Essay Tests

Essay tests are a more effective and accurate test of a student’s knowledge than multiple choice tests.  I am sure that everyone has had the experience of accidentally circling or copying down the wrong answer to a question on a multiple choice test, and then feeling terrible or angry afterward. 

A good test tests the understanding of the material, not a person’s ability to circle and copy answers.  Another problem with multiple choice tests is that frequently a student doesn’t actually know the answer, but can just use the process of elimination.  Sometimes, the student can take a random guess. 

Multiple choice tests also frequently include obscure facts that are unimportant to the understanding of the material.  This is why multiple choice tests are biased and should not be used.  Essay tests, on the other hand, have none of these problems. 

In an essay test, one does not frequently copy down the wrong answer, because there are no answers to copy, and when one does accidentally write a wrong word, the grader can usually divine what the student meant, and give the benefit of the doubt, unlike in multiple choice tests.  Essay tests can also do something multiple choice tests can never do: test understanding of facts.  Multiple choice tests can only test facts, they can only test who did this, when did this happen, fill in the blank, etc. 

However an essay test tests a student’s understanding and ability to use the material.  What good is it to understand how Hitler rose to power if you can’t explain how to prevent another Hitler?  Essay tests test both understanding and facts, are more accurate, more efficient and less biased than multiple choice tests.

vs.

Traditional Baron

Multiple-Choice Tests

Essay or multiple choice? Ah, the timeless question so many a student has uttered at the mentioning of a forthcoming test. With the answer of multiple choice, sighs of relief diffuse across the classroom. The word essay, on the other hand, will send teenagers recoiling in agony in their seats. Multiple choice tests have long carried the label of “easy,” while essays are infamous for unrealistic time limits and unclear expectations. Which, then, is the better assessor of one’s knowledge? Multiple choice tests ultimately get the higher score.

The biggest problem with essay tests is that grading is subjective. If a teacher expects a student to do a certain way, despite the teacher’s good intentions, an essay grade will often reflect these sentiments. Also, essay questions tend to be vague, leaving the students wondering what to write about. Time limits on essays do not give the writer time to fully express his or her ideas. On the other hand, multiple choice tests are quick and precise. There is no controversy over grading; right is right and wrong is wrong, even in those “choose the best answer” tricksters. Nothing depends on the opinion of anyone; with multiple choice tests, the grade obtained is always the grade deserved.

A common complaint from teachers is that multiple choice tests include a luck factor, giving the unprepared points they don’t deserve. However, a well-written multiple choice test makes it extremely difficult for the student to find the correct answer without having known the material. Multiple choice tests standardize the test and ensure that each student must demonstrate the same knowledge. They are quicker to grade and to complete, and are much less of a hassle though very effective.

Are multiple choice tests A)fairer B)more practical or C)more standard than essays? It’s as simple as…