The Advantages and Disadvantages of Various School Assessment Methods

With each type of method of testing, the knowledge of disadvantages often overshadows the benefits it carries. 

http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/educational-assessment/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-different-types-of-test-questions/

http://ar.cetl.hku.hk/am_mcq.htm

Multiple-choice questions
Advantages

• Quick for teachers to score. Can be done electronically
• Can cover a wide range of material
• Used to cover material from lower to higher thinking development.

Disadvantages

• Often test literacy skills: “if the student reads the question carefully, the answer is easy to recognize even if the student knows little about the subject” (p. 194)
• Provide unprepared students the opportunity to guess, and with guesses that are right, they get credit for things they don’t know
• Expose students to misinformation that can influence subsequent thinking about the content
• Take time and skill to construct (especially good questions).

True and False

Advantages-

• Quick
• Encourages students to read the question carefully as one vital point could make the entire answer wrong.

Disadvantages

• Unreliable, students can guess if they do not know an answer not a true representation of what the student has learned.

Creative Entry/ Short Answer

Advantages

• Students are required to follow instructions and use past knowledge as a method of further expanding on thoughts and ideas, possible consequences, Cause and Effect and creative output .
• strengthens writing skills as well as creativity while incorporating the elements being assessed.

Disadvantages

• Students who are not strong readers/ writers will struggle with this type of testing. 
• Leaves room for interpretation and less for testing of content area material.