Staring at a blank exam paper can be surprisingly difficult. Before you begin writing questions, it helps to spend some time planning. A little preparation up front can save a lot of rewriting later.
A few places to start:
- Review the course learning outcomes (LO)
- Consider the exam format and conditions
- Map out the exam before you start writing
Testing the Learning Outcomes
By reviewing the learning outcomes first, you can ensure your exam directly assesses what students are expected to know and do.
- Ensure each question links clearly to a learning outcome
- Check that all key learning outcomes are covered
- Match the level of difficulty to the learning outcome (e.g. not just recall if analysis is required)
- Base questions on content and skills students have already been taught and practised
Exam Format and Choose your Questions
Before writing questions, decide on the format of the exam and review any previous assessments used in the course. Then select question types that best match what you want to assess.
First decide the type of exam
- Closed book – May include more recall and understanding.
- Open book – Focuses more on application and analysis.
- Online or paper-based – Consider how the delivery method may influence question design.
Once you have decided on the exam format, choose the question types that best align with the learning outcomes you are assessing.
Then decide on the question types
Multiple-choice questions (MCQs)
- Useful for testing knowledge, understanding, and some application
- Efficient to mark
Short answer questions
- Good for testing recall, explanation, and basic reasoning
- More insight into student thinking
Long answer / essay questions
- Suitable for higher-level thinking (analysis, evaluation)
- Allow learners to demonstrate depth of understanding
You can use a mix of question types where possible to assess a range of skills.
Building the Exam
Once you’ve decided what you are assessing and how you will assess it, it’s time to start planning the exam paper.
Plan before beginning
Start by planning the overall structure of the exam paper. This helps ensure the exam is balanced and covers the required content.
- Number of sections
- Marks allocation
- Difficulty distribution (easy → moderate → challenging)
How many questions
- Provide enough questions to cover the required content
- Avoid overloading the exam, consider the marking workload
- Balance breadth (coverage) and depth (quality of response)
Length of the exam
- Align the exam length with institutional guidelines
- A common check: Can the exam reasonably be completed in the time allowed?
- Ensure students have enough time to:
- Read questions
- Plan responses
- Review answers
For more:
Preparing to Write Your Exam Paper
Writing Marking Schedules for Exams
Marking Students’ Exams