Examinations With Marking Schemes/Answers

An examination is a formal test that you take to show your knowledge or ability in a particular subject, or to obtain a qualification.

An examination (exam) is a test. Many things may be examined, but the word is most often used for an assessment of a person. It measures a test-taker’s knowledge, skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or ability or standing in some other topic. It is a set of questions designed to measure those things. Examinations change and evolve. They have been used since ancient times.

In education an examination is a test to show the knowledge and ability of a student. A student who takes an examination is a candidate. The person who decides how well the student has performed is the examiner. An examination may be a written test, an on-screen test or a practical test.

Examinations With Marking Schemes

Examples of a practical test may be: driving a car, speaking a language, playing a musical instrument and doing a scientific experiment. An on-screen test is a test which uses the computer.

If the candidate is successful he will have passed the examination. If he is unsuccessful he will have failed. In some cases it is possible for a student who has failed to take the exam again another time.

A student who passes an examination may get a certificate or diploma. Some certificates are professional qualifications, allowing the person to do a particular job, e.g. plumber, teacher, doctor, lawyer.

An examination, usually internally set and marked, which is designed to give candidates experience of the examination process, as well as to identify areas of weakness in their knowledge and understanding which they need to improve before sitting the examination proper.

It is commonly used in schools to prepare pupils for public examinations such as the General Certificate of Secondary Education and General Certificate of Education Advanced Level examinations.

It can also be used in higher education, from first degree right up to doctorate level, where it is not uncommon for a candidate to be given a mock viva in preparation for the real event. Such examinations are often referred to simply as ‘mocks’

Examinations With Marking Schemes

Exam Questions: Types and Characteristics

1. Multiple choice

Multiple choice questions are composed of one question (stem) with multiple possible answers (choices), including the correct answer and several incorrect answers (distractors). Typically, students select the correct answer by circling the associated number or letter, or filling in the associated circle on the machine-readable response sheet.

2. True/false

True/false questions are only composed of a statement. Students respond to the questions by indicating whether the statement is true or false. For example: True/false questions have only two possible answers (Answer: True).

3. Matching

Students respond to matching questions by pairing each of a set of stems (e.g., definitions) with one of the choices provided on the exam. These questions are often used to assess recognition and recall and so are most often used in courses where acquisition of detailed knowledge is an important goal. They are generally quick and easy to create and mark, but students require more time to respond to these questions than a similar number of multiple choice or true/false items.

4. Short answer

Short answer questions are typically composed of a brief prompt that demands a written answer that varies in length from one or two words to a few sentences. They are most often used to test basic knowledge of key facts and terms.

5. Essays

Essay questions provide a complex prompt that requires written responses, which can vary in length from a couple of paragraphs to many pages. Like short answer questions, they provide students with an opportunity to explain their understanding and demonstrate creativity, but make it hard for students to arrive at an acceptable answer by bluffing. They can be constructed reasonably quickly and easily but marking these questions can be time-consuming and grader agreement can be difficult