B. reticular connective tissue
C.
D. elastic connective tissue
E. areolar connective tissue
What is the strongest and most resilient connective tissue? |
Answer: |
Why is fibrocartilage tissue the strongest and most resilient connective tissue? |
Comparing adipose tissue and fibrocartilage tissue, discuss reasons for relative strength and resilience of these connective tissues. |
Example 2: Analytic style multiple choice question or short answer
In a study aimed at identifying factors associated with risk of developing dementia, a group of elderly people with a formal diagnosis of dementia were compared with a group of elderly people without dementia for a range of factors related to health, lifestyle and occupation. The patients with dementia were matched with those without dementia by age, sex and area of residence. Data collection was by interview. For the patients with severe dementia, where the dementia interfered with data collection, surrogates (usually a family member) assisted with data collection. |
This study is a A. B. Cohort study C. Cross-sectional survey D. Field study |
What type of study is this? Answer: |
In a case-control study aimed at identifying factors associated with risk of developing dementia, a group of elderly people with a formal diagnosis of dementia were compared with a group of elderly people without dementia for a range of factors related to health, lifestyle and occupation. The patients with dementia were matched with those without dementia by age, sex and area of residence. Data collection was by interview. For the patients with severe dementia, where the dementia interfered with data collection, surrogates (usually a family member) assisted with data collection. |
What makes this a case control study? |
In a study aimed at identifying factors associated with risk of developing dementia, a group of elderly people with a formal diagnosis of dementia were compared with a group of elderly people without dementia for a range of factors related to health, lifestyle and occupation. The patients with dementia were matched with those without dementia by age, sex and area of residence. Data collection was by interview. For the patients with severe dementia, where the dementia interfered with data collection, surrogates (usually a family member) assisted with data collection. |
What type of study is this? Why do you think this? |
Acknowledgement: Deakin University and original multiple choice questions: Jennifer Lindley, Monash University.
Try to set a fair and reasonable word count for long answer and essay questions. Some points to consider are:
Communicate your expectations around word count to students in your assessment instructions, including how you will deal with submissions that are outside the word count.
E.g., Write 600-800 words evaluating the key concepts of XYZ. Excess text over the word limit will not be marked.
Let students know how to check the word count in their submission:
Write MCQs that assess reasoning, rather than recall.
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IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2024
Below are practice IELTS essay questions and topics for writing task 2. The 100 essay questions have been used many times over the years. The questions are organised under common topics and essay types. IELTS often use the similar topics for their essays but change the wording of the essay question.
In order to prepare well for writing task 2, you should prepare ideas for common topics and then practise applying them to the tasks given (to the essay questions). Also see model essays and tips for writing task 2.
Below you will find:
Please also note that my new Grammar E-book is now available in my store along with my Ideas for Essay Topics E-book and Advanced Writing Lessons. To visit store, click here: IELTS LIZ STORE
IELTS practice essay questions divided by topic. These topics have been reported by IELTS students in their tests. Essay questions have been recreated as accurately as possible.
There are 5 main types of essay questions in IELTS writing task 2 (opinion essays, discussion essay, advantage/disadvantage essays, solution essay and direct question essays). Click on the links below to see some sample essay questions for you to practice with at home.
You can also track recent essay topics on this page: IELTS ESSAY TOPICS 2024
Note: you must also prepare all other topics on the page above because questions are recycled each year.
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From high school English comprehension exams all the way up to college entrance exams and the GRE, essay questions are a mainstay. They can be broadly broken down into four categories: factual recall, analysis, synthesis, and opinion.
Identify the question category, writing your response, check yourself, short answer examples, how to answer long essay questions, tips on how to answer an essay question.
You have one hour to respond to as many as five different short essay questions, each of which requires you to write a paragraph. Writing an essay requires you to break it up into several paragraphs. Within the allotted time, you might be asked to compose just one extended essay , or maybe even two of them.
In this article, we will show you how to answer essay-style exam questions.
There are four basic steps you need to focus on.
You are strapped for time in every exam but understanding the question is the most important part. If you cannot understand what it is that you need to do, you will write a quality answer, no doubt, but it will be misguided and wrong, and you will have wasted all that time, resulting in poor test scores. Therefore, to save time in the long run, you have to understand what relevant facts are being asked of you before you commit to a course of action.
The strategy is to begin the exam by answering essay questions. You'll save time by dealing with the most stressful issue first. You should also pay particular attention to the questions themselves: read them 2-3 times to properly comprehend what they are asking of you, paying special attention to the verbs, and ask the examiner before the test begins if you have any doubts or confusions. It will also make answering the question much easier if you underline or highlight the essential terms inside it.
Speaking of relevant terms, that is what we will talk about next.
Essay questions typically include a list of specific keywords that teachers and professors want students to focus on when composing their responses. For instance, an essay question that asks you to "describe" an issue will be different from an essay question that asks you to "argue" a position. Both of these types of questions are part of an essay. When you read an essay question, it is imperative that you locate and identify the corresponding keyword. The following are some of the most frequently used keywords:
Name, list, state, summarize, define | Refer to the essay or your notes and write about what instructors want you to do. Stick to facts. Do not venture opinions. | |
Explain, discuss | You will have to write descriptively about what they want. Refer to causes and effects and use comparisons to drive your point. Do not venture opinions. | |
Analyze, evaluate, explain, illustrate, justify | Think about how you can apply things you learned in class to write answers like these. They should be relevant to the subject matter for you to draw from them. Do not venture opinions. | |
What do you think about…? | Venture all the opinions you want, but you will have to strive to prove your outlook with evidence and critical thinking. You will have to persuade the readers to accept your line of thinking. |
Okay, now you have a grasp on what the question demands from you. That’s great. The next step involves writing your answer. How to structure answers to essay questions? Let’s find out.
In most cases, sticking to the usual five-paragraph formula will work. This consists of an introductory paragraph, up to three body paragraphs, and a final paragraph where you summarize your arguments and conclude your answer.
There is no universally applicable standard for how to answer essay-type exam questions in college or university. One thing is certain, though: your introductory paragraph has to make a strong impact. It's the first thing people will read, so if it doesn't hook them, the rest of the essay better be excellent. It needs to be competent, at the very least. The introduction should take up about 10% of the total number of words in the essay. If you write a 1500-word essay, for instance, your introduction will be about 150 words.
The body of the essay will nearly write itself once you have a plan in place. All that's left to do is fill in the main ideas. Now that you know what they are, it's time to employ the key terms you found in the question. In order for the text to make sense, each paragraph needs to make some sort of connection back to the topic sentence. You will have access to far more data than is actually useful, so write only that which is absolutely necessary. Avoid fluff. You want to be comprehensive but not at the cost of putting your professor to sleep.
In the concluding paragraph of your essay, you will restate your main points. It is crucial, so make sure to always include one. The examiner will spend the least amount of time on this section, but it will have the greatest impact on the final grade.
You should restate the primary points you made and make direct reference to the question's keywords. The most important thing is that it doesn't add anything to what you've already said. It's too late to say anything else that hasn't already been said.
Following this structure for your essay answers is a good way to learn how to write a paper to answer a bunch of questions essay.
Even with the essay questions answered, you’re not finished yet. When you’re done with your essay answer, give yourself some time to go through what you wrote. No matter how carefully you craft the answer in your head and how quickly you write it, you are bound to make some spelling errors. Even if you go through it and find that you didn’t make any, you can now be sure that you didn’t! That in itself is worth the time to go through and proofread your well-rounded essay.
In this section, we will talk about answering multiple questions in essay format examples. By studying these illustrations, we will see how and why they work.
: : Rain, snow, or fog with a pH lower than that of uncontaminated rain is acid precipitation. : This is how to answer a what essay question. Short and to the point, this answer works because it answers the question asked and gives just as much information as requested. |
: : The dominant usage of brass and piano in jazz, as opposed to drums in reggae, is a big reason why jazz is my preferred musical genre. Moreover, I favor the calmer Jazz rhythms over the lively Reggae beats. : This answer is a perfect example of how to create an essay answering questions because it gives a clear, personal preference, along with a reason, while also describing the main features of both. |
: : Debt securities issued by a company or government are called bonds. Shares of stock represent a fractional piece of an organization's overall ownership. : This is a question that asks us to compare two things, and the answer does this by telling us what each item is. If you want to know how to answer a how and why essay question, you can hardly do better than this. |
: : According to the law of demand, the demand for a good or service falls when its price goes up and rises when the price goes down. Contrarily, the law of supply states that when prices are high, more of a given economic good is produced, whereas when prices are low, fewer of the same are produced. : The question asks for two items to be defined, and that is exactly what the answer provides, making it a model for how to answer an essay question. |
: : The mountain ranges along the west coast of North America were formed as a result of the collision of the North American and Pacific crustal plates. Many of the earthquakes that have shaken California in recent years have their origins in the ongoing friction between two tectonic plates. : Questions related to history usually require context but this one is very to the point and so the answer follows the same theme. It is crisp and brief but doesn’t seem incomplete. |
Hopefully, by reviewing these short essay question examples, you now have a better grasp on how you want to do things. These are the kinds of answers admissions officers look at on personal statements when you apply to graduate school.
In this section, we will take two essay answers that are on the longer side and dissect them. We will discuss what makes them good, and why you should try to model your style after them if you can.
Encoding, storing, and retrieving information are the three fundamental activities that take place in memory. The process of encoding entails utilizing aural, visual, or semantic codes in order to assist in the storage of an item in memory. The process of storing anything involves keeping the item in memory utilizing either episodic, procedural, or semantic forms of long-term memory. The retrieval process includes locating the thing in memory and bringing it back to consciousness through the use of recall or recognition. : This answer works because it answers the question succinctly but doesn't skimp out on detail. Had the question asked you to name the three processes and leave it at that, the first sentence would have been enough. However, the question goes on to ask about the definition of each, which the answer provides. The answer also has proper grammar and spelling and doesn’t take long to read. These are all bonuses that make this answer such a good example of how to respond to essay questions. |
Understanding human perception can be approached from one of three perspectives: the computational approach, the constructivist approach, or the ecological approach. Researchers in psychology who take a computational approach aim to figure out what kind of calculations a computer would need to make in order to solve perceptual difficulties. They hope that by using computers to simulate these computations, they can learn more about the processes by which animals and humans create mental models from sensory input. Much of what we know about how people perceive things comes from two older but still relevant perspectives: the constructivist and ecological approaches. Both the constructivist and ecological approaches place an emphasis on the information provided by the environment, but the constructivist approach places a greater emphasis on the theory that perception is strongly influenced by expectations and inferences built on past experiences, i.e. prior knowledge. : This answer is a bit longer than the last one but still a very good example of how to outline answering essay questions. We begin the text with some contextual information leading us into the matter at hand. It is a somewhat specialized subject and so the answer needs to approach this steadily as well. The arbiter uses the first paragraph to set up the scene and then uses the second paragraph to furnish us with the relevant facts. It’s a straight one-two approach that is very effective and well-liked by teachers. The writer also writes about complex topics in a simple manner, ensuring that all those who read it, whether they know the subject or not, understand what is being said. This is an extremely important aspect that is often overlooked. It is easy to fill an answer with jargon to make it seem smart, but it is far more effective to express ideas in a simple way. |
There are a lot of things you can do to improve the essay answers you write. In this section, we will discuss the top five things you can and should do in order to write better answers for your tests.
Following these five tips will have shown you how to answer essay questions but they will also improve the overall quality of your test-taking experience as well. You should put these into practice when you take timed mock tests at home to prepare for the exam . The more you write essays, the better position you will be in when the date for the actual test rolls around.
You can tell whether most essay questions are good just by reading them. It will be clear about what it wants and to the point.
Time management. Reading the essay, noting information, understanding the question–all of these take time, and that makes it tough for middle school students to master and leads to a desire for essay question help.
Answering questions in essay form can be hard. The main thing you need to do is understand what the question wants. Once you get that, it’s only a matter of writing it down. So give yourself some time while you read it to understand it effectively.
The key to answering essay questions is to think fast and write fast. You have to recall the main topic from the passage and apply it quickly. And you also have to give yourself enough time to check your answer for errors afterward.
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Well Focused
Be sure to answer the question completely, that is, answer all parts of the question. Avoid "padding." A lot of rambling and ranting is a sure sign that the writer doesn't really know what the right answer is and hopes that somehow, something in that overgrown jungle of words was the correct answer.
Well Organized
Don't write in a haphazard "think-as-you-go" manner. Do some planning and be sure that what you write has a clearly marked introduction which both states the point(s) you are going to make and also, if possible, how you are going to proceed. In addition, the essay should have a clearly indicated conclusion which summarizes the material covered and emphasizes your thesis or main point.
Well Supported
Do not just assert something is true, prove it. What facts, figures, examples, tests, etc. prove your point? In many cases, the difference between an A and a B as a grade is due to the effective use of supporting evidence.
Well Packaged
People who do not use conventions of language are thought of by their readers as less competent and less educated. If you need help with these or other writing skills, come to the Writing Lab
Most essay questions will have one or more "key words" that indicate which organizational pattern you should use in your answer. The six most common organizational patterns for essay exams are definition, analysis, cause and effect, comparison/contrast, process analysis, and thesis-support.
Typical questions
Q: "What is a fanzine?"
A: A fanzine is a magazine written, mimeographed, and distributed by and for science fiction or comic strip enthusiasts.
Avoid constructions such as "An encounter group is where ..." and "General semantics is when ... ."
Tools you can use
Analysis involves breaking something down into its components and discovering the parts that make up the whole.
Q: "Discuss the different services a junior college offers a community."
A: Thesis: A junior college offers the community at least three main types of educational services: vocational education for young people, continuing education for older people, and personal development for all individuals.
Outline for supporting details and examples. For example, if you were answering the example question, an outline might include:
Write the essay, describing each part or component and making transitions between each of your descriptions. Some useful transition words include:
Conclude the essay by emphasizing how each part you have described makes up the whole you have been asked to analyze.
Cause and Effect
Cause and effect involves tracing probable or known effects of a certain cause or examining one or more effects and discussing the reasonable or known cause(s).
Typical questions:
Q: "Define recession and discuss the probable effects a recession would have on today's society."
A: Thesis: A recession, which is a nationwide lull in business activity, would be detrimental to society in the following ways: it would .......A......., it would .......B......., and it would .......C....... .
The rest of the answer would explain, in some detail, the three effects: A, B, and C.
Useful transition words:
Comparison-Contrast
Q: "Which would you rather own—a compact car or a full-sized car?"
A: Thesis: I would own a compact car rather than a full-sized car for the following reasons: .......A......., .......B......., .......C......., and .......D....... .
Two patterns of development:
Disadvantages
Useful transition words
Process (sometimes called process analysis)
This involves giving directions or telling the reader how to do something. It may involve discussing some complex procedure as a series of discrete steps. The organization is almost always chronological.
Q: "According to Richard Bolles' What Color Is Your Parachute?, what is the best procedure for finding a job?"
A: In What Color Is Your Parachute?, Richard Bolles lists seven steps that all job-hunters should follow: .....A....., .....B....., .....C....., .....D....., .....E....., .....F....., and .....G..... .
The remainder of the answer should discuss each of these seven steps in some detail.
Thesis and Support
Thesis and support involves stating a clearly worded opinion or interpretation and then defending it with all the data, examples, facts, and so on that you can draw from the material you have studied.
Q: "Despite criticism, television is useful because it aids in the socializing process of our children."
A: Television hinders rather than helps in the socializing process of our children because .......A......., .......B......., and .......C....... .
The rest of the answer is devoted to developing arguments A, B, and C.
A. Which of the following two answers is the better one? Why?
Question: Discuss the contribution of William Morris to book design, using as an example his edition of the works of Chaucer.
a. William Morris's Chaucer was his masterpiece. It shows his interest in the Middle Ages. The type is based on medieval manuscript writing, and the decoration around the edges of the pages is like that used in medieval books. The large initial letters are typical of medieval design. Those letters were printed from woodcuts, which was the medieval way of printing. The illustrations were by Burn-Jones, one of the best artists in England at the time. Morris was able to get the most competent people to help him because he was so famous as a poet and a designer (the Morris chair) and wallpaper and other decorative items for the home. He designed the furnishings for his own home, which was widely admired among the sort of people he associated with. In this way he started the arts and crafts movement.
b. Morris's contribution to book design was to approach the problem as an artist or fine craftsman, rather than a mere printer who reproduced texts. He wanted to raise the standards of printing, which had fallen to a low point, by showing that truly beautiful books could be produced. His Chaucer was designed as a unified work of art or high craft. Since Chaucer lived in the Middle Ages, Morris decided to design a new type based on medieval script and to imitate the format of a medieval manuscript. This involved elaborate letters and large initials at the beginnings of verses, as well as wide borders of intertwined vines with leaves, fruit, and flowers in strong colors. The effect was so unusual that the book caused great excitement and inspired other printers to design beautiful rather than purely utilitarian books.
From James M. McCrimmon, Writing with a Purpose , 7th ed. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1980), pp. 261-263.
B. How would you plan the structure of the answers to these essay exam questions?
1. Was the X Act a continuation of earlier government policies or did it represent a departure from prior philosophies?
2. What seems to be the source of aggression in human beings? What can be done to lower the level of aggression in our society?
3. Choose one character from Novel X and, with specific references to the work, show how he or she functions as an "existential hero."
4. Define briefly the systems approach to business management. Illustrate how this differs from the traditional approach.
5. What is the cosmological argument? Does it prove that God exists?
6. Civil War historian Andy Bellum once wrote, "Blahblahblah blahed a blahblah, but of course if blahblah blahblahblahed the blah, then blahblahs are not blah but blahblah." To what extent and in what ways is the statement true? How is it false?
For more information on writing exam essays for the GED, please visit our Engagement area and go to the Community Writing and Education Station (CWEST) resources.
What this handout is about.
At some time in your undergraduate career, you’re going to have to write an essay exam. This thought can inspire a fair amount of fear: we struggle enough with essays when they aren’t timed events based on unknown questions. The goal of this handout is to give you some easy and effective strategies that will help you take control of the situation and do your best.
Essay exams are a useful tool for finding out if you can sort through a large body of information, figure out what is important, and explain why it is important. Essay exams challenge you to come up with key course ideas and put them in your own words and to use the interpretive or analytical skills you’ve practiced in the course. Instructors want to see whether:
Exam questions can reach pretty far into the course materials, so you cannot hope to do well on them if you do not keep up with the readings and assignments from the beginning of the course. The most successful essay exam takers are prepared for anything reasonable, and they probably have some intelligent guesses about the content of the exam before they take it. How can you be a prepared exam taker? Try some of the following suggestions during the semester:
These suggestions will save you lots of time and misery later. Remember that you can’t cram weeks of information into a single day or night of study. So why put yourself in that position?
Now let’s focus on studying for the exam. You’ll notice the following suggestions are all based on organizing your study materials into manageable chunks of related material. If you have a plan of attack, you’ll feel more confident and your answers will be more clear. Here are some tips:
Read the exam carefully.
Information words, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject. Information words may include:
Relation words ask you to demonstrate how things are connected. Relation words may include:
Interpretation words ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Don’t see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation. Interpretation words may include:
Think about your time again. How much planning time you should take depends on how much time you have for each question and how many points each question is worth. Here are some general guidelines:
Again, focus on what you do know about the question, not on what you don’t.
As with planning, your strategy for writing depends on the length of your answer:
Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind in writing essay exams is that you have a limited amount of time and space in which to get across the knowledge you have acquired and your ability to use it. Essay exams are not the place to be subtle or vague. It’s okay to have an obvious structure, even the five-paragraph essay format you may have been taught in high school. Introduce your main idea, have several paragraphs of support—each with a single point defended by specific examples, and conclude with a restatement of your main point and its significance.
Just think—we expect athletes to practice constantly and use everything in their abilities and situations in order to achieve success. Yet, somehow many students are convinced that one day’s worth of studying, no sleep, and some well-placed compliments (“Gee, Dr. So-and-so, I really enjoyed your last lecture”) are good preparation for a test. Essay exams are like any other testing situation in life: you’ll do best if you are prepared for what is expected of you, have practiced doing it before, and have arrived in the best shape to do it. You may not want to believe this, but it’s true: a good night’s sleep and a relaxed mind and body can do as much or more for you as any last-minute cram session. Colleges abound with tales of woe about students who slept through exams because they stayed up all night, wrote an essay on the wrong topic, forgot everything they studied, or freaked out in the exam and hyperventilated. If you are rested, breathing normally, and have brought along some healthy, energy-boosting snacks that you can eat or drink quietly, you are in a much better position to do a good job on the test. You aren’t going to write a good essay on something you figured out at 4 a.m. that morning. If you prepare yourself well throughout the semester, you don’t risk your whole grade on an overloaded, undernourished brain.
If for some reason you get yourself into this situation, take a minute every once in a while during the test to breathe deeply, stretch, and clear your brain. You need to be especially aware of the likelihood of errors, so check your essays thoroughly before you hand them in to make sure they answer the right questions and don’t have big oversights or mistakes (like saying “Hitler” when you really mean “Churchill”).
If you tend to go blank during exams, try studying in the same classroom in which the test will be given. Some research suggests that people attach ideas to their surroundings, so it might jog your memory to see the same things you were looking at while you studied.
Try good luck charms. Bring in something you associate with success or the support of your loved ones, and use it as a psychological boost.
Take all of the time you’ve been allotted. Reread, rework, and rethink your answers if you have extra time at the end, rather than giving up and handing the exam in the minute you’ve written your last sentence. Use every advantage you are given.
Remember that instructors do not want to see you trip up—they want to see you do well. With this in mind, try to relax and just do the best you can. The more you panic, the more mistakes you are liable to make. Put the test in perspective: will you die from a poor performance? Will you lose all of your friends? Will your entire future be destroyed? Remember: it’s just a test.
We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.
Axelrod, Rise B., and Charles R. Cooper. 2016. The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing , 11th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.
Fowler, Ramsay H., and Jane E. Aaron. 2016. The Little, Brown Handbook , 13th ed. Boston: Pearson.
Gefvert, Constance J. 1988. The Confident Writer: A Norton Handbook , 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.
Kirszner, Laurie G. 1988. Writing: A College Rhetoric , 2nd ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.
Woodman, Leonara, and Thomas P. Adler. 1988. The Writer’s Choices , 2nd ed. Northbrook, Illinois: Scott Foresman.
You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Here are all of our Student Opinion questions from the 2020-21 school year. Each question is based on a different New York Times article, interactive feature or video.
By The Learning Network
Each school day we publish a new Student Opinion question, and students use these writing prompts to reflect on their experiences and identities and respond to current events unfolding around them. To introduce each question, we provide an excerpt from a related New York Times article or Opinion piece as well as a free link to the original article.
During the 2020-21 school year, we asked 176 questions, and you can find them all below or here as a PDF . The questions are divided into two categories — those that provide opportunities for debate and persuasive writing, and those that lend themselves to creative, personal or reflective writing.
Teachers can use these prompts to help students practice narrative and persuasive writing, start classroom debates and even spark conversation between students around the world via our comments section. For more ideas on how to use our Student Opinion questions, we offer a short tutorial along with a nine-minute video on how one high school English teacher and her students use this feature .
1. Should Athletes Speak Out On Social and Political Issues? 2. Should All Young People Learn How to Invest in the Stock Market? 3. What Are the Greatest Songs of All Time? 4. Should There Be More Gender Options on Identification Documents? 5. Should We End the Practice of Tipping? 6. Should There Be Separate Social Media Apps for Children? 7. Do Marriage Proposals Still Have a Place in Today’s Society? 8. How Do You Feel About Cancel Culture? 9. Should the United States Decriminalize the Possession of Drugs? 10. Does Reality TV Deserve Its Bad Rap? 11. Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished? 12. How Should Parents Support a Student Who Has Fallen Behind in School? 13. When Is It OK to Be a Snitch? 14. Should People Be Required to Show Proof of Vaccination? 15. How Much Have You and Your Community Changed Since George Floyd’s Death? 16. Can Empathy Be Taught? Should Schools Try to Help Us Feel One Another’s Pain? 17. Should Schools or Employers Be Allowed to Tell People How They Should Wear Their Hair? 18. Is Your Generation Doing Its Part to Strengthen Our Democracy? 19. Should Corporations Take Political Stands? 20. Should We Rename Schools Named for Historical Figures With Ties to Racism, Sexism or Slavery? 21. How Should Schools Hold Students Accountable for Hurting Others? 22. What Ideas Do You Have to Improve Your Favorite Sport? 23. Are Presidential Debates Helpful to Voters? Or Should They Be Scrapped? 24. Is the Electoral College a Problem? Does It Need to Be Fixed? 25. Do You Care Who Sits on the Supreme Court? Should We Care? 26. Should Museums Return Looted Artifacts to Their Countries of Origin? 27. Should Schools Provide Free Pads and Tampons? 28. Should Teachers Be Allowed to Wear Political Symbols? 29. Do You Think People Have Gotten Too Relaxed About Covid? 30. Who Do You Think Should Be Person of the Year for 2020? 31. 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How Should We Balance Safety and Urgency in Developing a Covid-19 Vaccine? 58. What Are Your Reactions to Oprah’s Interview With Harry and Meghan? 59. Should the Government Provide a Guaranteed Income for Families With Children? 60. Should There Be More Public Restrooms? 61. Should High School-Age Basketball Players Be Able to Get Paid? 62. Should Team Sports Happen This Year? 63. Who Are the Best Musical Artists of the Past Year? What Are the Best Songs? 64. Should We Cancel Student Debt? 65. How Closely Should Actors’ Identities Reflect the Roles They Play? 66. Should White Writers Translate a Black Author’s Work? 67. Would You Buy an NFT? 68. Should Kids Still Learn to Tell Time? 69. Should All Schools Teach Financial Literacy? 70. What Is Your Reaction to the Verdict in the Derek Chauvin Trial? 71. What Is the Best Way to Stop Abusive Language Online? 72. What Are the Underlying Systems That Hold a Society Together? 73. 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College Reality Check
Short-answer questions specified in the Common App or Coalition App are answered with concise and specific responses that tackle the prompts without going beyond the word count limit. They are college-specific questions, which means that students applying to, say, Harvard University cannot provide the same answers to short-answer questions asked by, say, Carnegie Mellon University or Stanford University.
Read on if the colleges you are applying to require applicants to answer some short-answer questions.
In this post, we will talk about the reasons why some college admissions officers ask short-answer questions as well as how you are supposed to answer short-answer questions asked by some of the most popular institutions.
Short-answer questions are prompts that require responses from college applicants using considerably fewer words than long-form essays, such as personal statements and supplemental essays. Some short answer essays have word limits ranging from 100 to 250, while others may specify exactly the number of words applicants may use, such as only 1 or 3.
Although requiring much fewer words than supplementals, short-answer questions are not any less difficult to answer since you will have to express yourself succinctly given that you have to stay within the word count limit.
What is the Primary Purpose of Short-Answer Questions?
The primary purpose of short-answer questions is for college admissions officers to gain additional insight into an applicant’s personality, experiences, interests and academic and career goals, which may not necessarily be covered by his or her application materials. It also allows them to see an applicant’s communication and writing skills.
In some instances, short-answer questions may serve as a tie-breaker when college admissions officers cannot decide which applicants with the same academic profiles they should admit.
Do All Colleges Require Short-Answer Questions?
Not all colleges and universities require short-answer questions. Some institutions that require them may no longer require long-form supplemental essays, while others may still do. Some schools may make it mandatory for applicants to answer short-answer questions, while others may present them as optional additions to their supplementals.
Here’s a resource by the College Board that provides you with guidance on what sort of writing questions you can expect within individual college questions — just click on the schools you are planning on applying to.
When answering short-answer questions, understand each of the questions very well and determine what college admissions officers are looking for exactly. So, in other words, it’s important that you correctly address each and every prompt. It’s also a must that you answer short-answer questions without going beyond the word count limit.
Let’s talk about how to answer short-answer questions asked by some of the most popular colleges in the country:
Brown University
Brown’s short-answer questions can be very short — answers can range anywhere from a few words to a few sentences. For instance, the question “What 3 words best describe you?” should be answered in 3 words only, while the rest should be answered in no more than 100 words. There’s also a Brown short-answer question that should be answered in just 1 sentence.
The California Institute of Technology applicants are required to answer 3 short-answer questions. Topics range from STEM experiences, creativity and Caltech values that speak to them, and the word limit ranges from 100 to 400. There are 3 optional short-answer questions that let applicants show more of their personality plus 1 optional academic short-answer question.
Carnegie Mellon
Most colleges that accept the Common App and Coalition App require applicants to write a personal statement and some supplemental essays. Instead of writing a college-specific essay, Carnegie applicants are required to answer a series of short-answer questions to give everyone a chance to talk about their talents and interests.
Columbia University
As of this writing, there are 9 Columbia short-answer questions. Word limit can range from 100 to 150. Columbia asks short-answer questions to know about an applicant’s academic, extracurricular and intellectual interests. Of course, the Ivy League school also wants to learn about why an applicant feels that Columbia would be the perfect fit for his or her undergraduate education.
Cornell University
Other than the school-specific short-answer questions specified in the Common App and Coalition App, some applicants to Cornell may be given the opportunity to answer optional short-answer questions, depending on the college or department. The general consensus is that every opportunity for Cornell’s admissions officers to know the applicant more should be grabbed.
Duke University
Duke requires applicants to answer only 1 supplemental essay, which is just 250 words long. But there are 4 optional short-answer questions, whose maximum word count each is similar to that of the mandatory supplemental. Given that Duke has a low acceptance rate of 6%, it’s a good idea for applicants to shine by answering the optional short-answer questions.
Harvard University
Harvard itself says that your application to the Ivy League school isn’t complete without answering a series of short-answer questions. When answering Harvard short-answer questions, stick to the 200-word limit. Harvard advises applicants to reflect on how their experiences and extracurriculars have shaped them and how they will engage with others on campus.
Instead of asking applicants to answer some long-form essays in addition to the personal statement, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology requires them to answer several different short-answer questions. MIT advises applicants to talk about the things that inspire them and demonstrate that they are thoughtful individuals much like the institution’s attendees.
Princeton University
In addition to the 2 supplementals, Princeton applicants must also answer 3 short-answer questions, each with a 50-word limit. There are no wrong and right answers when it comes to short-answer questions. Applicants are also encouraged to be themselves given that short-answer questions are there to provide more insight into those who like to attend the Ivy League.
Rice University
After writing their personal statements, Rice applicants must also write additional school-specific essays — 1 long essay and 2 short-answer questions. The short-answer questions have a 150-word limit, and applicants should grab this opportunity to demonstrate their interest in attending for they are asked about the program of their choosing and the Rice experience they want.
Stanford University
Stanford applicants must answer a total of 5 short-answer questions, each with a 50-word limit. A couple of those ask applicants to specify a date and list 5 things. Rather than just mentioning an event and enumerating things, applicants are encouraged to elaborate to allow Stanford’s admissions officers to see aspects of themselves that their applications may have stifled.
Texas A&M University
It was only in 2020 when Texas A&M started requiring applicants to answer short-answer questions. Some programs, such as engineering, require applicants to answer additional short-answer questions. According to Texas A&M itself, applicants must also apply the same amount of thought and care when answering short-answer questions as supplemental essays.
UC Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley refers to short-answer questions as personal insight questions, and applicants’ answers to them are reviewed by both admissions and scholarships officers. According to UC Berkeley itself, it uses short-answer questions in the admissions process in many ways, including deciding between 2 applicants with very similar academic records.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a unique approach to short-answer questions: instead of the applicants giving complete free-response answers, they are asked to fill in the blanks using 25 words or less. Some examples of these fill-in-the-blank types of short-answer questions include “The quality I most admire in myself” and “One protagonist I identify with”.
Yale University
The number of short-answer questions Yale applicants must answer can vary, depending on the application platform used. For instance, those who are using QuestBridge will have to answer 3, while those who are using the Common App or Coalition App will have to answer 7. All Yale short-answer questions are personal, and applicants are encouraged to reflect deeply.
Independent Education Consultant, Editor-in-chief. I have a graduate degree in Electrical Engineering and training in College Counseling. Member of American School Counselor Association (ASCA).
Writing samples are an important part of your application to any college. Your responses show how well you would fit with an institution; your ability to write clearly, concisely, and develop an argument; and your ability to do the work required of you should you be accepted. Use both short answer questions and personal essays to highlight your personality and what makes you unique while also showing off your academic talents.
Short answer questions are almost harder to write than a personal essay, since you usually have a word limit. Often, this may be as short as 150 words (a paragraph). This means that your answers must be clear and concise without being so bare bones that you don’t seem to have a personality. In fact, it’s okay if you answer the question in less than the allotted space. Provided you avoid clichés and sarcasm and answer the question wholly, less can be more. Here are some tips to help you ace your short answers:
The majority of colleges will ask you to submit at least one personal essay as part of your application. (You can find the 2019–2020 application platform personal essay prompts here , but not all schools use an application platform. In such cases, you will find essay prompts on the school’s own application.) By reading your submission, college admissions officers become familiar with your personality and writing proficiency. Your essay, along with your other application materials, helps them determine if you would be a good fit for the school and if you would be able to keep up with the rigor of the course load. A well-written, insightful essay can set you apart from other applicants with identical grades and test scores. Likewise, a poorly constructed essay can be detrimental to your application.
To ensure that your essay is the best it can be, you will need to spend some time reviewing the essay prompt to understand the question. Not only will you need time to become familiar with the directions, but you will also want to take your time when constructing your essay. No one can sit down and write the perfect essay in one shot. These things take effort, brainpower, and a significant amount of patience. Consider these steps for producing a well-written, thoughtful response to any essay prompt:
There are three types of personal essays: the personal statement, the school statement, and the creative or intellectual statement. These are described below.
The Personal Statement
Page last updated: 05/2019
Understanding application requirements, the common, coalition, and universal college applications explained, how to write your résumé for college applications, asking for letters of recommendation, gap years and college applications, the community college application, acing your college interview.
COMMENTS
The short answer essay questions are a tool to help bolster your application - use them that way! The last thing to avoid when writing short essays is waiting until the last minute to get started. While it may be tempting to focus on your longer essays, it will be obvious to admissions officers if the short answer essay questions were rushed ...
Because, as I was editing a student's short answers this week, I realized that, as with the Activities List and "Why us" essays, I was repeating myself. Time to create a guide, I thought. This is that guide. With 11 tips. In a Dos and Dont's format. - - - 1. DO: Think of your short answers as an advent calendar.
Many faculty members include short‐ and long‐answer essay questions as a part of their major exams. But what does the faculty member expect from your answer? Your essay answers the question. In an essay exam, most professors want more than just the facts. Your grade will be determined by how well you demonstrate your knowledge of the facts ...
Start with an introductory paragraph, use 3 paragraphs in the body of the article to explain different points, and finish with a concluding paragraph. It can also be really helpful to draft a quick outline of your essay before you start writing. 3. Choose relevant facts and figures to include.
2 Generate ideas. Jot down key points, arguments, or examples that you want to include in your essay. Don't get too wrapped up in the details during this step. Just try to get down all of the big ideas that you want to get across. Your major argument or theme will likely emerge as you contemplate.
The short-answer questions invite you to share in your own words what you have done, who you are, and what you aspire to do in the future. We ask you to answer three questions: Describe your short term and long term academic and professional intentions. (250 word limit) Please tell us when you: a) engaged with someone with a different perspective, b) acted with courage, and c) fell short of ...
Both short-answer and essay questions ask you to demonstrate your knowledge of course material by relating your answer to concepts covered in the course. Essay questions require a thesis (argument) and supporting evidence (from course material - lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments) outlined in several paragraphs, including an ...
Short-answer versus Short Essay Questions. Students often confuse short-answer questions with short essay questions. While these two question forms share some common characteristics, they are different. The following are the differences between short answer questions and essay questions that students need to know for test taking.
A list of important words in essay questions has been given below to help students answer essay questions with the kinds of responses that instructors seek. These words are called KEY WORDS! ... and consequences in a short paragraph or a sentence. Could also mean present a brief abstract of main ideas, compose a concise resume covering only the ...
I use the back of my sheets to write quick outlines before I answer long/complex questions/essays. I am always cold when I am nervous, so I always bring an extra sweater. www.c4w.arts.ualberta.ca ph 780.492.2639 [email protected].
Short Answer & Essay Tests. Strategies, Ideas, and Recommendations from the faculty Development Literature. General Strategies. Do not use essay questions to evaluate understanding that could be tested with multiple-choice questions. Save essay questions for testing higher levels of thought (application, synthesis, and evaluation), not recall ...
2) Be as explicit as possible. Use forceful, persuasive language to show how the points you've made do answer the question. My main focus so far has been on tangential or irrelevant material - but many students lose marks even though they make great points, because they don't quite impress how relevant those points are.
Taking Tests That Are: Short Answer or Essay Short answer and essay tests can be the final section of a bigger test, or a test by itself. While both ask that you take the basic knowledge of a topic and state the key ideas in your own words, a short answer question may require a few sentences, whereas an essay prompt may require a paragraph or more.
Example question. Original format. Alternative format, focusing on explanation. Example 1: Knowledge recall multiple choice or single correct answer. Original multiple choice question. The strongest and most resilient connective tissue is. A. adipose tissue. B. reticular connective tissue.
100 IELTS Essay Questions. Below are practice IELTS essay questions and topics for writing task 2. The 100 essay questions have been used many times over the years. The questions are organised under common topics and essay types. IELTS often use the similar topics for their essays but change the wording of the essay question.
The answer also has proper grammar and spelling and doesn't take long to read. These are all bonuses that make this answer such a good example of how to respond to essay questions. Question #2: Enumerate the three ways in which psychologists have tried to comprehend human perception.
workbook was developed to provide training and practice in discerning the often difficult. to see characteristics of effective essay questions and to support educators in the. development and use of essay questions. This workbook supports educators from all schools and disciplines. In addition, it.
Most essay questions will have one or more "key words" that indicate which organizational pattern you should use in your answer. The six most common organizational patterns for essay exams are definition, analysis, cause and effect, comparison/contrast, process analysis, and thesis-support. Definition. Typical questions.
Essay Exams: Common Question Types When approaching any essay exam, it is important to identify what kind of response is expected—that is, what is being asked of you and what information you are required to include. ... Essay Type This type of essay asks for short, direct answers and usually does not require a fully developed response.
You must be realistic about the time constraints of an essay exam. If you write one dazzling answer on an exam with three equally-weighted required questions, you earn only 33 points—not enough to pass at most colleges. This may seem unfair, but keep in mind that instructors plan exams to be reasonably comprehensive.
During the 2020-21 school year, we asked 176 questions, and you can find them all below or here as a PDF. The questions are divided into two categories — those that provide opportunities for ...
Short-answer questions are prompts that require responses from college applicants using considerably fewer words than long-form essays, such as personal statements and supplemental essays. Some short answer essays have word limits ranging from 100 to 250, while others may specify exactly the number of words applicants may use, such as only 1 or ...
Use both short answer questions and personal essays to highlight your personality and what makes you unique while also showing off your academic talents. Short Answer Questions. Short answer questions are almost harder to write than a personal essay, since you usually have a word limit. Often, this may be as short as 150 words (a paragraph).
A Level Sociology Exam Questions | A Level Sociology Essay Plan This page provides the following information: An overview of the three exam papers for AQA A-level sociology (paper 1: education with theory, paper 2: topics, and paper 3: crime with theory) Links to posts offering specific advice on how to answer each of these