One word exam questions and multiple choice questions on 2nd year

studentphil

Researching an essay requires more time and thinking than just learning facts and concepts for a MC exam, I think it does anyway.

cupid_s

Phil what subject is this? I wish I'd done it as i find MCQ questions so easy. In our second year we had 2 MCQ exams, each counted 5% towards a module. So they weren't that important. I think at second year it's important to be able to write essays or structured agruments.

I also think its concerning, but I don't think it's all that common

studentphil

cupid_stunt wrote:

Phil what subject is this? I wish I'd done it as i find MCQ questions so easy. In our second year we had 2 MCQ exams, each counted 5% towards a module. So they weren't that important. I think at second year it's important to be able to write essays or structured agruments.

I also think its concerning, but I don't think it's all that common

It is Graphic design on a computing course.

cupid_s

studentphil wrote:

It is Graphic design on a computing course.

Well that says it all!

(I am only joking I am sure its a very worthwhile degree)

tr3mor

studentphil wrote:

Researching an essay requires more time and thinking than just learning facts and concepts for a MC exam, I think it does anyway.

We had a multiple choice exam in my first year Java module. Lots of my mates failed.

If it was a question and wordy answer exam I reckon they'd have all been guarenteed 60% or more.

I wouldn't mock multiple choice exams at degree, many of the questions are quite hard (requiring hard work to find out the answer) or even deliberately aimed to confuse you!

Justie

they seem quite common on some degrees - you'll probably find that there are more of these kinds of exams in the second year (or 100% course work) than in first and third year because of how universities run exams (first and third year ones are more tightly controlled/over seen) but it may be that multiple choice questions are the most appropriate for gauging who has 'learnt' the curriculum. Not much use on an English lit degree though so it will vary immensely.

studentphil

It makes you sort of wonder why you slogg it out on degree that involves writing essays and reading journals when there are courses where you can just do MC questions!!

r.mac_2

studentphil wrote:

It makes you sort of wonder why you slogg it out on degree that involves writing essays and reading journals when there are courses where you can just do MC questions!!

Phil i doubt if you wuld find a degree that is all MCQ assessed. On the course i did where they were used, they counted for 20% of that module. That module counted for 10% of the years marks. And it was a four year course.

Not such an easy option when you view it like that.;)

I still don't agree that essays are any more or less difficult :rolleyes:- the two are different types of assessment, generally used to test different sorts of knowledge, in different ways.

studentphil

r.mac wrote:

Phil i doubt if you wuld find a degree that is all MCQ assessed. On the course i did where they were used, they counted for 20% of that module. That module counted for 10% of the years marks. And it was a four year course.

Not such an easy option when you view it like that.;)

I still don't agree that essays are any more or less difficult :rolleyes:- the two are different types of assessment, generally used to test different sorts of knowledge, in different ways.

Yes, but they still have sort of like project work instead of proper of research and exams like you do on any other course-- so it is a bit of a cop out.

tr3mor

studentphil wrote:

Yes, but they still have sort of like project work instead of proper of research and exams like you do on any other course-- so it is a bit of a cop out.

What degree do you do?