7.7: The Secrets of the Q and A’s
Multiple-Choice Questions
True-or-False Questions
Matching Columns
Short Answer Questions
Essay Questions
| Word | What It Means | What the Instructor Is Looking For |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze | Break concept into key parts | Don’t just list the parts; show how they work together and illustrate any patterns. |
| Compare | Show similarities (and sometimes differences) between two or more concepts or ideas | Define the similarities and clearly describe how the items or ideas are similar. Do these similarities lead to similar results or effects? Note that this word is often combined with “contrast.” If so, make sure you do both. |
| Contrast | Show differences between two or more concepts or ideas | Define the differences and clearly describe how the items or ideas are different. How do these differences result in different outcomes? Note that this word is often combined with “compare.” If so, make sure you do both. |
| Critique | Judge and analyze | Explain what is wrong—and right—about a concept. Include your own judgments, supported by evidence and quotes from experts that support your point of view. |
| Define | Describe the meaning of a word, phrase, or concept | Define the concept or idea as your instructor did in class—but use your own words. If your definition differs from what the instructor presented, support your difference with evidence. Keep this essay short. Examples can help illustrate a definition, but remember that examples alone are not a definition. |
| Discuss | Explain or review | Define the key questions around the issue to be discussed and then answer them. Another approach is to define pros and cons on the issue and compare and contrast them. In either case, explore all relevant data and information. |
| Explain | Clarify, give reasons for something | Clarity is key for these questions. Outline your thoughts carefully. Proofread, edit, proofread, and proofread again! Good explanations are often lost in too many words. |
| Illustrate | Offer examples | Use examples from class material or reading assignments. Compare and contrast them to other examples you might come up with from additional reading or real life. |
| Prove | Provide evidence and arguments that something is true | Instructors who include this prompt in an exam question have often proven the hypothesis or other concepts in their class lectures. Think about the kind of evidence the instructor used and apply similar types of processes and data. |
| Summarize | Give a brief, precise description of an idea or concept | Keep it short, but cover all key points. This is one essay prompt where examples should not be included unless the instructions specifically ask for them. (For example, “Summarize the steps of the learning cycle and give examples of the main strategies you should apply in each one.”) |
Checkpoint Exercise
| Across | Down |
|---|---|
| 2. “Always,” “never,” and “every” are words that usually indicate the answer is ___________. | 1. It helps to group words in matching columns by ___________________ ___ _______________. |
| 3. A way to organize your thoughts for an essay | 4. Clarify, give reasons for something |
| 6. Short answer questions require a __________ answer. | 5. Essay questions often have more than one ________ answer. |
| 8. Describe the meaning of a word | 7. Show similarities and differences |
| 9. Give a brief, precise description of an idea or concept | 12. Most common answer in true and false questions |
| 10. Type of question used to evaluate thinking and reasoning | |
| 11. Since instructors need to read many essays, it is important to write _________. |
Nursing Test Question Types
In 2023 the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) made some significant changes to the nursing licensure exam referred to as NCLEX. Designed to evaluate the knowledge of the candidates ability to respond to significant patient and judgement in the clinical setting, several new question formats have been created to assess knowledge. Some of the question formats are:
- Case study: A case study presents a detailed scenario or patient situation. You’ll analyze the information provided, identify problems, and propose nursing interventions. It tests your critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills.
- Matrix (Grid): In a matrix question, you’ll match items from one category to another. For example, you might match nursing diagnoses with appropriate interventions or medications with their side effects.
- Bow-Tie: The bow-tie format involves visualizing a patient’s condition as a “bow-tie.” The center represents the patient, and the two tails represent potential outcomes (positive and negative). You’ll identify risk factors, interventions, and preventive measures.
- Drop-Down (Cloze, Table, Rationale): These questions often appear in computerized exams. You’ll select the correct answer from a dropdown menu. Cloze questions have missing words or phrases that you complete. Tables may present data, and you’ll choose the appropriate action or interpretation. Rationale questions ask you to explain your choice.
- Drag and Drop: These interactive questions require you to move items (e.g., symptoms, medications, nursing actions) to their correct places. They assess your knowledge organization and prioritization skills.
- Extended Multiple Response: These questions are more complex than standard multiple-choice questions. You’ll select multiple correct answers and may need to prioritize or sequence them. They test your depth of understanding.
A more comprehensive explanation of NCLEX item types can be found through many commercial publishers including Elsevier and the NCSBN website .
Activity – Test-Taking Tips
Test-Taking Tips
Write an email with advice to this friend, offering test-taking tips and strategies you think will help him.
RJ believes he is good at organization, and he usually is–for about the first two weeks of classes. He then becomes overwhelmed with all of the handouts and materials and tends to start slipping in the organization department. When it comes to tests, he worries that his notes might not cover all of the right topics and that he will not be able to remember all of the key terms and points–especially for his math class. During tests, he sometimes gets stuck on an item and tends to spend too much time there. He also sometimes changes answers but finds out later that his original selection was correct. He is also easily distracted by other students and noises which makes it hard for him to concentrate sometimes, and, unfortunately, he does admit to occasionally “cramming” the night before.
This page titled 7.8: Test-Taking Strategies(opens in new window) is shared under a CC BY 4.0(opens in new window) license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Leslie Jennings, RaeAnna Jeffers, Laura Haygood, and Craig Keaton(opens in new window) via source content(opens in new window) that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.