Different written assessment methods: what can be said about their strengths and weaknesses?

Written assessment techniques can be subdivided according to their stimulus format – what the questions asks – and their response format – how the answer is recorded. The former is more important in determining the type of competence being asked for than the latter. It is nevertheless important to consider both when selecting the most appropriate types. Some major elements to consider when making such a selection are cueing effect, reliability, validity, educational impact and resource‐intensiveness.

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