Fig. 2
From: Validity of very short answer versus single best answer questions for undergraduate assessment
Number of correct responses given for questions asked in two formats: single best answer (SBA) and very short answer (VSA). Medical students were given a clinical vignette and asked about clinical presentations, investigations and treatment of the patient. In the VSA format, students were asked to type the answer (one to three words). In the SBA format, students chose the correct answer from a list. In all questions, more students got the correct answer when given a list to choose from in the SBA format than when asked to type the answer in the VSA assessment (* p < 0.01)