Assessment types & their pros & cons

For each assessment type, we have summarised: What it’s good at; What it’s not so good at; Technical and ‘staff effort’ implications; ‘Cheatability’ and how to defend against it in the assessment itself, or by overall assessment design strategy.

In thinking what assessment types to use, we suggest you also first read the short page on assessment design

Assessment options: The scores applied (in table, below) to each are a very approximate rating where 5 is high and 1 is low. In reality these scores are strongly influenced by context.

Assessment type Complexity Resource requirement Misconduct resistance Comment
At home open-book written work (long form) 1 3 1 Marking = essay
At-home short duration open-book MCQ or SAQ 3 3 3  
At-home closed book assessments 4 5 4  
Live online oral assessments (viva) 2 2 5 Effort = essay
Presentations with live questions 2 2 5  
Submitted videos/ audio/ other 2 2 4 Marking = essay
In-tray exercise   4 2 4  
Portfolios 1 1 3 Marking = essay
Reflective journals 1 1 3 Marking = essay
Blogs 1 1 3 Marking = essay

An example of this approach, plus: pros and cons; requirements; resistance to academic misconduct and suggestions for making this approach more robust.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Short Answer Questions (SAQs). An example, plus: pros and cons; requirements; resistance to academic misconduct and suggestions for making this approach more robust.

An example of this approach, plus: pros and cons; requirements; resistance to academic misconduct and suggestions for making this approach more robust.

An example of this approach, plus: pros and cons; requirements; resistance to academic misconduct and suggestions for making this approach more robust.

An example of this approach, plus: pros and cons; requirements; resistance to academic misconduct and suggestions for making this approach more robust.

An example of this approach, plus: pros and cons; requirements; resistance to academic misconduct and suggestions for making this approach more robust.

An example of this approach, plus: pros and cons; requirements; resistance to academic misconduct and suggestions for making this approach more robust.

An example of this approach, plus: pros and cons; requirements; resistance to academic misconduct and suggestions for making this approach more robust.

An example of this approach, plus: pros and cons; requirements; resistance to academic misconduct and suggestions for making this approach more robust.

Further information

The University College London guide Designing Effective Online Assessment has more information on most of these, and other assessment possibilities. Recommended.

More specific references are identified on individual pages.

University of Edinburgh’s technical tools to support online assessment