Best for
- Calculations and worked problems
- Dosage and measurement questions
- Finance and accounting figures
Capabilities
- Numerical candidate input
- Automatic marking against the expected value
- Combines with equations, tables and images in the stem
Considerations
- State the required units and rounding in the question
- Decide in advance how precise the answer must be
What is a numeric answer question?
A numeric answer question asks the candidate to type a number rather than choose from options. Because there is nothing to pick from, candidates have to work the answer out rather than recognise it.
When to use it
Use numeric answer questions whenever the answer is a figure: calculations, conversions, dosages, measurements or financial results. They are a strong alternative to multiple choice for quantitative subjects because they remove the option of working backwards from the answers.
How Synap marks it
Numeric answer questions are auto marked, so candidates and administrators get results without any manual marking. Questions can include formatted equations, tables and images, and can be reused across exams through question banks.
Authoring tips
Tell candidates exactly what format you expect, including units, decimal places and rounding. If the question has several steps, consider splitting it so that one early slip does not cost every mark.
Numeric answer is one of 29 question types in Synap's exam authoring software, alongside reusable question banks, bulk import and flexible marking.