blackboard short answer vs essay

Blackboard question types – An explanation

Blackboard test tools / Question Types

Below is a list of Question types available in Blackboard. Each section links guidance on how to set up that question type and concludes with some final guidance on potential issues/risks with that question type where applicable.

Calculated Formula Questions

Calculated Formula questions present students with a question that requires them to make a calculation and respond with a numeric answer. The numbers in the question change with each student and are pulled from a range that you set. The correct answer is a specific value or a range of values. Calculated Formula questions are graded automatically.

Auto Marked – try to avoid very large or very small numbers (many decimal places)

Calculated Numeric Questions

With Calculated Numeric questions, students are presented with a question that requires a numeric answer. The question doesn’t need to be a mathematical formula. You can provide a text question that requires a numeric answer. Calculated Numeric questions resemble Fill in the Blank questions where correct answers are numbers.

Auto Marked

Either/Or Questions

In Either/Or questions, students are presented with a statement and asked to respond from two-choice answers.

Auto marked – probably too basic for a summative test as they are 50% guessable.

Essay Questions

Essay questions require students to type an answer in a text box, and you need to grade these questions manually.

Requires manual marking

File Response Questions

For File Response questions, students upload a file from their computers or the Content Collection as the answer to the question. Students can create work before a test and submit the file with their submissions, particularly if it requires a large amount of text. You grade these questions manually.

If you want students to submit a file as part of an exam question the Turnitin and Bb Assignment offer you better functionality for marking

Fill in Multiple Blanks Questions

For Fill in Multiple Blanks questions, students view text that can contain up to 10 blanks. You can add a maximum of 100 answers for each blank. Students type the appropriate word or phrase for each blank. For questions with a single blank, use  Fill in the Blank Questions .

Auto-marked –Will need to consider spelling issues and variations of phrasing and the order of the answers

Fill in the Blank Questions

A Fill in the Blank question consists of a phrase, sentence, or paragraph with a blank space where a student provides the missing word or words. The maximum number of answers you can provide for a blank is 100. Use  Fill in Multiple Blanks questions  to create a question with multiple answers.

Auto-marked – Will need to consider spelling issues and variations of phrasing

Hot Spot Questions

With Hot Spot questions, students are presented with an image and select a particular area as the answer. Hot Spot questions are graded automatically.

Auto-Marked – There have historically been issues with this question type due to the way different browsers render/read the co-ordinates used identify the Hot Spot.

Jumbled Sentence Questions

Jumbled Sentence questions require students to select words or phrases from a menu to complete a sentence. The  same menu  appears for all blanks and can include both correct answers and distractors. Jumbled Sentence questions are graded automatically.

Auto Marked – but take care looking at all permutations, sometimes correct answers can be identified by tense/grammar

Matching Questions

With Matching questions, students pair items in one column to items in another column. The number of items in each column doesn’t have to be equal because you can reuse answers and add unmatched answer choices. Unmatched answer choices are distractors that don’t match any item and increase the question’s difficulty.

Auto marked – One less than desirable feature is you can pick the same answer for each option. May be better to ensure you have more answers available than options .

Multiple Answer Questions

Multiple Answer questions allow students to choose more than one answer. Use this type of question when more than one answer is correct. For example, in the medical field, ask students to select symptoms associated with a medical condition.

Auto-Marked – To avoid students ticking all the options and getting the right answer use this question type with some negative scoring.

Multiple Choice Questions

With Multiple Choice questions, students select one correct answer from several choices.

Auto Marked – Ensure that distractor options cannot be easily dismissed.

Opinion Scale and Likert Questions

You can use Opinion Scale/Likert questions to measure students’ attitudes or reactions with a comparable scale. By default, five answer choices appear that range from  Strongly Agree  to  Strongly Disagree. A  sixth option lets students select  Not Applicable . Opinion Scale/Likert questions are graded automatically.

Probably unsuitable for Summative Assessment

Ordering Questions

With Ordering questions, students select the correct order of a series of items. For example, you can give students a list of historical events and ask them to place these events in chronological order.

Auto marked

Quiz Bowl Questions

With Quiz Bowl questions, students are presented with an answer and they provide the question. Student responses must be in the form of a question that begins with an interrogative, such as who, what, or where.

Like a Jeopardy Question – Probably unsuitable for Summative Assessment

Short Answer Questions

Short Answer questions are similar to  Essay questions . Student responses aren’t limited in length, but the number of rows you set for the text box help students know your expectations. Both Essay questions and Short Answer questions are graded manually.

Not- Auto marked – virtually the same as the Essay Question

True/False Questions

With True/False questions, students choose true or false in response to a statement question.

Auto-marked – probably a bit too basic for Summative Assessment

To take an online test which uses a variety of question types please go to FSE E- Learning Training and follow the instructions.

Back to Assessment page

resources Teaching Academy

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Related Articles

Join our Graide Pilot to explore how AI can improve marking times and feedback quality in STEM

Using Gradescope to Autograde programming assignments

Gradescope Programming

• Teaching and Learning with Blackboard
• Assessment Tools
• Tests and Quizzes
• Question Types
• Original Course View
• Ultra Course View
• Tutorials and Guides

Question Types in Original Course View

There are many types of questions that can be included in an assessment. For instructions on how to create different question types, please see the guides in the Tutorials & Guides tab to the right.

• Calculated Formula : Contains a formula with a number of variables. The correct answer can be a specific value or a range of values.
• Calculated Numeric : Resembles a fill-in-the-blank question, except a number is entered to complete the statement. The correct answer can be a specific number or within a range of numbers.
• Either / Or : A statement with a pre-defined choice of two answers (Yes/No, On/Off).
• Essay : A question where the answer must be typed in a text box.
• File Response: Students upload files to respond to the question.
• Fill in Multiple Blanks : Multiple responses are inserted into a sentence or paragraph.
• Fill in the Blank : A statement that requires an answer to complete it. Answers are evaluated based on an exact text match.
• Hot Spot : A specific point on an image is used to indicate the answer. For example, selecting all the countries in South America by clicking on each one on a map.
• Jumbled Sentence : A sentence with a number of variables within it.
• Matching: Two columns of items where each item in the first column must be matched to an item in the second column.
• Multiple Answer: A number of choices with one or more correct answers.
• Multiple Choice: Allows a number of choices with exactly one correct answer. Indicate the correct answer by selecting the correct answer.
• Opinion Scale / Likert: A rating scale used to measure attitudes or reactions.
• Ordering: A question that requires users to provide an answer by selecting the correct order of a series of items.
• Quiz Bowl: An answer appears; the users responds with a who, what, or where question to respond.
• Short Answer: Similar to Essay questions; answer length is limited.
• True / False: A statement with the option to choose either true or false. True/False answer options are limited to the words True and False.

Assignments in Ultra Course View

Status: available with limitations.

At this time, you can create these question types in tests and assignments in your course:

• Calculated Formula:  Contains a formula with a number of variables. The correct answer can be a specific value or a range of values.
• Calculated Numeric : Students must specify a numeric response. The correct answer can be a specific value or within a range.
• Essay:  A question where the answer must be typed in a text box.
• Fill in the Blank and Fill in Multiple Blanks:   A statement that requires an answer to complete it. Answers are evaluated based on an exact text match. Can include one or multiple blanks.
• Hotspot:  Students are presented with an image that requires them to drop a pin on one or more hotspots created by you within that image.
• Matching:  Two columns of items where each item in the first column must be matched to an item in the second column.
• Multiple Choice:  Allows a number of choices with one or more correct answer. Indicate the correct answer(s) by selecting the correct answer(s). Blackboard does not indicate to students whether there is one or multiple correct answers, so you may want to include that information in the question stem.
• True/False:  A statement with the option to choose either true or false. True/False answer options are limited to the words True and False.

In addition to questions, you can add the following content blocks within a test:

• Add text:  Type text in a text editor to provide instructions to students. 
• Add local file:  Upload a file that students can download during the test.
• Add file from Cloud storage:  Add a file from cloud storage, such as OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box.

The following questions types are NOT yet available in Ultra Course View, but most can be handled with another question type:

• Either/Or:  Use True/False or Multiple Choice
• File Response:  Use an Assignment instead of a Test, with a timer enabled if desired
• Jumbled Sentence: Rewrite question as another type
• Opinion Scale/Likert:  Use Multiple Choice
• Ordering:  Use Matching where each item is matched to the correct position
• Quiz Bowl: Not available and not planned
• Short Answer:  Use Essay

Quick Guides

• Question Types Ultra
• Question Types Original
• Reuse Questions Ultra
• Reusing Questions Original
• Uploading Questions Original
• Hotspot Questions Ultra

Frequently Asked Questions

• Test and Survey Options
• Uploading Questions

See Also...

• Related Link 1
• Related Link 2
• Creating a Test
• Reuse Questions
• Grading a Test
• Test Availability Exceptions
• Item Analysis
• Respondus Lockdown Browser

Login to Blackboard

Technical Support and Student Help

815-753-8100 [email protected]

Teaching Support and Faculty Help

815-753-0595 [email protected]

Learning Technology Team

• Learntech News

Original Workflow 3: Blackboard Test

• Setting up a Blackboard Test

Understanding the various different Question Types in a Blackboard test

• Deploying a Blackboard Test with the correct options.
• Viewing the results of a computer marked test.
• Assessing a manually marked test.
• Recording the outcome of the internal moderation process.
• Releasing grades and feedback to students
• Sending grades to the student records team

There are 17 different Question Types in Blackboard Tests.

Some of these are Automatically marked by computer and others have to be Manually marked.

The Essay, File Response and Short Answer types are manually marked. However these can have a Rubric added to them to aid in marking.

All the other Question Types  are Automatically marked by computer.

A Calculated Formula question contains a formula with variables that change for each user.

Example If a small glass contains 250 millilitres of water, and a large glass contains 350 millilitres of water, what is the total amount of millilitres in 4 large and 3 small glasses of water?

A Calculated Numeric question asks the user to submit a numeric answer to a question. It resembles a Fill in the Blank question where the correct answer is a number.

Example: If the average human body temperature under normal conditions ranges between 35.5 degrees Celsius and 36.5 degrees Celsius, what is the average human body temperature in Fahrenheit?

Either/Or questions show two answer options, such as True/False or Yes/No.  

Essay questions require students to enter an answer into a text box. Example Explain how a tombolo is formed and where you might find one.

File Response Question

Users upload a file from their computer, the network, or from the Content Collection as the answer to the question . This type of question is evaluated manually.

Example Create a diagram of a simple relational database. Upload this file in JPEG format.

Fill in Multiple Blanks questions use variables to identify different places in the text for students to type missing values. Creating the Question

Fill in Multiple Blanks questions have two parts: the question and the set of answers. Phrase the question so that it is apparent where the answer goes. Variables must be unique and placed within square brackets [ ]. Separate sets of answers are defined for each variable. Bracketed variables appear as text boxes to students.

Example question: In first aid, the mnemonic ABC stands for [A], [B], and [C].

Fill in the Blank questions are scored based on whether the student answer matches the correct answers you provided.

You can require student answers to match exactly, contain part of the correct answer, or match a pattern that you specify. You choose whether or not the answer is case sensitive. Example Question: ______ is the silicate mineral with the lowest melting temperature and the greatest resistance to weathering, and as a result, it makes up the great bulk of sand-sized particles.

Hot Spot questions are based on students identifying an area in an image file .

The area is set by pixel coordinates and if students click within this range, the answer is recorded as correct. Points and extra credit are handled in the inline points fields for each question on the canvas

Jumbled Sentence questions ask students to select the correct word from a set of words in a drop-down list to complete the sentence. Example

An essential tenet of first aid is that when you find an unconscious person you first _____, then _____ and finally _____.

Matching questions ask students to pair items in one column to items in another column. Example

Match each term with its definition.

Deposition Erosion Lithification Weathering

Multiple-Answer questions allow users to choose more than one correct answer. Up to 100 answers can be added to the question. Example

Which of the following are viable methods for traveling from London to Paris? A. flying B. ferry C. walking D. rail The difference between Multiple Answer and Multiple Choice questions is that Multiple Answer questions permit students to select more than one correct answer, Multiple Choice questions permit students to select only one answer. Points and extra credit are handled in the inline points fields for each question on the canvas. 

Multiple-Choice questions allow students to choose one correct answer from a selection of answers. Up to 100 answers can be added to the question. Example

Which ocean basin is a remnant of the universal ocean Panthalassa? A. Arctic B. Atlantic C. Indian D. Pacific

Most often used in surveys, Opinion Scale or Likert Scale questions are designed to measure attitudes or reactions using a comparable scale. Users select a multiple choice answer that represents their attitude or reaction.

Example How concerned are you about water safety? 1. Very Concerned 2. Concerned 3. Not really concerned 4. Not concerned at all 

Ordering questions ask students to put a series of items in the correct order. Example

Order the four oceans in size, with the largest first.

Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, Arctic.

Quiz Bowl questions are phrased as statements that require the answer to be in the form of a question. Example

It is the only country that is a continent. The correct answer: What is Australia?

Short Answer questions require students to enter an answer in one or more text boxes. Example Explain what CCD (carbonate compensation depth) is, and how it governs the distribution of calcium carbonate on the sea floor. The length of the answer can be limited from 1 to 6 rows of text. The number of rows is meant as a guideline when entering an answer. It does not impose an absolute limit on answer length.

A True/False question displays two answer options: true and false. There is no partial credit options for True/False questions. Example

Oceanic crust is made of basalt and gabbro.

For a Full Explanation and how to set up different Question Types; go to the following  page: https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Tests_Pools_Surveys/Question_Types

• << Previous: Setting up a Blackboard Test
• Next: Deploying a Blackboard Test with the correct options. >>
• Last Updated: Jul 10, 2024 12:36 PM
• URL: https://libguides.northampton.ac.uk/learntech/sage/blackboard-test

If you require assistance with NILE, please contact LearnTech Support using the NILE Enquiry Form

If you require assistance with PebblePad, please contact PebblePad Support using the PebblePad Contact Form

• A-Z Directory
• Campus Maps
• Faculties and Schools
• International
• People and Departments
• Become A Student
• Give to Memorial
• Faculty & Staff
• Online Learning
• Self Service
• Other MUN Login Services
• Academic Success Centre
• Learning skills resources

Exam Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Exams

Essay exams involve a significant written component in which you are asked to discuss and expand on a topic.  These could include written responses in the form of a formal essay or a detailed short-answer response.

• Short answer vs essay questions

Preparing for an essay exam

Answering essay questions.

Check out our visual resources for " Test Taking Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Questions " below!

What is the difference between a short answer and an essay question?

• Both short-answer and essay questions ask you to demonstrate your knowledge of course material by relating your answer to concepts covered in the course.
• Essay questions require a thesis (argument) and supporting evidence (from course material - lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments) outlined in several paragraphs, including an introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Short-answer questions are more concise than essay answers - think of it as a “mini-essay” - and use a sentence or two to introduce your topic; select a few points to discuss; add a concluding sentence that sums up your response.
• Review your course material - look for themes within the topics covered, use these to prepare sample questions if your instructor has not given direction on what to expect from essay questions.
• Create outlines to answer your practice questions. Choose a definite argument or thesis statement and organize supporting evidence logically in body paragraphs. Try a mnemonic (like a rhyme or acronym) to help remember your outline.
• Practice! Using your outline, try using a timer to write a full response to your practice or sample questions within the exam time limit.
• Review the question carefully. Think about what it is asking - what are you expected to include?  What material or examples are relevant?
• Underline keywords in the question to identify the main topic and discussion areas.
• Plan your time. Keep an eye on the time allowed and how many essay questions you are required to answer. Consider the mark distribution to determine how much time to spend on each question or section.
• Make a plan. Take a few minutes to brainstorm and plan your response - jot down a brief outline to order your points and arguments before you start to write.
• Include a thesis statement in your introduction so that your argument is clear, even if you run out of time, and help structure your answer.
• Write a conclusion , even if brief - use this to bring your ideas together to answer the question and suggest the broader implications.
• Clearly and concisely answer the question :
• In your introduction, show that you understand the question and outline how you will answer it.
• Make one point or argument per paragraph and include one or two pieces of evidence or examples for each point.
• In your conclusion, summarize the arguments to answer the question.

"Test Taking Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Questions"

Does your next test have short answer or essay questions? Let's look at how to prepare for these type of questions, how to answer these types of questions, and strategies to keep in mind during the exam. Fight exam writer's block and achieve your best marks yet!

• "Test Taking Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Questions" PDF
• "Test Taking Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Questions" Video

Looking for more strategies and tips? Check out MUN's Academic Success Centre online!

Carnegie Mellon University. (n.d.). Successful exam strategies. Carnegie Mellon University: Student Academic Success. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://www.cmu.edu/student-success/other-resources/fast-facts/exam-strategies.pdf

Memorial University of Newfoundland. (n.d.). Exam strategies: Short answer & essay exams. Memorial University of Newfoundland: Academic Success Centre. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://www.mun.ca/munup/vssc/learning/exam-strategies-essays.php

Trent University. (n.d.). How to understand and answer free response or essay exam questions. Trent University: Academic Skills. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/how-guides/how-study/prepare-and-write-exams/how-understand-and-answer-free-response-or-essay-exam

University of Queensland Australia. (n.d.). Exam tips. University of Queensland Australia: Student support, study skills. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/student-support/study-skills/exam-tips

University of Waterloo. (n.d.). Exam questions: Types, characteristics, and suggestions. University of Waterloo: Centre for Teaching Excellence. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/developing-assignments/exams/questions-types-characteristics-suggestions

• Learning supports
• Peer-Assisted Learning
• Help centres
• Study spaces
• Graduate student supports
• Events and workshops
• Faculty & staff resources
• FUSION at Memorial

Related Content

• Live Support Chat (When Available)
• Faculty Training Opportunities

Faculty Guides and Documentation

Here you will find documentation and tutorials for the various software and services supported by UT Online. If you are unable to find the information for which you are looking, please reach out to our help desk using the information on the left side-bar.

• Creating an Essay Question

This guide will demonstrate how to create an essay question in Blackboard. An essay question allows students to write an extended response to a question.

Selecting a Question Type

With the Test Canvas open, Click on Create Question and select Essay from the menu.

Adding a Question

The next screen is the Test Canvas, which shows all the questions in the test, and allows instructors to add questions to the test.  To add a question, click on Create Question at the top of the screen and select the type of question to create.  The step below outlines the creation of an essay question, so select Essay from the list.

Creating an Essay Question, Part 1

You will now see a screen labeled Create/Edit Essay Question .   Section 1: Question and Section 2: Answer will allow you to enter the essay question you wish to ask students.

• Title : Enter a title here.
• Question Text: Enter the desired question text in the text box provided.  
• Answer : Enter a sample answer that would be displayed to students after they take the test.  

Creating an Essay Question, Part 2

The section labeled Rubrics allows you to attach a rubric for grading the students's responses.  To add a rubric, click the Add Rubric button and choose to add an existing rubric, to create a new rubric, or to create a new rubric from an existing rubric.

Creating an Essay Question, Part 3

Categories and Keywords allows instructors to provide additional metadata tags to the question to allow questions to be easily searchable.

• Categories : Click Add to enter category tags for the question.
• Topics : Click Add to enter tags based on topics that are covered in the course for the question.
• Levels of Difficulty : Click Add to enter tags based of the level of difficulty of the question.
• Keywords : Click Add to enter keywords for the question.
• Instructor Notes allows instructors to enter notes regarding the question.  These notes are not visible to students.
• When finished, click the Submit and Create Another button to create another question of the same question type, or click the Submit button to return to the Test Canvas.

Test Canvas Overview

After clicking the Submit button, you will be returned to the Test Canvas.  The Test Canvas will allow you to create a new question, rearrange, edit , and delete questions, as well as allowing individuals to change the point value of each question.

• Prev: Creating an Either/Or Question
• Next: Creating a File Response Question
• What is Blackboard Learn?
• Logging into Blackboard
• Accessing your Blackboard Courses
• Blackboard Template (Original Course View)
• Navigating your Blackboard Course
• Modifying the Course Settings
• Uploading a Profile Picture to Blackboard
• What is a Merged Course?
• Using the Student Preview
• How to Show/Hide the Course Menu and Dynamic Web Page Information
• Clearing a Web Browser's Cookies, History, and Cache
• Modifying Notification Settings
• Logging into Blackboard with non-UTAD/SSO credentials
• What is Blackboard Ultra Base Navigation (UBN)
• Institution Page
• Activity Stream
• Selecting a Course Structure
• Adding or Editing Items in the Main Course Menu: Video Tutorial
• Creating a Content Area
• Adding a Tool Link
• Reordering the Course Menu Links
• Adding a Web Link to the Course Menu
• Hiding and Showing Course Menu Links
• Renaming Links in the Course Menu
• Adding the Course News Page (Adding a Module Page)
• Deleting a Link from the Course Menu
• Changing the Course Menu Appearance
• Adding the My Grades Tool
• Changing the Course Entry Page
• Adding A Custom Page Banner to the Course News Page
• Adding Additional Course Modules to the Course News Page
• About the To Do Module
• Customizing the Course News Page
• Adding a Blank Page to the Course Menu
• Adding a Subheader to the Course Menu
• Adding a Divider to the Course Menu
• Adding A Course Link to The Course Menu
• Adding Content to Your Blackboard Course: Video Demonstration
• The New Blackboard Content Editor
• Adding a File and Echo360 Video
• Adding a Start Here Document
• Adding a Syllabus Document
• Adding a Schedule File
• Creating a Content Item
• Adding a Content File
• Adding an Image to a Content Area
• Adding an Image Into the Text Box
• Adding Video in Blackboard
• Adding A YouTube Video to Blackboard
• Embedding a YouTube Video
• Creating a Link to an External Site in Blackboard
• Creating a Content Folder
• Creating a Learning Module
• Moving an Item or Folder
• Copying an Item or Folder
• Organizing Content Items on a Page
• Removing Content from Content Areas
• Adding an About the Instructor Item
• Adding Images in the Content Editor
• Creating an Assignment in Blackboard
• Editing an Assignment in Blackboard
• Creating a SafeAssign Assignment in Blackboard
• Using DirectSubmit to check submitted papers for plagiarism
• Downloading Safe Assign Reports
• Adding Assignments to Modules and a Link in Course Menu
• Downloading Reports from Direct Submit
• Creating an Interactive Rubric in Blackboard
• Adding an Interactive Rubric to a Grade Column
• Grading a Blackboard Assignment Using a Rubric
• Adding a Rubric to an Assignment
• Exporting a Rubric
• Importing a Rubric
• About Tests
• Creating a Test from a Content Area
• Creating a Test with Essay Questions from a Content Area
• Reusing Individual Questions in a New Test
• Creating a Test With Question Sets
• Create Random Block in Tests
• Editing Test Questions
• Changing the Point Value of a Question
• Deploying a Test
• Deploying a Survey
• Editing the Test Settings
• Setting up Test Availability Exceptions
• Making Tests Available to Specific Students
• Copying a Test
• Editing the Test Header Information
• Exporting a Test, Survey or Pool
• Importing a Test, Survey or Pool
• Creating a Survey from a Content Area
• Creating a Pool
• Editing Survey Options
• Question Types Available in Blackboard Learn
• Creating a Calculated Formula Question
• Creating a Calculated Numeric Question
• Creating an Either/Or Question
• Creating a File Response Question
• Creating a Fill in Multiple Blanks Question
• Creating a Fill in the Blank Question
• Creating a Hot Spot Question
• Creating a Jumbled Sentence Question
• Creating a Matching Question
• Creating a Multiple Answer Question
• Creating a Multiple Choice Question
• Creating an Opinion Scale/Likert Question
• Creating an Ordering Question
• Creating a Quiz Bowl Question
• Creating a Short Answer Question
• Creating a True/False Question
• Modifying Question Settings
• What is Adaptive Release?
• Setting Up and Editing Simple Adaptive Release Rules
• Setting Up Advanced Adaptive Release Rules
• Editing Advanced Adaptive Release Rules
• Using Adaptive Release to Release an Item Based on a Previous Grade
• Removing Adaptive Release Rules
• Setting Up Review Status
• Checking User Progress and Content Visibility
• Creating a Self and Peer Assessment
• Editing a Self and Peer Assessment
• Adding Questions to a Self and Peer Assessment
• Editing Evaluation Questions
• Adding Question Criteria
• Editing Question Criteria
• Exporting a Self and Peer Assessment
• Importing a Self and Peer Assessment
• Sending Student Scores to Grade Center
• What Are Achievements?
• Creating a Link to Course Achievements
• Creating Achievements
• Deleting Achievements
• Viewing Achievements and Recipients
• Accessing and Viewing the Blackboard Calendar
• Creating a Calendar Event
• Modifying or Deleting a Calendar Event
• Sending an Announcement
• Changing Announcement Display Preferences
• Editing an Announcement
• Deleting an Announcement
• Discussion Board Introduction
• Navigating the Discussion Board
• Adding a Course Discussion Board Link
• Creating a Discussion Board Forum
• Editing Discussion Forum Settings
• Creating a Discussion Board Thread
• Navigating Between Discussion Threads
• Replying to a Discussion Board Post
• Enabling Discussion Board Grading
• Grading Discussion Forum Posts
• Collecting Discussion Forum Posts
• Creating Group Discussion Forums
• Copying Group Discussion Forums
• Changing Users' Roles in a Discussion Forum
• Setting Author of Anonymous Posts
• Deleting Discussion Threads
• Accessing Discussion Grading Information
• Course Messages and Email
• Adding the Email Tool
• Sending an Email in Blackboard
• Adding the Messages Tool
• Viewing and Sending Messages
• Enabling Course Message Notifications
• Introduction about Blogs
• Adding a Blog Link
• Creating a New Blog
• Editing Blog Settings
• Creating a Blog Entry
• Editing a Blog Entry
• Commenting on a Blog
• Grading a Blog
• Activity Stream: Blogs
• Journals Introduction
• Adding a Journal Link
• Creating a New Journal
• Editing Journal Settings
• Creating a Journal Entry
• Commenting on a Journal Entry
• Grading a Journal
• Activity Stream Settings: Journals
• Wiki Introduction
• Adding a Wiki link
• Creating a Course Wiki
• Creating and Editing Wiki Content
• Editing Wiki Settings
• Evaluating and Grading Students' Wiki Participation
• Activity Stream: Wikis
• Accessing Tasks
• Create or Edit Tasks
• Edit or Delete Tasks
• View Task Progress
• Adding Users to your Blackboard Learn Course
• Changing a User's Course Role
• Changing a User's Course Availability
• Changing a Course Site's Duration and Availability
• Allowing Guest and Observer Access
• Adding a Link to Course Groups
• Creating Self-Enrolled Group Sets
• Creating Group Sets with Manual Enrollments
• Creating Group Sets with Random Enrollments
• Editing the Membership of a Single Group
• Viewing Users' Group Enrollments at a Glance
• Creating a Single Self-Enrolled Group
• Creating a Single Manual-Enrolled Group
• Accessing Group Homepages and Tools
• Editing Group Set Options
• Editing Individual Group Options
• Editing Group Set Memberships
• Changing Course-wide Group Settings
• Exporting Groups
• Importing Groups
• Creating a Smart View for a Group
• Deleting Groups
• Enabling Statistics Tracking on an Item
• Running Statistics Reports on an Item
• Creating Course Reports
• Enabling Review Status
• Viewing Student Progress
• Viewing the Performance Dashboard
• Accessing the Retention Center
• Creating Retention Center Rules
• Enterprise Survey Information for Instructors
• Accessing Enterprise Survey Results for Instructors
• View and Print Survey Results to PDF
• Downloading Raw Data from BB9.1 to Excel
• Sort and Filter Data Using Excel
• Download SPSS via myUT and Install it on your computer
• Produce Descriptive Statistics Using SPSS
• What is the Blackboard Grade Center?
• Accessing the Full Grade Center
• Overview of the Full Grade Center Function Buttons and Features
• Changing Scroll Bar Settings on Mac to View Scroll Bars
• Creating a Grade Column
• Creating a Calculated Column
• Editing Grade Column Information
• Organizing/Rearranging and "Freezing" Grade Center Columns
• Hiding/Showing a Column in the Grade Center
• Hiding/Showing a Grade Center Column from Students
• Hiding/Showing Students in the Grade Center
• Creating and Managing Grade Center Smart Views
• Creating Smart Views for Merged Sections
• Deleting a Column from the Grade Center
• Creating and Assigning Grade Center Categories
• Creating or Modifying a Grading Schema and Applying it to a Grade Column
• Managing Grade Center Color Codes
• Hiding Grade Center Color Codes
• Manually Adding or Modifying Grades in a Grade Column
• Grading Items Anonymously
• Viewing a Student's Grade Details
• Clearing All Student Submissions
• Using the Needs Grading Link
• Sending Reminders
• Filtering Grade Center Displays
• Downloading All Assignment Files
• Viewing and Grading a Single Student's Submission
• Viewing and Grading a SafeAssign Submission
• Viewing and Grading a Group Submission
• Clearing, Ignoring or Allowing an Additional Assignment Attempt
• Reconciling Grades for Items with Delegated Grading Enabled
• Using the BB Annotate Tool
• Download Assignment with Annotations and Comments
• About Feedback recording
• How to record a feedback
• Editing and posting the feedback recording
• What do students see for the feedback recording?
• Viewing and Grading a Student's Test Attempt
• Ignoring a Student's Test Attempt
• Clearing a Student's Test Attempt
• Viewing Test Access Logs
• Grading by Question in Blackboard
• Grading by Question on Tests with Question Sets
• Viewing Attempts Statistics for Tests/Surveys
• Viewing Item Statistics
• Running Item Analysis
• Downloading Test and Survey Results
• Regrading a Test Question
• Overriding the Total Point Values for a Test
• Working Offline - Downloading Grade Center Data
• Working Offline - Uploading Grade Center Data
• Creating Grade Center Reports
• Viewing Grade History
• Viewing Submission Receipts
• Course Activity Stream Related to Grades
• Enabling Third Party Building Blocks
• Enabling TurningPoint in Your Course
• Adding TurningPoint Access in Your Course
• Adding the UTMOST: Curriculum Builder Tool to Your Course
• Adding the MyLabsPlus Single Sign On Tool
• Enabling the Content Market to Access Publisher Content
• Integrating Pearson REVEL with your Blackboard Course
• Linking Your Course to Your TurningPoint Account
• Barnes and Noble College Textbook Research and Selection Tool Blackboard Integration
• Barnes and Noble College Textbook Purchase Tool
• Linking to McGraw Hill Connect LTI Advantage
• Linking to McGraw Hill SimNet LTI Advantage
• What is the Content Collection?
• Adding Files to the Content Collection
• Uploading a .zip Package
• Creating Folders
• Moving Items
• Copying Items
• Editing Item Settings
• Modifying Items In Blackboard
• Deleting Items
• Overwriting Files
• Moving Items Between Courses
• Copying Items Between Courses
• Exporting Files
• Managing Course File Permissions
• Creating and Downloading a Course Archive
• Creating a Course Export File
• Copying a Course
• Date Management
• Importing an Archive Package
• Importing/Installing a Course Cartridge
• What To Do After a Course Copy
• Importing Content to a Blackboard Organization
• Bulk Delete Course Content
• Adding Goals to Your Course
• Aligning Goals to Content
• Using the Goals Dashboard
• About the Attendance Tool
• Accessing the Attendance Tool
• Creating an Attendance Session
• Taking Attendance
• Modifying Attendance Settings
• Modifying Attendance Gradebook Settings (including Points)
• Exporting Attendance Data
• Setting up Microsoft Teams Meeting Original Course View
• Join Teams Meeting for Instructors

Last Updated

Mar 27, 2021

• Print Article

Other Resources

• Blackboard Learn Original
• Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View (UCV)
• Class Collaborate Ultra
• Echo360 EchoVideo
• Respondus Lockdown Browser, Monitor and Live Proctoring
• Respondus 4.x Test Authoring
• UToledo Online Faculty Handbook
• Remote Delivery Quick Reference Guide
• Blackboard Ally
• Kramer Connect
• Microsoft Teams in Blackboard Learn

College Reality Check

How to Answer Short-Answer Questions in College Application

Short-answer questions specified in the Common App or Coalition App are answered with concise and specific responses that tackle the prompts without going beyond the word count limit. They are college-specific questions, which means that students applying to, say, Harvard University cannot provide the same answers to short-answer questions asked by, say, Carnegie Mellon University or Stanford University.

Read on if the colleges you are applying to require applicants to answer some short-answer questions.

In this post, we will talk about the reasons why some college admissions officers ask short-answer questions as well as how you are supposed to answer short-answer questions asked by some of the most popular institutions.

What are Short-Answer Questions?

Short-answer questions are prompts that require responses from college applicants using considerably fewer words than long-form essays, such as personal statements and supplemental essays. Some short answer essays have word limits ranging from 100 to 250, while others may specify exactly the number of words applicants may use, such as only 1 or 3.

Although requiring much fewer words than supplementals, short-answer questions are not any less difficult to answer since you will have to express yourself succinctly given that you have to stay within the word count limit.

What is the Primary Purpose of Short-Answer Questions?

The primary purpose of short-answer questions is for college admissions officers to gain additional insight into an applicant’s personality, experiences, interests and academic and career goals, which may not necessarily be covered by his or her application materials. It also allows them to see an applicant’s communication and writing skills.

In some instances, short-answer questions may serve as a tie-breaker when college admissions officers cannot decide which applicants with the same academic profiles they should admit.

Do All Colleges Require Short-Answer Questions?

Not all colleges and universities require short-answer questions. Some institutions that require them may no longer require long-form supplemental essays, while others may still do. Some schools may make it mandatory for applicants to answer short-answer questions, while others may present them as optional additions to their supplementals.

Here’s a resource by the College Board that provides you with guidance on what sort of writing questions you can expect within individual college questions — just click on the schools you are planning on applying to.

How to Answer Short-Answer Questions

When answering short-answer questions, understand each of the questions very well and determine what college admissions officers are looking for exactly. So, in other words, it’s important that you correctly address each and every prompt. It’s also a must that you answer short-answer questions without going beyond the word count limit.

Let’s talk about how to answer short-answer questions asked by some of the most popular colleges in the country:

Brown University

Brown’s short-answer questions can be very short — answers can range anywhere from a few words to a few sentences. For instance, the question “What 3 words best describe you?” should be answered in 3 words only, while the rest should be answered in no more than 100 words. There’s also a Brown short-answer question that should be answered in just 1 sentence.

The California Institute of Technology applicants are required to answer 3 short-answer questions. Topics range from STEM experiences, creativity and Caltech values that speak to them, and the word limit ranges from 100 to 400. There are 3 optional short-answer questions that let applicants show more of their personality plus 1 optional academic short-answer question.

Carnegie Mellon

Most colleges that accept the Common App and Coalition App require applicants to write a personal statement and some supplemental essays. Instead of writing a college-specific essay, Carnegie applicants are required to answer a series of short-answer questions to give everyone a chance to talk about their talents and interests.

Columbia University

As of this writing, there are 9 Columbia short-answer questions. Word limit can range from 100 to 150. Columbia asks short-answer questions to know about an applicant’s academic, extracurricular and intellectual interests. Of course, the Ivy League school also wants to learn about why an applicant feels that Columbia would be the perfect fit for his or her undergraduate education.

Cornell University

Other than the school-specific short-answer questions specified in the Common App and Coalition App, some applicants to Cornell may be given the opportunity to answer optional short-answer questions, depending on the college or department. The general consensus is that every opportunity for Cornell’s admissions officers to know the applicant more should be grabbed.

Duke University

Duke requires applicants to answer only 1 supplemental essay, which is just 250 words long. But there are 4 optional short-answer questions, whose maximum word count each is similar to that of the mandatory supplemental. Given that Duke has a low acceptance rate of 6%, it’s a good idea for applicants to shine by answering the optional short-answer questions.

Harvard University

Harvard itself says that your application to the Ivy League school isn’t complete without answering a series of short-answer questions. When answering Harvard short-answer questions, stick to the 200-word limit. Harvard advises applicants to reflect on how their experiences and extracurriculars have shaped them and how they will engage with others on campus.

Instead of asking applicants to answer some long-form essays in addition to the personal statement, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology requires them to answer several different short-answer questions. MIT advises applicants to talk about the things that inspire them and demonstrate that they are thoughtful individuals much like the institution’s attendees.

Princeton University

In addition to the 2 supplementals, Princeton applicants must also answer 3 short-answer questions, each with a 50-word limit. There are no wrong and right answers when it comes to short-answer questions. Applicants are also encouraged to be themselves given that short-answer questions are there to provide more insight into those who like to attend the Ivy League.

Rice University

After writing their personal statements, Rice applicants must also write additional school-specific essays — 1 long essay and 2 short-answer questions. The short-answer questions have a 150-word limit, and applicants should grab this opportunity to demonstrate their interest in attending for they are asked about the program of their choosing and the Rice experience they want.

Stanford University

Stanford applicants must answer a total of 5 short-answer questions, each with a 50-word limit. A couple of those ask applicants to specify a date and list 5 things. Rather than just mentioning an event and enumerating things, applicants are encouraged to elaborate to allow Stanford’s admissions officers to see aspects of themselves that their applications may have stifled.

Texas A&M University

It was only in 2020 when Texas A&M started requiring applicants to answer short-answer questions. Some programs, such as engineering, require applicants to answer additional short-answer questions. According to Texas A&M itself, applicants must also apply the same amount of thought and care when answering short-answer questions as supplemental essays.

UC Berkeley

The University of California, Berkeley refers to short-answer questions as personal insight questions, and applicants’ answers to them are reviewed by both admissions and scholarships officers. According to UC Berkeley itself, it uses short-answer questions in the admissions process in many ways, including deciding between 2 applicants with very similar academic records.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a unique approach to short-answer questions: instead of the applicants giving complete free-response answers, they are asked to fill in the blanks using 25 words or less. Some examples of these fill-in-the-blank types of short-answer questions include “The quality I most admire in myself” and “One protagonist I identify with”.

Yale University

The number of short-answer questions Yale applicants must answer can vary, depending on the application platform used. For instance, those who are using QuestBridge will have to answer 3, while those who are using the Common App or Coalition App will have to answer 7. All Yale short-answer questions are personal, and applicants are encouraged to reflect deeply.

Independent Education Consultant, Editor-in-chief. I have a graduate degree in Electrical Engineering and training in College Counseling. Member of American School Counselor Association (ASCA).

Similar Posts

Can You Pay Someone to Write College Essay?

10 Best Common App Essay Ideas

Master the Art of Introductions: How to Start a Compelling Essay About Yourself

How to Write Best College Transfer Essay: Secrets, Tips and Tricks

Can a Good College Essay Get You Into Your Dream College?

How to Close a College Essay (With 10 Examples)

• Norsk (Bokmål)
• Português, Brasil

Multiple Choice Questions

You are viewing Ultra Course View content

Add Multiple Choice/Multiple Answer questions

When you create a new test , select the plus sign to open the menu. In an existing test, select the plus sign wherever you want to add a question. Select Add Multiple Choice question .

You'll use the same process when you create questions in tests and assignments.

With Multiple Choice questions, students select one or more correct answers from several choices. Students aren't told if they need to choose one or multiple answers.

You can only randomize answers for Matching and Multiple Choice questions. If you want to randomize answers for True/False questions, use the Multiple Choice question type with True and False answer choices.

Multiple Choice and Multiple Answer questions are graded automatically. If you include multiple correct answers for a question, you can choose to give partial or negative credit .

The Test Content area opens where you create the question and answers. Questions have a default value of 10 points. Select the Points box to type a new value.

New Multiple Choice questions don't have a default correct answer. You can't save unless you select at least one correct answer and add text for all your answers.

To help keep your test content organized, you can add files within individual questions. Make a selection from the editor's Insert Content menu, such as Insert from Cloud Storage . To edit the files you added, enter edit mode for the question.

More on adding text and files

More on cloud storage

More on editing tests and questions

Next to the four default answer boxes, you can delete answer boxes you don't need. If you want more than four answer boxes, select Add Choice . You can add as many answer boxes as you need. Select the Move icon to move an answer. Select the trash can icon to delete an answer.

Each Multiple Choice question must have at least two answer choices and one or more correct answers. Delete any empty fields to enable the Save option. You can choose how to score questions that have multiple answers .

You can use the options in the editor to format the text.

To use your keyboard to jump to the editor toolbar, press ALT + F10. On a Mac, press Fn + ALT + F10. Use the arrow keys to select an option, such as a numbered list.

Align multiple choice questions to goals

You can align goals with individual assessment questions to help your institution measure achievement. After you make the assessment available, students can view information for the goals you align with questions so they know your expectations.

Access a question's menu, select Align with goal , and select goals.

More on how to align goals with course content

Grade Multiple Choice/Multiple Answer questions

Multiple Choice and Multiple Answer questions are graded automatically. Answers are scored based on the scoring option you chose for multiple correct answers and if student answers match the one or more correct answers. You can hide or show the answer choices as you review submissions.

 When you add a multi-select question that allows partial and negative credit, the negative credit auto-distributes across wrong answer choices. You can remove or edit the negative credit as needed. 

You can't change the scores of individual questions graded automatically.

Learn - instructor

Need more help with learn .

Contact your institution's support desk  

• Watch videos for instructors  
• Join the Community