Essay Questions

Essay questions are easy to write and can elicit higher thinking responses from students. In addition, this type of question prevents students from guessing the answer. However, it is time-consuming to administer, difficult to create reliable criteria for scoring (e.g., rubric), and limited to specific content to assess in one test period (Worthen et al., 1999). 

The following are some guidelines to create and grading essay questions (Worthen et al., 1999).

• Use essay questions when other test formats (e.g., true/false, multiple-choice) are not appropriate to assess learning outcomes.
• Each question should focus on a specific issue, not a broad issue.
• Be specific about time required and amount of information to complete the question.
• Before writing a question, list the main points needed to answer the question (may review class materials) and then develop the scoring system.
• Communicate other requirements with students such as spelling, grammar, word choice, etc.
• Conduct a blind-grading process so that no name is revealed during scoring.
• Grade all students' responses to the first essay question before attempting the second question.
• Grade students based on the strength of the argument, not whether they agree with the instructor's position.

Practice

Are the following essay questions good or poor and why? (Flashcard)

 

 

Reference

• Worthen, B. R., White, K. R., Fan, X., & Sudweeks, R. R. (1999). Measurement and assessment in schools (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Addison Wesley Longman.