University Testing & Writing Guide
By Rebecca J. Dunk (York University)
Multiple Choice
The wording of multiple choice questions is incredibly important. In order to test your
knowledge of a concept, instructors will often include answers that seem correct, but
are really just statements that are true. Something can be true without being correct.
What does that mean?
Here is an example:
“What is the advantage of reading for the development of social cognition (i.e.,
processes by which we understand and interact with others)?”
a. Reading is a critical skill that children must develop.
b. Reading allows people to take on different perspectives.
c. Reading can improve one’s mood and wellbeing.
All of these answers are true but only one of them (answer B) is compatible with the
question, which is about social cognition. It isn’t just true, it tells us the advantage of
reading in the context of social cognition, which makes it correct.
Careful reading
Multiple choice questions can be lengthy. A key to successfully answering a long
multiple choice question is determining what information is important and not getting
distracted by other information.
Example question:
“During a study on social behavior, researchers observed a group of children interacting
in a controlled setting. The researchers noted that when one child shared a toy, others
were more likely to reciprocate by sharing their toys as well. In another setting,
researchers observed that children who were given extra snacks by the experimenters
showed no increase in sharing behaviours. What conclusion can be drawn from the
observations above?”
a. Children were given snacks as a way of measuring sharing behaviour.
b. Researchers used a between-subjects observational design.
c. Seeing other children share increases sharing behaviours.
Again, all of these are true… but which one is correct?
Tip: Underline the critical part of the question being asked. In this case, it would be
“What conclusion can be drawn from the observations above?” Now you know you are
looking for a statement that is phrased as a conclusion. There might be true answers
that make reference to other information in the question (e.g., answers A and B) but they
are only distractions from the actual conclusion — answer C: “Seeing other children
share increases sharing behaviors”.
Don’t be afraid to mark up questions by circling, underlining, or crossing things out.
Short Answer Questions & General Tips for Writing
Where do I start?
The first step to writing a strong short answer is to become a careful reader (just like
mastering multiple choice!)
If you miss out on important details in the question, it is only natural that you will miss
these details in your answer. Many short answer questions in university contain
sub-questions — meaning there is more than one question you must answer in your
response.
Consider the following question:
“Movies are very powerful and have the ability to influence our perspectives on a variety
of issues. Describe a movie you feel has this kind of impact. What was it about, why did
it resonate with you, and how could it change people’s perspectives of a social issue?”
Now, the first thing you should notice is that this question has tasked you with
describing an impactful movie. The second thing you should notice is…that’s not all!
There are three clear sub-questions and your description should answer all three:
1. What was it about?
2. Why did it resonate with you?
3. How could it change people’s perspectives on a social issue?
One strategy is to highlight, or underline, and number everything that needs to be
answered in a question like so:
“Movies are very powerful and have the ability to influence our perspectives on a variety
of issues. Describe a movie you feel has this kind of impact (1). What was it about (2),
why did it resonate with you (3), and how could it change people’s perspectives of a
social issue (4)?”
Now, you can use these numbers as an outline, forming a kind of checklist to ensure
your response includes everything being asked in the question.
Here is a sample response:
**********
(1) A movie I believe has an important social impact is “The Sound of Metal”.
(2) In this movie, the main character suddenly becomes deaf while drumming at a live
performance. He is sent to a rehabilitation retreat for the deaf since he is already at high
risk of drug abuse. During his time there, he learns the importance of embracing his
deafness. This lesson is solidified when he chooses to be completely deaf over hearing
poorly with an implant.
(3) This movie resonated with me because it demonstrated the beauty of embracing
one’s present suffering and adapting to new challenges. It also taught me the value of
patience in times of difficulty. The main character was at peace when he embraced his
deafness and at unrest when he tried to hastily restore his hearing.
(4) I think this movie has the potential to change attitudes around disabilities. Society is
often quick to try and “fix” people when in reality, there is much to be learned from
different ways of living and moving through the world.
************
If I had not organized the question by subquestions, I may have stopped after I
described the movie, thinking I was “done”. This would have resulted in a very low mark
for the question, as it clearly requires four components.
Making the connections
We often know the full complexity of a concept in our own heads, but we leave out
valuable information when putting it on paper. Whether you are writing a short answer
response or an essay, assume your reader knows next to nothing. Writing for an ignorant
reader means walking them through your logic, what things mean, and how they are
related.
Often, students write short answers and essays in a sort of code by using a bunch of
terms from the course and thinking their TA or professor will “get it”. However, we are
not grading our own ability to understand the concepts, we are grading your ability to
demonstrate knowledge of the concepts.
What does that look like?
Here is an example:
“Popular magazines and newspapers are constantly featuring psychological research in
their articles, but they rarely represent it accurately. What often gets overlooked when
presenting scientific research to the public?”
Poor answer:
************
- No reliability/validity
- Correlation does not equal causation
- WEIRD samples!!
- Generalizability is important
************
The first reactions I have to this kind of answer are:
1. “What is reliability? What is validity? What is WEIRD?”
2. “Correlation does not equal causation… and what is the problem with that?”
3. “Generalizability is important… why is this important?”
Of course, your TAs and professors know what reliability and validity mean. We also
know what a WEIRD sample is. But does the student writing this answer? Sadly, we
can’t tell. If we can’t evaluate your knowledge of the material, we can’t give you a mark.
Writing down terms without any explanation or connection to the question will not
demonstrate your knowledge. There were four bullet points in this answer, but there is
zero meaning. It is better to focus your energy on thorough explanations of a few course
concepts, than to list as many course concepts as you can.
Here is how that answer could be improved:
“Popular magazines and newspapers are constantly featuring psychological research in
their articles, but they rarely represent it accurately. What often gets overlooked when
presenting scientific research to the public?
Better answer:
************
The samples used in many psychological studies are “WEIRD” samples (Western,
Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic). The term WEIRD was created to
describe undergraduate samples from North American universities who make up the
participants of many psychological studies. The issue with WEIRD samples is that they
are limited in their representation. The findings of studies with WEIRD samples cannot
be applied to everyone, everywhere as it is often suggested in popular articles.
************
This answer only features one course concept but is far superior in its explanation and
connection to the question. Of course, if the question had asked for three things that are
overlooked, the answer would have to be longer and include more concepts. But that
original bullet-point answer still wouldn’t have cut it.
Clarity and Simplicity
Try and read the following statement on writing tests in university:
“Crafting tests within the esteemed halls of a university is, without a doubt, an
astoundingly intricate and elaborately multifarious endeavor, one that necessitates a
profoundly in-depth and labyrinthine comprehension not only of the subject matter at
hand but also of the didactical methodologies that, through a confluence of factors,
ensure that the questions are simultaneously obtuse yet within the bounds of
perceptibility for the scholastic audience.”
If you are sweating or experiencing dizziness after reading this, that is normal. This is
not good writing. Using big words and “sounding academic” is the enemy of clear
communication. It is tempting to try and beef up your answers on a test by adding a
sprinkle of the ~academic~, but this is something we all need to unlearn (myself
included!). The best gift you can give to yourself, and to others, when writing is
simplicity.
How do I write simply?
Here are some quick tips with examples:
1. Use language you are comfortable with.
If there is a word you think will sound fancy, but you wouldn’t feel comfortable using it
in conversation: avoid using it.
Imagine a room full of 100 people from all different walks of life. Your goal should be to
write in a way that 90 out of 100 people could read and understand, not to write in a way
that the 10 smartest people could understand.
2. Organize your thoughts.
Outlines aren’t just for essays! Outlining your thoughts on a short answer question
(especially questions with multiple components) will greatly improve your response.
This can look like the numbering method I demonstrated earlier, but it can also look
like jotting down the main ideas you want to communicate, and organizing them a bit,
before diving in to write the answer.
The problem with writing free-form without a plan of attack is that we can often get lost
in our own thoughts and miss critical parts of the question that need to be addressed.
3. Avoid run-on sentences.
I see lots of run-on sentences when grading short answers and assignments. This
happens when there is not a physical or mental outline in place. If you don’t know
where you’re going with a sentence, you can take the reader on quite the trip!
Example:
“Write a short paragraph about the effects of social media use.”
Poor Answer:
************
“Social media use has become so pervasive in our modern society that people will be
scrolling on Tiktok or Instagram during meals, before bed, and even at work, they are
constantly seeking validation and connection through likes, comments, and shares,
while simultaneously experiencing the stress of maintaining a curated online persona
that may or may not reflect their real lives, leading to a complex relationship with
technology and communication that blends both positive and negative aspects of human
interaction.”
************
Woah! That is one sentence. Let’s chop it up and make some nice, clear sentences
(emphasized below with a “|” symbol):
Better answer:
************
“Social media use is so pervasive in our society that people are often engaging at all
hours of the day.| Since the engagement is happening so frequently, so are the effects of
scrolling through feeds or reels.| Negative effects might include seeking validation,
struggling to maintain a certain persona, or comparing oneself to others.| However,
there are also positive outcomes to social media use.| One way people might benefit is
by connecting with their friends, or forming communities with like-minded individuals.|
Overall, the effects of social media are dependent on how a person uses these different
platforms.”
************
Concluding Thoughts
Learning how to take tests is part of your development as a student in university. My
hope is that with this guide you will be equipped with some tools to improve your short
answer responses in this course and beyond!