Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal
Published on: April 18, 2017
Very short answer questions: a viable alternative to multiple choice questions
Thomas Puthiaparampil1, Md Mizanur Rahman2
1Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, UNIMAS, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Malaysia. pthomas@unimas.my.
Very Short Answer Questions (VSAQ) offer a viable alternative to traditional multiple-choice questions (MCQ) in medical education. VSAQ demonstrate superior psychometric performance and are favored by students and academics.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Assessment Methods
Background:
- Multiple-choice questions (MCQ) in medical schools have limitations including difficulty in construction, potential for guessing, and promoting rote learning.
- MCQs do not allow for expression of examinee's ideas or detailed feedback on strengths and weaknesses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare student performance between MCQs and Very Short Answer Questions (VSAQ).
- To gather stakeholder feedback on these assessment methods.
Main Methods:
- Administered multiple true-false, best answer MCQ, and VSAQ tests to two groups of medical students.
- Compared student scores and psychometric indices of each test format.
- Collected opinions from students and academics on the assessment methods.
Main Results:
- VSAQ tests exhibited better psychometric properties and more balanced student performance compared to MCQs.
- MCQ tests showed skewed results and lower psychometric performance.
- Stakeholders significantly favored VSAQ over MCQs.
Conclusions:
- Very Short Answer Questions (VSAQ) are a practical and effective alternative to MCQs in medical education.
- VSAQ are well-received by both medical students and academic staff.
More Related Videos
08:33A Cross-Disciplinary and Multi-Modal Experimental Design for Studying Near-Real-Time Authentic Examination Experiences
Published on: September 4, 2019
10:26Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
Published on: September 11, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Surveys
Convenience Sampling Method
Convenience sampling is a non-random method of sample selection; this method selects individuals that are easily accessible and may result in biased data. For example, a marketing...
Null and Alternative Hypotheses
The null hypothesis, denoted by H0 is a statement of no difference between the variables—they are not related. This can often be considered the status quo. As a result if you cannot accept the null, it requires some action.
The alternative hypothesis, denoted by H1 or Ha, is a claim about the...
Multiple Comparison Tests
It would be easy to compare two samples using a significance alpha level of 0.05. In other words, there is only one sample pair to be compared. However, it would be difficult to identify a significantly different sample if the number...
Bioavailability Study Design: Single Versus Multiple Dose Studies
Cochran's Q Test