Write as Legibly as Possible : Your writing should be clear and easy to read. Illegible handwriting could lead to misunderstandings and may negatively impact your grades.
• Number Your Answers : Ensure your answers are correctly numbered. This helps in aligning your responses with the respective questions, making it easier for the examiner to assess your work, and reducing chances of confusion or error
• Time Yourself on Each Question : Time management is crucial in an essay test. Allocate a specific amount of time to each question, taking into account the marks they carry. Ensure you leave ample time for revising and editing your responses. Practising this strategy can prevent last-minute rushes and result in a more polished essay.

About the Author Oğulcan Tezcan is a writer, translator, editor, and an accomplished engineer. Oğulcan is also a keen researcher and digital market analyst, with a particular interest in self-development, productivity, and human behaviour.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Essay Tests

How do you answer an essay question, when taking an essay test what is the first step, what type of test is an essay test, what is the first sentence in an essay, what are the six elements of an essay.

Essay Exams

What this handout is about.

At some time in your undergraduate career, you’re going to have to write an essay exam. This thought can inspire a fair amount of fear: we struggle enough with essays when they aren’t timed events based on unknown questions. The goal of this handout is to give you some easy and effective strategies that will help you take control of the situation and do your best.

Why do instructors give essay exams?

Essay exams are a useful tool for finding out if you can sort through a large body of information, figure out what is important, and explain why it is important. Essay exams challenge you to come up with key course ideas and put them in your own words and to use the interpretive or analytical skills you’ve practiced in the course. Instructors want to see whether:

• You understand concepts that provide the basis for the course
• You can use those concepts to interpret specific materials
• You can make connections, see relationships, draw comparisons and contrasts
• You can synthesize diverse information in support of an original assertion
• You can justify your own evaluations based on appropriate criteria
• You can argue your own opinions with convincing evidence
• You can think critically and analytically about a subject

What essay questions require

Exam questions can reach pretty far into the course materials, so you cannot hope to do well on them if you do not keep up with the readings and assignments from the beginning of the course. The most successful essay exam takers are prepared for anything reasonable, and they probably have some intelligent guesses about the content of the exam before they take it. How can you be a prepared exam taker? Try some of the following suggestions during the semester:

• Do the reading as the syllabus dictates; keeping up with the reading while the related concepts are being discussed in class saves you double the effort later.
• Go to lectures (and put away your phone, the newspaper, and that crossword puzzle!).
• Take careful notes that you’ll understand months later. If this is not your strong suit or the conventions for a particular discipline are different from what you are used to, ask your TA or the Learning Center for advice.
• Participate in your discussion sections; this will help you absorb the material better so you don’t have to study as hard.
• Organize small study groups with classmates to explore and review course materials throughout the semester. Others will catch things you might miss even when paying attention. This is not cheating. As long as what you write on the essay is your own work, formulating ideas and sharing notes is okay. In fact, it is a big part of the learning process.
• As an exam approaches, find out what you can about the form it will take. This will help you forecast the questions that will be on the exam, and prepare for them.

These suggestions will save you lots of time and misery later. Remember that you can’t cram weeks of information into a single day or night of study. So why put yourself in that position?

Now let’s focus on studying for the exam. You’ll notice the following suggestions are all based on organizing your study materials into manageable chunks of related material. If you have a plan of attack, you’ll feel more confident and your answers will be more clear. Here are some tips: 

• Don’t just memorize aimlessly; clarify the important issues of the course and use these issues to focus your understanding of specific facts and particular readings.
• Try to organize and prioritize the information into a thematic pattern. Look at what you’ve studied and find a way to put things into related groups. Find the fundamental ideas that have been emphasized throughout the course and organize your notes into broad categories. Think about how different categories relate to each other.
• Find out what you don’t know, but need to know, by making up test questions and trying to answer them. Studying in groups helps as well.

Taking the exam

Read the exam carefully.

• If you are given the entire exam at once and can determine your approach on your own, read the entire exam before you get started.
• Look at how many points each part earns you, and find hints for how long your answers should be.
• Figure out how much time you have and how best to use it. Write down the actual clock time that you expect to take in each section, and stick to it. This will help you avoid spending all your time on only one section. One strategy is to divide the available time according to percentage worth of the question. You don’t want to spend half of your time on something that is only worth one tenth of the total points.
• As you read, make tentative choices of the questions you will answer (if you have a choice). Don’t just answer the first essay question you encounter. Instead, read through all of the options. Jot down really brief ideas for each question before deciding.
• Remember that the easiest-looking question is not always as easy as it looks. Focus your attention on questions for which you can explain your answer most thoroughly, rather than settle on questions where you know the answer but can’t say why.

Analyze the questions

• Decide what you are being asked to do. If you skim the question to find the main “topic” and then rush to grasp any related ideas you can recall, you may become flustered, lose concentration, and even go blank. Try looking closely at what the question is directing you to do, and try to understand the sort of writing that will be required.
• Focus on what you do know about the question, not on what you don’t.
• Look at the active verbs in the assignment—they tell you what you should be doing. We’ve included some of these below, with some suggestions on what they might mean. (For help with this sort of detective work, see the Writing Center handout titled Reading Assignments.)

Information words, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject. Information words may include:

• define—give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning.
• explain why/how—give reasons why or examples of how something happened.
• illustrate—give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject.
• summarize—briefly cover the important ideas you learned about the subject.
• trace—outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form.
• research—gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you’ve found.

Relation words ask you to demonstrate how things are connected. Relation words may include:

• compare—show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different).
• contrast—show how two or more things are dissimilar.
• apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation.
• cause—show how one event or series of events made something else happen.
• relate—show or describe the connections between things.

Interpretation words ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Don’t see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation. Interpretation words may include:

• prove, justify—give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth.
• evaluate, respond, assess—state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons (you may want to compare your subject to something else).
• support—give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe).
• synthesize—put two or more things together that haven’t been put together before; don’t just summarize one and then the other, and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together (as opposed to compare and contrast—see above).
• analyze—look closely at the components of something to figure out how it works, what it might mean, or why it is important.
• argue—take a side and defend it (with proof) against the other side.

Plan your answers

Think about your time again. How much planning time you should take depends on how much time you have for each question and how many points each question is worth. Here are some general guidelines: 

• For short-answer definitions and identifications, just take a few seconds. Skip over any you don’t recognize fairly quickly, and come back to them when another question jogs your memory.
• For answers that require a paragraph or two, jot down several important ideas or specific examples that help to focus your thoughts.
• For longer answers, you will need to develop a much more definite strategy of organization. You only have time for one draft, so allow a reasonable amount of time—as much as a quarter of the time you’ve allotted for the question—for making notes, determining a thesis, and developing an outline.
• For questions with several parts (different requests or directions, a sequence of questions), make a list of the parts so that you do not miss or minimize one part. One way to be sure you answer them all is to number them in the question and in your outline.
• You may have to try two or three outlines or clusters before you hit on a workable plan. But be realistic—you want a plan you can develop within the limited time allotted for your answer. Your outline will have to be selective—not everything you know, but what you know that you can state clearly and keep to the point in the time available.

Again, focus on what you do know about the question, not on what you don’t.

Writing your answers

As with planning, your strategy for writing depends on the length of your answer:

• For short identifications and definitions, it is usually best to start with a general identifying statement and then move on to describe specific applications or explanations. Two sentences will almost always suffice, but make sure they are complete sentences. Find out whether the instructor wants definition alone, or definition and significance. Why is the identification term or object important?
• For longer answers, begin by stating your forecasting statement or thesis clearly and explicitly. Strive for focus, simplicity, and clarity. In stating your point and developing your answers, you may want to use important course vocabulary words from the question. For example, if the question is, “How does wisteria function as a representation of memory in Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom?” you may want to use the words wisteria, representation, memory, and Faulkner) in your thesis statement and answer. Use these important words or concepts throughout the answer.
• If you have devised a promising outline for your answer, then you will be able to forecast your overall plan and its subpoints in your opening sentence. Forecasting impresses readers and has the very practical advantage of making your answer easier to read. Also, if you don’t finish writing, it tells your reader what you would have said if you had finished (and may get you partial points).
• You might want to use briefer paragraphs than you ordinarily do and signal clear relations between paragraphs with transition phrases or sentences.
• As you move ahead with the writing, you may think of new subpoints or ideas to include in the essay. Stop briefly to make a note of these on your original outline. If they are most appropriately inserted in a section you’ve already written, write them neatly in the margin, at the top of the page, or on the last page, with arrows or marks to alert the reader to where they fit in your answer. Be as neat and clear as possible.
• Don’t pad your answer with irrelevancies and repetitions just to fill up space. Within the time available, write a comprehensive, specific answer.
• Watch the clock carefully to ensure that you do not spend too much time on one answer. You must be realistic about the time constraints of an essay exam. If you write one dazzling answer on an exam with three equally-weighted required questions, you earn only 33 points—not enough to pass at most colleges. This may seem unfair, but keep in mind that instructors plan exams to be reasonably comprehensive. They want you to write about the course materials in two or three or more ways, not just one way. Hint: if you finish a half-hour essay in 10 minutes, you may need to develop some of your ideas more fully.
• If you run out of time when you are writing an answer, jot down the remaining main ideas from your outline, just to show that you know the material and with more time could have continued your exposition.
• Double-space to leave room for additions, and strike through errors or changes with one straight line (avoid erasing or scribbling over). Keep things as clean as possible. You never know what will earn you partial credit.
• Write legibly and proofread. Remember that your instructor will likely be reading a large pile of exams. The more difficult they are to read, the more exasperated the instructor might become. Your instructor also cannot give you credit for what they cannot understand. A few minutes of careful proofreading can improve your grade.

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind in writing essay exams is that you have a limited amount of time and space in which to get across the knowledge you have acquired and your ability to use it. Essay exams are not the place to be subtle or vague. It’s okay to have an obvious structure, even the five-paragraph essay format you may have been taught in high school. Introduce your main idea, have several paragraphs of support—each with a single point defended by specific examples, and conclude with a restatement of your main point and its significance.

Some physiological tips

Just think—we expect athletes to practice constantly and use everything in their abilities and situations in order to achieve success. Yet, somehow many students are convinced that one day’s worth of studying, no sleep, and some well-placed compliments (“Gee, Dr. So-and-so, I really enjoyed your last lecture”) are good preparation for a test. Essay exams are like any other testing situation in life: you’ll do best if you are prepared for what is expected of you, have practiced doing it before, and have arrived in the best shape to do it. You may not want to believe this, but it’s true: a good night’s sleep and a relaxed mind and body can do as much or more for you as any last-minute cram session. Colleges abound with tales of woe about students who slept through exams because they stayed up all night, wrote an essay on the wrong topic, forgot everything they studied, or freaked out in the exam and hyperventilated. If you are rested, breathing normally, and have brought along some healthy, energy-boosting snacks that you can eat or drink quietly, you are in a much better position to do a good job on the test. You aren’t going to write a good essay on something you figured out at 4 a.m. that morning. If you prepare yourself well throughout the semester, you don’t risk your whole grade on an overloaded, undernourished brain.

If for some reason you get yourself into this situation, take a minute every once in a while during the test to breathe deeply, stretch, and clear your brain. You need to be especially aware of the likelihood of errors, so check your essays thoroughly before you hand them in to make sure they answer the right questions and don’t have big oversights or mistakes (like saying “Hitler” when you really mean “Churchill”).

If you tend to go blank during exams, try studying in the same classroom in which the test will be given. Some research suggests that people attach ideas to their surroundings, so it might jog your memory to see the same things you were looking at while you studied.

Try good luck charms. Bring in something you associate with success or the support of your loved ones, and use it as a psychological boost.

Take all of the time you’ve been allotted. Reread, rework, and rethink your answers if you have extra time at the end, rather than giving up and handing the exam in the minute you’ve written your last sentence. Use every advantage you are given.

Remember that instructors do not want to see you trip up—they want to see you do well. With this in mind, try to relax and just do the best you can. The more you panic, the more mistakes you are liable to make. Put the test in perspective: will you die from a poor performance? Will you lose all of your friends? Will your entire future be destroyed? Remember: it’s just a test.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Axelrod, Rise B., and Charles R. Cooper. 2016. The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing , 11th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Fowler, Ramsay H., and Jane E. Aaron. 2016. The Little, Brown Handbook , 13th ed. Boston: Pearson.

Gefvert, Constance J. 1988. The Confident Writer: A Norton Handbook , 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.

Kirszner, Laurie G. 1988. Writing: A College Rhetoric , 2nd ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Woodman, Leonara, and Thomas P. Adler. 1988. The Writer’s Choices , 2nd ed. Northbrook, Illinois: Scott Foresman.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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• Educational Assessment

Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Types of Test Questions

• October 23, 2018
• Maryellen Weimer, PhD

It’s good to regularly review the advantages and disadvantages of the most commonly used test questions and the test banks that now frequently provide them.

Multiple-choice questions

• Quick and easy to score, by hand or electronically
• Can be written so that they test a wide range of higher-order thinking skills
• Can cover lots of content areas on a single exam and still be answered in a class period

Disadvantages

• Often test literacy skills: “if the student reads the question carefully, the answer is easy to recognize even if the student knows little about the subject” (p. 194)
• Provide unprepared students the opportunity to guess, and with guesses that are right, they get credit for things they don’t know
• Expose students to misinformation that can influence subsequent thinking about the content
• Take time and skill to construct (especially good questions)

True-false questions

• Quick and easy to score
• Considered to be “one of the most unreliable forms of assessment” (p. 195)
• Often written so that most of the statement is true save one small, often trivial bit of information that then makes the whole statement untrue
• Encourage guessing, and reward for correct guesses

Short-answer questions

• Quick and easy to grade
• Quick and easy to write
• Encourage students to memorize terms and details, so that their understanding of the content remains superficial

Essay questions

• Offer students an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and abilities in a variety of ways
• Can be used to develop student writing skills, particularly the ability to formulate arguments supported with reasoning and evidence
• Require extensive time to grade
• Encourage use of subjective criteria when assessing answers
• If used in class, necessitate quick composition without time for planning or revision, which can result in poor-quality writing

Questions provided by test banks

• Save instructors the time and energy involved in writing test questions
• Use the terms and methods that are used in the book
• Rarely involve analysis, synthesis, application, or evaluation (cross-discipline research documents that approximately 85 percent of the questions in test banks test recall)
• Limit the scope of the exam to text content; if used extensively, may lead students to conclude that the material covered in class is unimportant and irrelevant

We tend to think that these are the only test question options, but there are some interesting variations. The article that promoted this review proposes one: Start with a question, and revise it until it can be answered with one word or a short phrase. Do not list any answer options for that single question, but attach to the exam an alphabetized list of answers. Students select answers from that list. Some of the answers provided may be used more than once, some may not be used, and there are more answers listed than questions. It’s a ratcheted-up version of matching. The approach makes the test more challenging and decreases the chance of getting an answer correct by guessing.

Remember, students do need to be introduced to any new or altered question format before they encounter it on an exam.

Editor’s note: The list of advantages and disadvantages comes in part from the article referenced here. It also cites research evidence relevant to some of these advantages and disadvantages.

Reference: McAllister, D., and Guidice, R.M. (2012). This is only a test: A machine-graded improvement to the multiple-choice and true-false examination. Teaching in Higher Education, 17 (2), 193-207.

Reprinted from The Teaching Professor, 28.3 (2014): 8. © Magna Publications. All rights reserved.

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Essay Test Preparation Tips and Strategies

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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Essay Type Test: Advantages, Disadvantages, Limitations

• February 9, 2024

In this article, we are going to discuss Essay Type Test: Advantages, Disadvantages, and Limitations.

1. Study Habits

2. reduce guessing, 3. easy to construct, 4.degree of comprehensiveness, 5. logical thinking, 6. creativity, 7. enhance thinking ability:, 8. complex learning, 9. individual differences, limitations or disadvantages of essay type test:, 1. low objectivity, 2. cramming habit, 3. lack of relaibility, 4. selective study, 5. subjectivity of scoring, 6. burden of students, 7. scope of favouritism, 8. time-consuming, 9. low validity, defects of essay-type test from the point of view of the teacher, mathematical question, essay type test.

With the aid of systematization and the creation of a unique composition, students are forced to answer fully to a question or prompt on an essay test. An essay test is designed to evaluate students’ ability to write an argumentative, logical essay.

Advantages Of Essay Type Test

These exams encourage students to develop effective study habits. These exams encourage students to develop effective study habits.

The guesswork can be reduced to a large extent.

Such tests are easier to administer and construct.

This test is helpful to measure all degrees of comprehensiveness and accuracy.

These aid in students’ logical thinking, critical reasoning, and methodical presentation skills development.

Such tests provide an opportunity for the child to show his creativity, originality of thought, fertility of their imagination, etc.

These types of tests are considered to be best for measuring the ability to organize ideas effectively, the ability to criticize or justify a statement, the ability to interpret, etc.

It’s helpful to measure complex learning outcomes.

It’s helpful to determine individual differences.

Defects of the Essay-Type Test as Viewed by Students

The essay-type tests are less objective and so they lack validity.

Essay type of test increases the child’s cramming habit capacity. 

These tests lack the dependability of essay-type tests is low as compared to various multiple-choice questions or objective-type questions.

A student is constrained or bound to study a selective script of his course. He often guesses the questions which may probably have an element of chance from an exam point of view.

The subjectivity of scoring is the most drawback of an essay sort test, which implies that individual likes and loathes play a critical part in the checking.

It puts a lot of pressure on the students. It keeps the student busy and far away from nervous tension.

Partiality is another flaw with essay-sort assessments since instructors tend to award more credit to their top candidates.

It is time-consuming on the part of students and the speed of writing and good writing style consume enough time of students.

It has less content validity.

1-The primary and preeminent point of the educator is the shining victory of all his /her understudies for that reason he tries to cover the constrained and the foremost important contents of the syllabus first and his focus is the maximum number of students to get through the examination.

2. The instruction Programme of the instructor is entirely examination-oriented and the essential guideline for instructing his understudies is given the slightest thought.

3. The educator is compelled to empower his understudies to pack which isn’t a mental strategy for instructing.

4. Since the instructor is judged by the comes about of his understudies so everything gets to be subservient to the examination

5. To show good results sometimes the teacher devotes a good deal of his time to indulging in guesswork which affects his teaching.

In math practice tests, students are tested for different types of questions related to various equations and problem-solving. This also increases quantitative reasoning. This area includes questions on math topics like algebra, geometry, data analysis, and problem-solving.

• Significance Of Student’s Assessment In Teaching-Learning Process .
• Importance Of Technical Education In The Youth .
• Who Was Aristotle And His Philosophy Of Education? .

KnowledgeMag Team

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Essay test: types, advantages and limitations | statistics.

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After reading this article you will learn about:- 1. Introduction to Essay Test 2. Types of Essay Test 3. Advantages 4. Limitations 5. Suggestions.

Introduction to Essay Test:

The essay tests are still commonly used tools of evaluation, despite the increasingly wider applicability of the short answer and objective type questions.

There are certain outcomes of learning (e.g., organising, summarising, integrating ideas and expressing in one’s own way) which cannot be satisfactorily measured through objective type tests. The importance of essay tests lies in the measurement of such instructional outcomes.

An essay test may give full freedom to the students to write any number of pages. The required response may vary in length. An essay type question requires the pupil to plan his own answer and to explain it in his own words. The pupil exercises considerable freedom to select, organise and present his ideas. Essay type tests provide a better indication of pupil’s real achievement in learning. The answers provide a clue to nature and quality of the pupil’s thought process.

That is, we can assess how the pupil presents his ideas (whether his manner of presentation is coherent, logical and systematic) and how he concludes. In other words, the answer of the pupil reveals the structure, dynamics and functioning of pupil’s mental life.

The essay questions are generally thought to be the traditional type of questions which demand lengthy answers. They are not amenable to objective scoring as they give scope for halo-effect, inter-examiner variability and intra-examiner variability in scoring.

Types of Essay Test:

There can be many types of essay tests:

Some of these are given below with examples from different subjects:

1. Selective Recall.

e.g. What was the religious policy of Akbar?

2. Evaluative Recall.

e.g. Why did the First War of Independence in 1857 fail?

3. Comparison of two things—on a single designated basis.

e.g. Compare the contributions made by Dalton and Bohr to Atomic theory.

4. Comparison of two things—in general.

e.g. Compare Early Vedic Age with the Later Vedic Age.

5. Decision—for or against.

e.g. Which type of examination do you think is more reliable? Oral or Written. Why?

6. Causes or effects.

e.g. Discuss the effects of environmental pollution on our lives.

7. Explanation of the use or exact meaning of some phrase in a passage or a sentence.

e.g., Joint Stock Company is an artificial person. Explain ‘artificial person’ bringing out the concepts of Joint Stock Company.

8. Summary of some unit of the text or of some article.

9. Analysis

e.g. What was the role played by Mahatma Gandhi in India’s freedom struggle?

10. Statement of relationship.

e.g. Why is knowledge of Botany helpful in studying agriculture?

11. Illustration or examples (your own) of principles in science, language, etc.

e.g. Illustrate the correct use of subject-verb position in an interrogative sentence.

12. Classification.

e.g. Classify the following into Physical change and Chemical change with explanation. Water changes to vapour; Sulphuric Acid and Sodium Hydroxide react to produce Sodium Sulphate and Water; Rusting of Iron; Melting of Ice.

13. Application of rules or principles in given situations.

e.g. If you sat halfway between the middle and one end of a sea-saw, would a person sitting on the other end have to be heavier or lighter than you in order to make the sea-saw balance in the middle. Why?

14. Discussion.

e.g. Partnership is a relationship between persons who have agreed to share the profits of a business carried on by all or any of them acting for all. Discuss the essentials of partnership on the basis of this partnership.

15. Criticism—as to the adequacy, correctness, or relevance—of a printed statement or a classmate’s answer to a question on the lesson.

e.g. What is the wrong with the following statement?

The Prime Minister is the sovereign Head of State in India.

16. Outline.

e.g. Outline the steps required in computing the compound interest if the principal amount, rate of interest and time period are given as P, R and T respectively.

17. Reorganization of facts.

e.g. The student is asked to interview some persons and find out their opinion on the role of UN in world peace. In the light of data thus collected he/she can reorganise what is given in the text book.

18. Formulation of questions-problems and questions raised.

e.g. After reading a lesson the pupils are asked to raise related problems- questions.

19. New methods of procedure

e.g. Can you solve this mathematical problem by using another method?

Advantages of the Essay Tests:

1. It is relatively easier to prepare and administer a six-question extended- response essay test than to prepare and administer a comparable 60-item multiple-choice test items.

2. It is the only means that can assess an examinee’s ability to organise and present his ideas in a logical and coherent fashion.

3. It can be successfully employed for practically all the school subjects.

4. Some of the objectives such as ability to organise idea effectively, ability to criticise or justify a statement, ability to interpret, etc., can be best measured by this type of test.

5. Logical thinking and critical reasoning, systematic presentation, etc. can be best developed by this type of test.

6. It helps to induce good study habits such as making outlines and summaries, organising the arguments for and against, etc.

7. The students can show their initiative, the originality of their thought and the fertility of their imagination as they are permitted freedom of response.

8. The responses of the students need not be completely right or wrong. All degrees of comprehensiveness and accuracy are possible.

9. It largely eliminates guessing.

10. They are valuable in testing the functional knowledge and power of expression of the pupil.

Limitations of Essay Tests:

1. One of the serious limitations of the essay tests is that these tests do not give scope for larger sampling of the content. You cannot sample the course content so well with six lengthy essay questions as you can with 60 multiple-choice test items.

2. Such tests encourage selective reading and emphasise cramming.

3. Moreover, scoring may be affected by spelling, good handwriting, coloured ink, neatness, grammar, length of the answer, etc.

4. The long-answer type questions are less valid and less reliable, and as such they have little predictive value.

5. It requires an excessive time on the part of students to write; while assessing, reading essays is very time-consuming and laborious.

6. It can be assessed only by a teacher or competent professionals.

7. Improper and ambiguous wording handicaps both the students and valuers.

8. Mood of the examiner affects the scoring of answer scripts.

9. There is halo effect-biased judgement by previous impressions.

10. The scores may be affected by his personal bias or partiality for a particular point of view, his way of understanding the question, his weightage to different aspect of the answer, favouritism and nepotism, etc.

Thus, the potential disadvantages of essay type questions are :

(i) Poor predictive validity,

(ii) Limited content sampling,

(iii) Scores unreliability, and

(iv) Scoring constraints.

Suggestions for Improving Essay Tests:

The teacher can sometimes, through essay tests, gain improved insight into a student’s abilities, difficulties and ways of thinking and thus have a basis for guiding his/her learning.

(A) White Framing Questions:

1. Give adequate time and thought to the preparation of essay questions, so that they can be re-examined, revised and edited before they are used. This would increase the validity of the test.

2. The item should be so written that it will elicit the type of behaviour the teacher wants to measure. If one is interested in measuring understanding, he should not ask a question that will elicit an opinion; e.g.,

“What do you think of Buddhism in comparison to Jainism?”

3. Use words which themselves give directions e.g. define, illustrate, outline, select, classify, summarise, etc., instead of discuss, comment, explain, etc.

4. Give specific directions to students to elicit the desired response.

5. Indicate clearly the value of the question and the time suggested for answering it.

6. Do not provide optional questions in an essay test because—

(i) It is difficult to construct questions of equal difficulty;

(ii) Students do not have the ability to select those questions which they will answer best;

(iii) A good student may be penalised because he is challenged by the more difficult and complex questions.

7. Prepare and use a relatively large number of questions requiring short answers rather than just a few questions involving long answers.

8. Do not start essay questions with such words as list, who, what, whether. If we begin the questions with such words, they are likely to be short-answer question and not essay questions, as we have defined the term.

9. Adapt the length of the response and complexity of the question and answer to the maturity level of the students.

10. The wording of the questions should be clear and unambiguous.

11. It should be a power test rather than a speed test. Allow a liberal time limit so that the essay test does not become a test of speed in writing.

12. Supply the necessary training to the students in writing essay tests.

13. Questions should be graded from simple to complex so that all the testees can answer atleast a few questions.

14. Essay questions should provide value points and marking schemes.

(B) While Scoring Questions:

1. Prepare a marking scheme, suggesting the best possible answer and the weightage given to the various points of this model answer. Decide in advance which factors will be considered in evaluating an essay response.

2. While assessing the essay response, one must:

a. Use appropriate methods to minimise bias;

b. Pay attention only to the significant and relevant aspects of the answer;

c. Be careful not to let personal idiosyncrasies affect assessment;

d. Apply a uniform standard to all the papers.

3. The examinee’s identity should be concealed from the scorer. By this we can avoid the “halo effect” or “biasness” which may affect the scoring.

4. Check your marking scheme against actual responses.

5. Once the assessment has begun, the standard should not be changed, nor should it vary from paper to paper or reader to reader. Be consistent in your assessment.

6. Grade only one question at a time for all papers. This will help you in minimising the halo effect in becoming thoroughly familiar with just one set of scoring criteria and in concentrating completely on them.

7. The mechanics of expression (legibility, spelling, punctuation, grammar) should be judged separately from what the student writes, i.e. the subject matter content.

8. If possible, have two independent readings of the test and use the average as the final score.

Related Articles:

• Merits and Demerits of Objective Type Test
• Types of Recall Type Test: Simple and Completion | Objective Test

Educational Statistics , Evaluation Tools , Essay Test

Comments are closed.

College Teaching, Fall 1997 v45 n4 p150(3) Essays - well worth the effort. Craig W. Steele.

Abstract: More college teachers should make use of essay examinations in their courses. Well-constructed essay questions test higher-level knowledge than most objective questions. They also furnish students with valuable writing practice and provide the opportunity for mutual feedback between teacher and student. Some disadvantages of essay exams include the amount of time they take to grade and their inherent subjectivity. Teachers can increase their grading objectivity by covering students' names, deciding in advance the key points each essay should cover, and stopping the grading when they begin to feel tired.

Full Text: COPYRIGHT 1997 Heldref Publications

Why do questions requiring essay responses make students so apprehensive? Because they are used to taking multiple-choice tests. By the time they enter college, students have had up to twelve years training in this type of examination; it is what they expect in most classes. Multiple-choice tests are easier to take (usually involving only simple recognition and recall), permit a certain amount of guessing, and require basic study skills.

But multiple-choice exams, in my opinion, are the least appropriate evaluation tools for aiding student learning, at any grade level. They do little to help teachers "teach for understanding" (Perkins 1993). I agree with the position of the Writing across the Curriculum (WAC) Association of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, as expressed in the May 1991 issue of Writing and Learning, that "writing is central to all disciplines" because an "active language element is crucial for any significant learning."

Why then, according to WAC, do "most college classes not only neglect the language-based elements of learning, but actively avoid them?" Perhaps the reason is that teachers, as well as students, do not appreciate the advantages of the essay. Also, according to Everett (1994), many teachers avoid writing assignments because of the perceived difficulty and subjectivity in grading them.

Advantages of the Essay

Essays can test higher-level cognitive skills. Objective exams can also test higher-level skills, but on a more limited basis. For any test, the content and style of the questions should be determined by the course objectives. When objectives require students to apply knowledge, analyze data or situations, synthesize, or evaluate, the essay can be an effective test. Because essays address higher-level cognitive processes, you can individually direct students in their thought processes. However, when objectives ask students to describe, to list, or to recognize, the essay exam is probably not useful.

Students study more efficiently in preparing for an essay test. Research has shown that students generally spend less time on rote memorization of material when they study for an essay exam rather than a multiple-choice exam (e.g., Mayer 1975; Shavelson and Stern 1981). Instead, students tend to generalize and conceptualize the material, using facts as support material rather than as ends unto themselves. Students are al so more apt to retain concepts and generalizations than isolated facts and details.

Essays allow students to practice their writing. Many students can graduate from college without having had much practice in writing. Unfortunately, many of these students discover too late that their writing skill in the "real world"--whether it is in the form of a memo, a proposal, or a report--is the difference between success or failure in their profession.

Essays can individualize your instruction. Your feedback on an essay can help students form insights into the subject material, organizational skills, and writing skills. Your comments can also be an important motivator.

Essays provide valuable feedback to you. Sometimes objective test scores do not portray your students' learning. Essays, however, can reveal the depth and breadth of students' knowledge, as well as erroneous conclusions that are drawn.

Essay questions require less time to prepare. Good multiple-choice exams are extremely time-consuming to prepare. The essay, however, requires much less preparation. (Be careful, however, not to "throw together" a list of essay questions.)

Disadvantages of the Essay

Essays are (very) time-consuming to grade. To garner the full benefits of including essays on your tests, you must allot sufficient time to read and comment on the students' responses. Simply scanning a response and assigning it a numerical grade will not close the learning cycle. Students quickly learn how to study for your exams! If they perceive that you fail to grade their responses adequately (as indicated by your written comments and suggestions), students will not bother to study at a higher level for the next test, but will instead return to memorizing facts.

Sometimes an essay question is not representative of the content covered. An example: In an introductory course in human physiology, which has just covered blood, the circulatory system, and the immune system, seven of the ten essay questions are about the circulatory system.

If you use essays, you must use course objectives to determine the content of the questions. By referring to objectives, you will not make the mistake of focusing too narrowly on one aspect of content.

The essay exam often has grading reliability problems. Unlike the multiple-choice format, the essay is a subjective form of evaluation. And teachers often introduce biases into their grading. If you know whose paper is being evaluated, the grade may reflect personal feelings for that student, or may reflect influence from past grades. For example, if the student received an A on a past exam, you may tend to give a higher grade than is actually deserved on this exam (and vice versa if a student had received an F). Also, grades given on first papers may differ significantly from those that are graded later. Other influences include your general mood and stress level at the time of grading, the time of day, and your feelings about the subject of the essay.

Preparing an Essay Question or Exam

These suggestions may help you maximize the benefits of an essay test:

Carefully select those course objectives that can be evaluated through an essay. Cognitive objectives stressing memorization of facts, names, or definitions should not be measured by essays. Essays should require students to analyze hypothetical data, solve sample problems, or compare and contrast concepts.

Phrase the question clearly. After reading the question, the prepared student should know exactly what you expect. If a question's wording is ambiguous or too vague, unprepared students can draw upon the related knowledge they have and write an answer, while claiming (correctly) that they misunderstood what you desired.

Control the level of students' response. If you want more than just a recitation of facts in an essay, word the question so that more is demanded. Read the following examples of essay questions:

When were Medicare and Medicaid established?

How have Medicare and Medicaid contributed to the current U.S. trends of increased demand for health services, increased costs of health care and physicians' services, and longer hospital stays?

What do you suppose might have occurred in the field of health care in the U.S. if Medicare and Medicaid had never been established?

Although all three questions request information on Medicare and Medicaid, the first two require only recitation in writing an answer. The third question, however, requires a knowledge of the first two questions and requires the student to analyze rather than recite.

Write essay questions that sample the content covered. Many professors permit students to choose several essays from a list. Although you may believe this choice benefits the prepared student who may be weak in one area, actually the unprepared student benefits more from this practice because it encourages students to "place a bet" and to omit studying some key areas of content. By allowing choice, you also create different exams, which decreases the content validity and the grading reliability.

Inform students of the grading criteria. You must decide what evaluative criteria will be used. It is important to share this information with students before they write the essay. If you will be grading for language usage, spelling, and grammar, tell them. If you desire a minimum or maximum number of words, tell them. If you desire a certain format, specify it ahead of time.

Share examples of good and weak essays with students. Students can benefit greatly from seeing what is expected of them. In groups, have students apply the grading criteria to several sample essays you provide. Discuss their judgments and yours.

Ten Tips for Grading Writing and Reducing Bias

What can you do to improve the reliability of your grading of responses to essay questions? Following is a list of suggestions:

1. Cover the names of the students. Most teachers attempt to treat all students fairly. However, it is human nature to like some students more than others, or to actively dislike some students as individuals. This personal bias can affect the reliability of the grades. Grading can be influenced by the performance of the student on earlier exams, by the amount of class participation, and by the student's attitude toward the course and the teacher.

2. Familiarize yourself with the general performance level on the exam before you begin to grade. Randomly sample exams and read them thoroughly to determine the general level of performance. This practice will keep your evaluations from being unduly influenced by the quality (whether excellent or poor) of one specific paper.

3. List the points you believe should be discussed in each essay. Such a list can keep you from being "bluffed" by students who are exceptionally accomplished writers, or highly clever and verbal. Unprepared students often select one aspect of a question, or an aspect tangential to the question, and elaborate on that one point to the extent that a reader may become immersed in the writing style, overlooking the insufficiency of the answer. A list of expected points can assist you in assessing objectively the breadth and depth of the response. You can get help from your students in developing these criteria (Everett 1994). Ask them what they believe is important in the assignment, what they would expect to read if they were grading it.

4. Do not attempt to grade all exams in one sitting. As stated earlier in this article, a major disadvantage of essays is the time required to grade them. When you begin to tire of reading the responses, you naturally become too critical or too generous in your grading, which affects the reliability of the grades.

5. Grade only one question or topic at a time. Each question on an essay exam, or each essay question included in an objective test, should be graded separately. Reading an entire exam and then trying to assign a grade also affects the reliability of the grades. By grading exams by individual questions, you will be better able to concentrate on the quality of each individual response and how it compares to other students' responses.

6. Write comments on the exams. Point out the good as well as the bad. Comments indicate that you actually read the exam. Also, they serve as an explanation of why you assigned a particular grade. Comments such as "Expand," "What about . . . ," or "How do you conclude this?" readily indicate weakness to the students. When commenting, adopt a nonconfrontational attitude by assuming that you and the student share a common enterprise. Write to convince the student: be direct in your criticisms, but be dispassionate and never engage in ad hominem attack. Ask yourself whether your disagreement with the student's writing is based on specialized knowledge you possess because of your education and training. If so, then offer that knowledge to the student. Don't simply bash the student for not knowing something that "everyone knows." Maintain an appropriate perspective on the writing assignment, i.e., don't fixate on remarks that may be tangential to the principal point/s of the composition (Moore 1992). Finally, realize that you do not necessarily improve a student's writing by writing an "overwhelming" number of comments on an essay (Moore 1992).

7. Before you assign grades, sort your papers into piles. By sorting papers into piles corresponding to A's, B's, C's, etc., you can quickly check through the piles to ensure that there are no changes to be made. This practice assists you in making decisions about "borderline" papers.

8. Discuss the test with the students. Feedback is a critical element in the learning cycle. Testing provides you with an opportunity to give feedback to your students. In addition to written comments on the essay exam, you should allocate class time to discuss the question and the responses. This practice reinforces the testing process as a part of learning.

9. Have colleagues read the papers. This is an effective way of improving the grading for team-taught courses and for teachers teaching different sections of the same course. If you and a colleague differ greatly in scoring a question, reevaluate the response to the question. It is very important, of course, to tell your students about such dual grading arrangements. You could even improve the feedback to your students by having the different graders identify their comments by different colored inks.

10. If students do not meet your established criteria for a question, consider retesting them on the concepts. After providing feedback on the incorrect answers and time to restructure their concepts, allow students to rewrite their responses. Without an opportunity to revise their response, any comments you make have little effect on improving subsequent writings (see Doher 1991, for a more thorough discussion). After all, the ultimate objective of education is learning, not simply receiving a grade.

Student writing, regardless of subject, is only one-half of the equation. The other half is learning through studying the teacher's thoughtful critique of the writing. Bashing may be brought about unintentionally by a teacher's misunderstanding a student's perspective, reasoning, background, or personal values. Constructive critiquing is an art that must be learned and then practiced.

Doher, G. 1991. Do teachers' comments on students' papers help? College Teaching 39:48-54.

Everett, E. 1994. Do the write thing. The Science Teacher 61(7): 35-7.

Mayer, R. E. 1975. Information processing variables in learning to solve problems. Review of Educational Research 45:525-41.

Moore, R 1992. Writing about biology: How should we mark students' essays? Bioscene: Journal of College Biology Teaching. 18(3): 3-9.

Perkins, D. 1993. Teaching for understanding. American Educator 17(3): 8 and 28-35.

Shavelson, R J. and R Stern. 1981. Research on teachers' pedagogical thoughts, judgments, decisions, and behavior. Review of Educational Research 51:455-98.

Steele, C. W. 1992. Critique; don't bash. Writing and Learning 3(1): 5 6.

Craig W. Steele is an associate professor in the Department of Biology and Health Services at Edinboro University in Edinboro, Pennsylvania.

How to write good Essay Questions

Essay questions - you either love them or you hate them. There is no in between! These require written responses, which can consist of a few short paragraphs to thousands of words.

Also known as: long answer, open ended, subjective

Use Essay Questions to Assess:

• Comprehension of material learned
• Writing skills
• User's ability to organize facts and ideas
• Problem Solving

Question Usage Ideas:

• Gain Feedback
• Gather information
• Comparison of two items

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
• Takes less time to create questions

Disadvantages of Essay Questions:

• Takes longer to grade on paper
• Graded manually online
• Take longer to answer
• Can be graded unfairly
• Questions can be read differently resulting in not being able to answer correctly
• Will not cover as much varied content in a Test as other question types
• A user's writing skills could affect what they are trying to express

Tips for creating Essay Questions

• Only add a few essay questions per Test
• Keep essay questions per Test specific to one or two topics
• Ask the question in your own words
• Leave opinions at home when grading
• Inform users ahead of time of how grading will be completed
• Provide customized feedback per student
• Make the question clear
• Use directives such as “Compare”, “Identify”, “Explain”, “Describe”, “Define”
• Show the points an essay questions is worth.
• Provide instructions on how in depth and detailed you want in an answer.

Become a ClassMarker Guru: Pro Tips

Essay Question Features in ClassMarker.com

You're a Pro if You Know:

• After grading essay Questions, Test scores will be automatically adjusted
• You can add custom feedback for both correct/incorrect answers
• How to give individualized feedback per essay question per user
• Essay Questions are manually graded

By the Northeastern Community

What are the benefits of essay writing.

by Matthew | Sep 6, 2022 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

If you are a student in college or university, you may be wondering why essays feature so heavily in your academic career. Regardless of your major, you will probably have to write several essays each semester. In fact, essay writing is viewed as such an important skill that students are given basic essay writing assignments from as early as elementary school.

Because essay writing can be a challenge, many students naturally feel averse to it. With so many overwhelming commitments and deadlines, it is lucky that students can easily order essay online to avoid failing. That said, essay writing can help you to gain valuable lifelong skills under the right circumstances. This article will explore some of them.

Why do we get many essay assignments?

Before we go into how essay writing is useful, let us look at why students have to write so many essays. Although the academic essay has been an integral part of the higher education experience for centuries, students today are given more frequent and harder essay assignments. Why?

You may be surprised to learn that the Internet played a crucial role in increasing our essay writing workload. Because so much information has been moved from dusty tomes and academic textbooks onto the web, people can access information quicker and more conveniently than ever.

Therefore, there is no longer a need for the academic system to prioritize memorization and recollection. While examinations and recitation used to be the standard way to assess learning, they are now largely irrelevant. Instead, educational institutions are focusing their efforts on developing higher-level abilities such as critical thinking.

Hence, essay writing is now widely utilized as an effective method of evaluating the understanding and analytical skills of students. If you are wondering how this shift in the education system helps you, here are the advantages that you can gain from essay writing.

1. You learn to research and analyze evidence

If students want to create an excellent essay, they must be able to correctly locate and make use of evidence that is relevant to the topic. Finding relevant sources of information from academic journals, the Internet, and independent research is a painstaking and involved process. When doing research for your essay, you learn how to conduct efficient research and separate useful knowledge from extraneous (albeit interesting) information.

Instead of simply regurgitating concepts that you studied in class, essay writing forces you to use critical thinking. You need to determine the kind of evidence that you need and undertake the relevant research to find it. Then, you must differentiate reputable and disreputable sources of information and apply standards to the evidence that you use to support your claims.

2. You learn to construct and defend arguments

It is futile having a strong opinion about a subject without having the skills to explain your point of view and persuade others to accept it. In the process of writing an essay, you learn how to formulate and defend your arguments. You learn to develop your idea from a single point and expand it into several smaller arguments that cover various facets of the issue. In short, you learn how to give your arguments substance.

Being able to effectively communicate one’s ideas is an important part of any profession. It also helps you to become a more well-rounded person. When writing an argumentative essay, you practice anticipating and addressing opposing views, which teaches you to see your issue from different perspectives. Through essay writing, you learn to articulate your thoughts in a way that is both clear and convincing.

3. You improve your writing skills

Essay writing allows you to put your talents to the test. You can improve your overall writing ability and confidence by routinely practicing writing. When you write an essay, you become familiar with mechanical writing skills, such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation, which are critical in all forms of written communication. Outside of academia, these writing skills will help you in many aspects of your future career.

Furthermore, essay writing provides you with the opportunity to receive expert feedback. Higher education is a time for academic and personal growth. Essay writing allows you to share your thoughts and writing skills with respected professionals who have a wealth of insight and experience. Whether you send your essay to a professional editor or your professor, you will come away with valuable advice on how to improve.

4. You learn to organize effectively

Essay writing is not merely about writing. It takes a fair measure of time management and organization to fit research, planning, and writing into your busy study schedule. You also apply organizing skills to information as you consider how to best structure your content to create the most compelling arguments. As you move blocks of time and pieces of information around in your head, you become a more effective organizer.

Students are receiving essay assignments more regularly today than ever before. As essay requirements become more demanding and difficult, it helps to remember that the exercise is designed to develop your skills and not just a sadistic requirement from your professors. However, if you are truly unable to cope with your essay workload, it can help to hire a professional essay writer to lend a hand.

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The Disadvantages of an Essay Test

How to Get Faster at Taking Tests

Essay tests are dreaded in high schools and colleges across the U.S. It is a classroom assessment that gauges student knowledge by the lengthy answer of one or more questions. Essay tests have a few questions on which the entire test grade relies. Students who excel at written assessments welcome the essay test. Other students find more than one disadvantage of the test.

Eyes of the Beholder

Essay exams are graded by human eyes and intellect, leaving lots of room for human error. The instructor must be able to accurately interpret the words that the student chose. This is done while attempting to separate the student from the test form being graded. However, the instructors prejudices concerning a problematic student or a struggling one will ultimately intrude upon the grading process, especially since the essay grading heavily relies on the teacher’s interpretation of the student’s essay. Furthermore, interpretations aren’t always understood accurately.

Tunnel Vision Testing

The essay can’t help but test part of the lessons covered in the classroom. No matter how creative the questions may be, a handful is not enough to perform a survey of knowledge. As a result, the students get a kind of testing tunnel vision that threatens to dislodge the information gather in the weeks prior to the exam. Some instructors try to offset this by keeping the essay questions secret until test day. The students do have to study all of the material covered in class, but on a small part of it is reinforced on the test.

More Work for Teacher

Time is one of the most well known disadvantages of essay testing. Instructors must read every essay, grading the content and composition, while making a judgment on how thorough the answer is. This painstaking process creates hours of grading. The exact number depends on the grader. Students usually wait a few days or more to receive essay test scores. Meanwhile, multiple-choice tests are concrete. The tests are graded by hand using an answer key or using the famous Scantron system. The students complete special Scantron test answer sheets during the test. Instructors submit the test answers and then feed the answer sheets into a machine and graded electronically. The Scantron Corporation states that 30 to 40 answer sheets are graded per minute. Even multiple choice questions graded manually are returned within 24 hours of the test.

Testing Anxiety

The concept of an essay test places more pressure on the student prior to the test than other forms. The uncertainty of which material will be tested is another issue. It adds to the usual testing anxiety that students feel prior to test day. Another uncertainty is the ability to recall the correct material. Instructors try to mitigate the anxiety by issuing study guides and steering students away from the material that isn’t on the test. However, only so much can be done to minimize the anxiety without giving away the test questions.

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• University of North Carolina: For Your Consideration; Writing and Grading Essay Questions
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Jonita Davis is freelance writer and marketing consultant. Her work has appeared in various print and online publications, including "The LaPorte County Herald Argus" and Work.com. Davis also authored the book, "Michigan City Marinas," which covers the history of the Michigan City Port Authority. Davis holds a bachelor's degree in English from Purdue University.

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Advantages and Disadvantages Essay: IELTS Writing Task 2

Updated on Apr 02, 2024, 12:10

Did you know that the  Advantages and Disadvantages Essay IELTS is one of the most common questions asked in the test? Preparing for it is essential to secure a good score. 

The Advantages and Disadvantages Essay the IELTS writing task requires you to discuss a particular topic's pros and cons or advantages and disadvantages. You need to present your ideas in a clear and organised manner and support them with relevant examples and evidence.   

This task assesses your ability to express your opinion, analyse information, and use various vocabulary and grammatical structures. Understanding the question, brainstorming ideas, planning your essay, and proofreading your work before submitting it is important. With the right preparation and practice, you can master this task and achieve a high score on the IELTS exam.

On This Page

1. Advantages and Disadvantages Essay IELTS: How to Answer?

Advantages and Disadvantages essay topics are some of the most commonly asked question types in IELTS. 

2. Advantages and Disadvantages Essay IELTS: Sample Answer

Below is a sample essay to help you understand the IELTS Writing Task 2, advantages and disadvantages essay type.  

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Advantages and Disadvantages Essay IELTS: How to Answer?

While you’re answering the advantages and disadvantages essay in IELTS writing, you should  ensure your essay provides attention to either advantages or disadvantages, avoiding bias or one-sided arguments. Maintain a formal tone, adhere to grammatical rules throughout your essay and use a mix of vocabulary.

• The task typically presents a topic or statement requiring you to discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
• The word limit for the task is 250 words.
• Your aim should be to examine the topic's positive and negative aspects.
• Use cohesive devices and appropriate linking words to connect ideas within paragraphs and between sections.

When tackling an advantages and disadvantages essay in the IELTS exam, it's essential to structure your response effectively and present a balanced argument. Here's how to answer:  

Introduction:  

• Start with a clear topic statement.
• Provide a brief overview of the advantages and disadvantages you'll discuss in your essay.
• Finish with a thesis statement that outlines your overall opinion or stance on the topic.  

For Example,   “ The exponential growth of the e-commerce industry has revolutionised the way we shop, work, and interact with businesses. While it brings numerous benefits, it also presents certain drawbacks that impact our society in various ways.”

Advantages Paragraphs:  

• Begin with a topic sentence introducing one advantage.
• Provide specific examples or explanations to support your point.
• Use linking words and phrases to connect your ideas logically.
• Conclude the paragraph by summarising the advantage and its significance.  

For Example,   “ One of the primary advantages of e-commerce is its unparalleled convenience. Online shopping allows consumers to browse and purchase products from the comfort of their homes or on-the-go, eliminating the need to visit physical stores. This convenience particularly benefits individuals with busy lifestyles or limited mobility, enhancing access to a wide range of goods and services.

E-commerce also fosters competition and innovation in the marketplace. With numerous online retailers vying for customers' attention, businesses are incentivised to offer competitive prices, diverse product selections, and superior customer service. This competition drives continuous improvement and innovation, ultimately benefiting consumers with better-quality products and services.  

Disadvantages Paragraphs:  

• Follow the same structure as the advantages paragraphs.
• Start with a topic sentence introducing one disadvantage.
• Support your argument with relevant examples or explanations. 
• Use cohesive devices to maintain coherence in your essay.
• Conclude the paragraph by summarising the disadvantage and its implications.  

For Example ,  “ Despite its advantages, e-commerce presents several challenges, including privacy and security concerns. Online transactions involve exchanging sensitive personal and financial information, making consumers vulnerable to identity theft, fraud, and cyberattacks. Ensuring robust cybersecurity measures and protecting consumer data are critical for maintaining trust and confidence in e-commerce platforms.

Another drawback is the impact of e-commerce on traditional brick-and-mortar retailers. The rise of online shopping has led to the decline of physical stores, particularly small businesses that struggle to compete with large e-commerce giants. This shift in consumer behaviour can result in job losses, economic disparities, and the decline of local communities.”  

Conclusion:  

• Summarise the main points discussed in the essay.
• Restate your thesis statement, highlighting your opinion on the topic.
• Provide a balanced final thought that considers both the advantages and disadvantages.  

For Example , “ In conclusion, while e-commerce offers unparalleled convenience, promotes competition and globalisation, and drives economic growth, it also raises concerns related to privacy and security, disrupts traditional retail models, and poses environmental challenges. Addressing these issues requires a balanced approach that harnesses the benefits of e-commerce while mitigating its negative impacts on society and the environment.”  

Tips for Success:  

• Maintain a balanced approach throughout your essay, acknowledging both sides.
• Use a variety of vocabulary and sentence structures to demonstrate language proficiency.
• Ensure coherence and cohesion by using appropriate transition words and phrases.
• Proofread your essay carefully to correct any grammatical or spelling errors.  

Following these guidelines, you can effectively structure and answer an advantages and disadvantages essay in the IELTS exam. Practice writing essays on various topics to improve your skills and confidence.

Advantages and Disadvantages Essay IELTS: Sample Answer

Question:  The growth in technology has made things accessible for everyone. What are the possible advantages and disadvantages of technology in our lives?   

Sample Answer: Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology in Our Lives  

Technology's rapid growth has revolutionised how we live, work, and interact with the world around us. While technology brings many benefits, it also introduces certain challenges and drawbacks that impact individuals and society.  

One of the most significant advantages of technology is its ability to enhance communication and connectivity. With the advent of smartphones, social media, and instant messaging platforms, individuals can easily stay connected with friends, family, and colleagues regardless of geographical barriers. This increased connectivity fosters collaboration strengthens relationships, and facilitates the exchange of ideas on a global scale.  

Moreover, technology has transformed education by making learning more accessible and interactive. Online resources, e-books, and educational apps provide students with opportunities for self-paced learning, personalised instruction, and access to a wealth of information beyond traditional classroom settings.   

Despite its numerous advantages, technology also presents several challenges and drawbacks. One of the most pressing concerns is the impact of technology on mental health and well-being. Excessive use of digital devices, social media addiction, and constant connectivity have been linked to increased stress, anxiety, and depression among individuals, particularly young adults and adolescents.  

Moreover, technology-driven automation and artificial intelligence (AI) pose job displacement and economic inequality challenges. Automating routine tasks and adopting AI-driven technologies in various industries threaten to eliminate traditional jobs, exacerbate unemployment, and widen the gap between skilled and unskilled workers. Addressing these challenges requires proactive measures to reskill workers, promote job creation in emerging sectors, and ensure equitable access to opportunities in the digital economy.  

In conclusion, while technology offers numerous advantages, such as enhanced communication, improved education, and better healthcare outcomes, it also introduces mental health, privacy, data security, and socioeconomic inequality challenges.

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Top Writing Sample with Answers

Advantages and Disadvantages Essay with Sample Answers

Agree and Disagree Essay with Sample Answers

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Q. What is essay writing for the IELTS?

A. Essay is a part of the Writing section of the IELTS exam. Here, you will be given academic topics on which you must write an impactful essay. You need to structure your essay correctly, which makes the user walk through the core concept and then give some valuable outcomes as a conclusion. 

Q. How do you write an essay in IELTS?

A. There are some of the things you should mind to write an essay in IELTS:

• You should gather your ideas and thoughts around the topic. Do not deviate from the essential subject of your essay. 
• Follow a standard format that can be meaningful for the audience. 
• Enrich your essay with examples that can make valid points. 
• Always give your own opinions and end the essay with a valid conclusion.   

Q. How do I get more 7.5 in IELTS Writing?

A. Practice is more important in getting good marks in IELTS writing. You should start practising different question types to develop ideas quickly and complete your task within the timeframe. Remember there is a limited time to complete tasks like the  advantage and disadvantage writing task 2, which is 40 minutes only!

Q. What are the advantages and disadvantages of essays in IELTS?

A. It is one of the question forms asked in the Writing Task 2 of the IELTS exam. Here, various questions are covered around academic topics like education, economy, health, technology, etc. In all these topics, you need to focus on the benefits and the drawbacks of the particular situation and then give your concluding opinion.

Q. Are IELTS essay questions repeated?

A. The IELTS essay questions are not repeated. But yes, the topics are usually repeated in many tests. For example, there have been many questions in the past about education, technology, etc. These topics are so vast that so many questions can come around them. But each has a different question, which has to be written with a different perspective. 

Q. What should I do if I run out of time during the exam?

A. Practising time management to tackle the questions better is highly advisable. However, if you feel you are running out of time, write the conclusion part of writing task 2 because the point of essay writing will be meaningless without a valid conclusion. For Task 1, try to cover the central key theme of the visuals if unable to cover the full. 

Q. Why is IELTS writing difficult?

A. The IELTS Writing task is not difficult, if you prepare for it. It consists of simple writing tasks such as writing a report or an essay. The writing section of IELTS may seem complex as a wide range of topics might be asked in the question and because of the time constraints while dealing with the questions. But there’s nothing to panic about. With continuous practice, it's possible to overcome the difficulties and become efficient in dealing with them. 

Q. What are the writing tasks for IELTS?

A. The writing section includes the 2 tasks:   

Task 1 is based on visual representation, which you must describe in 150 words and within 20 minutes.   

Task 2 will ask you to write an essay on a particular topic, requiring you to give your opinions, discussion, arguments, and problems/solutions approach. You can also get  advantages and disadvantages essay topics that will require you to focus on the positive and negative aspects of the particular topic. 

Q. Can I write Task 2 first in IELTS writing?

A. Yes, you can choose to write the Task 2 first. It’s totally up to you how you want to write the whole test. But always consider that there is always a limited time to cover the questions. So, only do that if you can complete them before the timeline. And remember that writing Task 2 is double the marks of Task 1.   

Q. How can I succeed in IELTS writing?

A. Practice and direction are integral to the success of IELTS writing tasks. You need to do continuous practice in dealing with questions like the advantages and disadvantages writing task 2, opinions-based essays, etc. The right mentorship will provide guidance and feedback to improve your writing skills and achieve better results.   

Q. Are all the modules of the IELTS test held on the same day?

A. No, the IELTS test is conducted in two parts. The first part includes the Listening, Reading, and Writing section, which is done on the same day. The second part includes the Speaking section. It can occur the same day or 7 days before/after the examination. As it is an uncertain aspect, you should prepare the speaking modules together with the other three. 

Q. Should I prioritise one task over the other in IELTS Writing?

A. Yes, you can. And always give priority to Task 2 as it has double the weightage of Task 1. You need to cover Task 2 in 250 words, which should not take more than 40 minutes. So always take care of these limitations. And don’t forget to allocate some time to proofreading and handling the spelling and grammar issues. Because these aspects carry more marks, it becomes essential to take care of them.

What is Essay Type Test

Back to: Measurement and Evaluation in Education B.ed Notes, M.A Notes, IGNOU Notes and Graduation Notes

The word essay has been derived from a French word ‘essayer’ which means ‘to try or to attempt’.

Definition of Essay Type Test

“Essay test is a test that requires the student to structure a rather long written response up to several paragraphs.” i.e. “the essay test refers to any written test that requires the examinee to write a sentence, a paragraph or longer passages.”

Characteristics of essay type test

• The length of the needed responses vary with regard to marks and time. For example, in bed papers, there are 10 mark, mark, and 3 mark questions, thus the length of the answers changes appropriately. For 10 marks, it must be finished within 15-20 minutes for each 3 marks; 5 minutes is the maximum, therefore the length of replies varies with regard to time.
• It necessitates a subjective judgement: judgement refers to making a decision or judging, but subjective refers to not being fair enough, i.e., it varies from person to person, for example, criteria for drafting a statement of specification. We are asked to provide each requirement along with examples. Some may write simply criteria, while others may provide examples; therefore, marks or grades are assigned based on the degree of quality, accuracy, and completeness of the responses.
• Most common and commonly used: The essay has become an important aspect of formal education. Structured essay format is taught to secondary students in order to improve their writing skills. Many of the same types of essays are used in magazine or newspaper articles as in academic writings. Employment essays outlining our experience in specific occupational domains are also required while applying for some positions, particularly government ones. As a result, it is the most well-known and commonly utilised.

Essay is of two types:

Restricted answer questions:.

These questions typically limit both the substance and the response. The breadth of the issue to be discussed usually limits the substance, and constraints on the method of answer are frequently mentioned in the question. Another technique to limit replies in essay assessments is to ask questions about specific topics. To that end, introductory information similar to that utilised in interpretative exercises might be offered. The sole difference between these items and objective interpretive exercises is that essay questions are utilised instead of multiple choice or true or false answers. Because the restricted answer question is more organised, it is best suited for assessing learning outcomes that need the interpretation and application of data in a specific area.

For eg: State any five definitions of Socioilogy?

Write a life sketch of Hitler in 200 words?

Extended response questions:

Students are not restricted in terms of the topics they will address or the style of structure they will utilise. Teachers should provide students as much leeway as possible in determining the nature and breadth of their inquiries, and he should respond to these sorts of questions in a timely and relevant manner. The student may choose the points he believes are most significant, pertinent, and relevant to his views and order and organise the answers in whatever way he sees fit. As a result, they are also known as free response questions.

The instructor can then assess the student’s ability to organise, integrate, understand, and express themselves in their own words. It also allows you to remark on or investigate students’ development, the quality of their thinking, the depth of their learning, problem-solving abilities, and any issues they may be experiencing. These abilities interact with each other as well as the information and comprehension required by the situation. Thus, this form of inquiry contributes the most at the levels of synthesis and evaluation of writing skills.

• E.g.: 1. Describe at length the defects of the present day examination system in the state of Maharashtra. Suggest ways and means of improving the examination system.
• 2. Describe the character of hamlet.
• 3. Global warming is the next step to disaster.
• Extended Response of free type response type: in this form of inquiry, the replies demand that the student is not limited to the amount to which he has discussed the concerns raised or the question asked.
• Plan and organise his ideas in order to provide a response.
• Put his views through by expressing oneself freely, exactly, and clearly utilising his own words and writings.
• Discuss the questions in depth, providing various facets of his understanding on the matter or issue mentioned.

• Solar Eclipse 2024

What the World Has Learned From Past Eclipses

C louds scudded over the small volcanic island of Principe, off the western coast of Africa, on the afternoon of May 29, 1919. Arthur Eddington, director of the Cambridge Observatory in the U.K., waited for the Sun to emerge. The remains of a morning thunderstorm could ruin everything.

The island was about to experience the rare and overwhelming sight of a total solar eclipse. For six minutes, the longest eclipse since 1416, the Moon would completely block the face of the Sun, pulling a curtain of darkness over a thin stripe of Earth. Eddington traveled into the eclipse path to try and prove one of the most consequential ideas of his age: Albert Einstein’s new theory of general relativity.

Eddington, a physicist, was one of the few people at the time who understood the theory, which Einstein proposed in 1915. But many other scientists were stymied by the bizarre idea that gravity is not a mutual attraction, but a warping of spacetime. Light itself would be subject to this warping, too. So an eclipse would be the best way to prove whether the theory was true, because with the Sun’s light blocked by the Moon, astronomers would be able to see whether the Sun’s gravity bent the light of distant stars behind it.

Two teams of astronomers boarded ships steaming from Liverpool, England, in March 1919 to watch the eclipse and take the measure of the stars. Eddington and his team went to Principe, and another team led by Frank Dyson of the Greenwich Observatory went to Sobral, Brazil.

Totality, the complete obscuration of the Sun, would be at 2:13 local time in Principe. Moments before the Moon slid in front of the Sun, the clouds finally began breaking up. For a moment, it was totally clear. Eddington and his group hastily captured images of a star cluster found near the Sun that day, called the Hyades, found in the constellation of Taurus. The astronomers were using the best astronomical technology of the time, photographic plates, which are large exposures taken on glass instead of film. Stars appeared on seven of the plates, and solar “prominences,” filaments of gas streaming from the Sun, appeared on others.

Eddington wanted to stay in Principe to measure the Hyades when there was no eclipse, but a ship workers’ strike made him leave early. Later, Eddington and Dyson both compared the glass plates taken during the eclipse to other glass plates captured of the Hyades in a different part of the sky, when there was no eclipse. On the images from Eddington’s and Dyson’s expeditions, the stars were not aligned. The 40-year-old Einstein was right.

“Lights All Askew In the Heavens,” the New York Times proclaimed when the scientific papers were published. The eclipse was the key to the discovery—as so many solar eclipses before and since have illuminated new findings about our universe.

To understand why Eddington and Dyson traveled such distances to watch the eclipse, we need to talk about gravity.

Since at least the days of Isaac Newton, who wrote in 1687, scientists thought gravity was a simple force of mutual attraction. Newton proposed that every object in the universe attracts every other object in the universe, and that the strength of this attraction is related to the size of the objects and the distances among them. This is mostly true, actually, but it’s a little more nuanced than that.

On much larger scales, like among black holes or galaxy clusters, Newtonian gravity falls short. It also can’t accurately account for the movement of large objects that are close together, such as how the orbit of Mercury is affected by its proximity the Sun.

Albert Einstein’s most consequential breakthrough solved these problems. General relativity holds that gravity is not really an invisible force of mutual attraction, but a distortion. Rather than some kind of mutual tug-of-war, large objects like the Sun and other stars respond relative to each other because the space they are in has been altered. Their mass is so great that they bend the fabric of space and time around themselves.

Read More: 10 Surprising Facts About the 2024 Solar Eclipse

This was a weird concept, and many scientists thought Einstein’s ideas and equations were ridiculous. But others thought it sounded reasonable. Einstein and others knew that if the theory was correct, and the fabric of reality is bending around large objects, then light itself would have to follow that bend. The light of a star in the great distance, for instance, would seem to curve around a large object in front of it, nearer to us—like our Sun. But normally, it’s impossible to study stars behind the Sun to measure this effect. Enter an eclipse.

Einstein’s theory gives an equation for how much the Sun’s gravity would displace the images of background stars. Newton’s theory predicts only half that amount of displacement.

Eddington and Dyson measured the Hyades cluster because it contains many stars; the more stars to distort, the better the comparison. Both teams of scientists encountered strange political and natural obstacles in making the discovery, which are chronicled beautifully in the book No Shadow of a Doubt: The 1919 Eclipse That Confirmed Einstein's Theory of Relativity , by the physicist Daniel Kennefick. But the confirmation of Einstein’s ideas was worth it. Eddington said as much in a letter to his mother: “The one good plate that I measured gave a result agreeing with Einstein,” he wrote , “and I think I have got a little confirmation from a second plate.”

The Eddington-Dyson experiments were hardly the first time scientists used eclipses to make profound new discoveries. The idea dates to the beginnings of human civilization.

Careful records of lunar and solar eclipses are one of the greatest legacies of ancient Babylon. Astronomers—or astrologers, really, but the goal was the same—were able to predict both lunar and solar eclipses with impressive accuracy. They worked out what we now call the Saros Cycle, a repeating period of 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours in which eclipses appear to repeat. One Saros cycle is equal to 223 synodic months, which is the time it takes the Moon to return to the same phase as seen from Earth. They also figured out, though may not have understood it completely, the geometry that enables eclipses to happen.

The path we trace around the Sun is called the ecliptic. Our planet’s axis is tilted with respect to the ecliptic plane, which is why we have seasons, and why the other celestial bodies seem to cross the same general path in our sky.

As the Moon goes around Earth, it, too, crosses the plane of the ecliptic twice in a year. The ascending node is where the Moon moves into the northern ecliptic. The descending node is where the Moon enters the southern ecliptic. When the Moon crosses a node, a total solar eclipse can happen. Ancient astronomers were aware of these points in the sky, and by the apex of Babylonian civilization, they were very good at predicting when eclipses would occur.

Two and a half millennia later, in 2016, astronomers used these same ancient records to measure the change in the rate at which Earth’s rotation is slowing—which is to say, the amount by which are days are lengthening, over thousands of years.

By the middle of the 19 th century, scientific discoveries came at a frenetic pace, and eclipses powered many of them. In October 1868, two astronomers, Pierre Jules César Janssen and Joseph Norman Lockyer, separately measured the colors of sunlight during a total eclipse. Each found evidence of an unknown element, indicating a new discovery: Helium, named for the Greek god of the Sun. In another eclipse in 1869, astronomers found convincing evidence of another new element, which they nicknamed coronium—before learning a few decades later that it was not a new element, but highly ionized iron, indicating that the Sun’s atmosphere is exceptionally, bizarrely hot. This oddity led to the prediction, in the 1950s, of a continual outflow that we now call the solar wind.

And during solar eclipses between 1878 and 1908, astronomers searched in vain for a proposed extra planet within the orbit of Mercury. Provisionally named Vulcan, this planet was thought to exist because Newtonian gravity could not fully describe Mercury’s strange orbit. The matter of the innermost planet’s path was settled, finally, in 1915, when Einstein used general relativity equations to explain it.

Many eclipse expeditions were intended to learn something new, or to prove an idea right—or wrong. But many of these discoveries have major practical effects on us. Understanding the Sun, and why its atmosphere gets so hot, can help us predict solar outbursts that could disrupt the power grid and communications satellites. Understanding gravity, at all scales, allows us to know and to navigate the cosmos.

GPS satellites, for instance, provide accurate measurements down to inches on Earth. Relativity equations account for the effects of the Earth’s gravity and the distances between the satellites and their receivers on the ground. Special relativity holds that the clocks on satellites, which experience weaker gravity, seem to run slower than clocks under the stronger force of gravity on Earth. From the point of view of the satellite, Earth clocks seem to run faster. We can use different satellites in different positions, and different ground stations, to accurately triangulate our positions on Earth down to inches. Without those calculations, GPS satellites would be far less precise.

This year, scientists fanned out across North America and in the skies above it will continue the legacy of eclipse science. Scientists from NASA and several universities and other research institutions will study Earth’s atmosphere; the Sun’s atmosphere; the Sun’s magnetic fields; and the Sun’s atmospheric outbursts, called coronal mass ejections.

When you look up at the Sun and Moon on the eclipse , the Moon’s day — or just observe its shadow darkening the ground beneath the clouds, which seems more likely — think about all the discoveries still yet waiting to happen, just behind the shadow of the Moon.

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