Short Answer Questions or Modified Essay Questions— More than a Technical Issue

Purpose, The present article was built on the assumption that the form of an examination may influence learning, and may also reflect different kinds of knowledge. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the results of an examination differ when short answer questions (SAQ) or modified essay questions (MEQ) are used. Method, Forty-nine students in the internal medicine course in Gothenburg, Sweden, performed a written examination in 2003, which included both SAQ and MEQ. Result, The correlation between the results of SAQ and MEQ was 0.59 (P < 0.001). The percentage correctly answered questions in the two types did not differ significantly. Some students had poor results in either SAQ or MEQ. Conclusion, The general outcome of the study indicates that results of SAQ and MEQ demonstrate a significant correlation. However, they may also reflect differences in mastery of the knowledge domain, which should be considered in relation to aspects of validity.