Objective Test and Essay Test

Objective test and essay test are two different types of test which focus on different skills.  Both  have comparative merits and demerits also. An objective test tries basically to test recognition and recall, some form of it can test basic knowledge and understanding also, but it cannot test analytical and logical thinking of the students and their originality and creativity. Most common types of objective tests are MCQ tests, gap filling, yes/no, true/false type questions etc. Objective tests are easy to score, even machines can score objective tests. So scoring is highly reliable. Marks do not vary among examiners for the same level of answers. Correct answer will get full credits; wrong answers will be given no credit. So whoever the examiner is from wherever, marking is reliable in this type of test. On the other hand, essay tests focus on logical thinking, analytical skill and creativity in presenting an idea, which are very important for all learners for their intellectual development. However, marking is highly subjective in this type of tests. Two examiners may award two different marks for the same type of answers, or even the same examiner may award different marks for the same level of answer if marking at two different times or on two different days. Therefore, scoring of essay tests is not reliable. Thus the two types of tests focus on different aspects, and both have their distinctive merits and demerits and both are needed.