Short-Answer Questions

A short-answer question requires the student to type an answer to the question. To place a short-answer question into a question file is a three-step process:

Type the separator line.
Type the short answer question.
Type the answer lines.

The Short-Answer Separator Line:

The short-answer separator line contains question type information and the correct answer. All AppletQuiz questions start with a separator line, which begins with a backslash ("\") character.

Immediately following the backslash (no spaces permitted) must be the characters "FF" (not case sensitive) to indicate a multiple-choice question. (Why "FF" instead of, say, "SA"? For compatibility with the MicroTest Import format. "FF" stands for "Free Format".) If the preceding question was also a short-answer question, then the "FF" characters are optional.

Next comes one or more blank spaces, followed by the letter "A" (for "Answer").

Next comes one or more blank spaces, followed by the correct answer (16 characters maximum). The student's answer must match this answer exactly to be considered correct - except for case. In other words, if the correct answer to a question is "Washington", student responses of "Washington", "washington", "WASHINGTON", and "wAsHiNtOn" will all be counted as correct, but "warshington" will be incorrect, since it is mis-spelled.

Note: If your correct answer contains one-or-more blank spaces, you must enter it in the alternate answer format shown below. It will not be read correctly from the separator line.

If a correct answer is not given, the question will load into AppletQuiz just fine, but AppletQuiz will not display the question since it won't be able to check a student's answer.

Example Separator lines:

Separator Line

Comments

\FF A dog

OK. (The correct answer is "dog")

\ff a dog

also OK, since separator lines are not case sensitive. (The correct answer is "dog")

\ A dog

OK as long as the preceding question was also a short-answer question.

\ FF A dog

NOT legal, because of the spaces between the "\" and the "F"

\FF

Legal, but the question won't display since there is no correct answer given. (Although there is an Alternate Answer Format.)

Short-Answer Question Text

Separator Line	Comments
\FF A dog	OK. (The correct answer is "dog")
\ff a dog	also OK, since separator lines are not case sensitive. (The correct answer is "dog")
\ A dog	OK as long as the preceding question was also a short-answer question.
\ FF A dog	NOT legal, because of the spaces between the "\" and the "F"
\FF	Legal, but the question won't display since there is no correct answer given. (Although there is an Alternate Answer Format.)

The short-answer question text consists of one or more lines of text starting immediately following the separator line. You can type it just as you would type the question into a test or quiz - no special formatting is required.

You do not need to be concerned about line breaks - AppletQuiz will format your text to fit the available space on the screen. AppletQuiz will honor line breaks that you type into the question, however, and blank lines are also allowed.

Note that you do NOT type a question number for your question. This will be supplied by the AppletQuiz applet.

Alternate Answer Format:

If you edit a question file produced by the MicroTest program, you will notice that the answers for short-answer questions are not formatted as described above. Instead, an answer follows the question text, and looks something like this:

\FF
What is a four-legged animal that barks?
\A
dog

This answer format is perfectly acceptable to the AppletQuiz applet, and you may use it in your own question files if you like. It requires 2 lines of text:

First line: "\ANSWER" or "\A"
Second line: The correct answer (up to 16 characters). The student's answer must match this answer exactly to be considered correct - except for case. In other words, if the correct answer to a question is "Washington", student responses of "Washington", "washington", "WASHINGTON", and "wAsHiNtOn" will all be counted as correct, but "warshington" will be incorrect, since it is mis-spelled.

Actually, ANY question type may use this alternate form for supplying the correct answer, and you must use this format if the correct answer for your short-answer question contains one-or-more blank spaces.

Sample Question

Comments

\FF The first president of the United States was George _________. \ANSWER Washington

A simple question. The blank ("____") is not required

\FF The first president of the United States was George _________. \A Washington

Same as above.

\TF George Washington was the first President of the United States. \ANSWER T

All question types can use the \ANSWER line to enter the correct answer...

Sample Question	Comments
\FF The first president of the United States was George _________. \ANSWER Washington	A simple question. The blank ("____") is not required
\FF The first president of the United States was George _________. \A Washington	Same as above.
\TF George Washington was the first President of the United States. \ANSWER T	All question types can use the \ANSWER line to enter the correct answer...

last update May 12, 1999 by JL Stanbrough (jstanbro@venus.net)

Short-Answer Questions

The Short-Answer Separator Line:

Note: If your correct answer contains one-or-more blank spaces, you must enter it in the alternate answer format shown below. It will not be read correctly from the separator line.

Example Separator lines:

Alternate Answer Format: