How to write: Good exam feedback

Tips for writing good feedback into your exam questions

Adding feedback to Test questions is not only great for giving praise for correct responses, but it is also a great learning tool.

Feedback for incorrect responses is also very important - and ensure the feedback is always positive!

Effective feedback will:

  • Educate users
  • Motivate users
  • Encourage users

Consider this

When providing Feedback for both correct and incorrect responses

  • Choose wording wisely

  • Only use positive feedback

  • Keep feedback specific to the question

  • Reference learning materials

Do's and Don'ts

The Do's and Don'ts when writing great feedback within questions.

Do

  • Provide memory jarring feedback for questions answered incorrectly.
  • Use encouraging wording in feedback for both correct and incorrect feedback.
  • Add useful feedback that your users can learn from. Educate them so they will do better next time.
  • Be creative and change up the feedback for different questions, which will have the users wanting to read the feedback given.

Do not

  • Provide feedback for incorrectly answered questions that is not relevant to that specific question.
  • Use discouraging wording, such as “You did not”, “You failed”, “You didn't” to start your feedback. There is nothing worse than not getting something correct and seeing “WRONG - How did you even make it to class today?”
  • Give useless feedback which consists of just “Wrong” or “Did you even read the question?” This will do nothing more than confirm the red x they see beside their answer.
  • Add the same feedback for every question in the Test.