What is the difference between subjective and objective tests?

Answer 1

Subjective tests rely on individual judgment or opinion, such as essay questions, where scoring can vary based on the grader's interpretation. Objective tests, on the other hand, have right or wrong answers and are scored based on predetermined criteria, like multiple-choice questions. Subjective tests can be more challenging to score reliably due to potential bias, while objective tests offer more consistency in assessment.

Answer 2

1. Students will take both subjective and objective tests throughout their career, but how do you know which is which?

Objective tests feature questions that test a student’s factual knowledge of a given subject. These questions may be posed in the form of multiple-choice, true or false, or restrictive response, and there is typically only one correct answer. If there are multiple correct answers, this will be indicated in the question. Tests of this nature earn the name ‘objective’ because they do not rely on the grader’s personal thoughts or opinions, but instead on factual knowledge. Historically, objective tests were the primary method of testing students through the mid-twentieth century. Today, they are still very much in use for subjects such as mathematics, sciences, and history.

Subjective tests differ in that they feature questions designed to test a student’s understanding of a given subject by presenting an original answer. These questions may be posed in the form of timed essays, short and long response questions, and problem solving exercises. These types of questions do not have a single correct answer; instead, the grader is assessing any number of areas including but not limited to factual content, argument construction, persuasiveness, and spelling and grammar. Although subjective tests have only come widely into use in the past several decades, they have quickly become a valuable tool for assessing a student’s complete understanding of a concept or subject, and are used frequently in subjects such as English and other humanities.
In addition to encountering both types of tests, students can expect to answer both subject and objective questions within the same test. Standardized testing now uses both forms of testing, and this dual approach is also common in collegiate testing as well. Students should be prepared to tackle either approach to be a successful test taker.

Answer 3

Subjective tests rely on individual judgment or opinions, such as essay questions or self-assessments. Objective tests have right or wrong answers and are scored based on specific criteria, such as multiple-choice questions or true/false statements.