Assessment Question Types

Nimbu's Assessment Question Library provides a strategic mix of question types that balance automated efficiency with meaningful assessment. By combining auto-marked questions for foundational knowledge checks with manually assessed tasks for deeper evidence review, you can optimise your trainers' time whilst maintaining rigorous assessment standards.

What's Covered in This Article

This article explains each available question type, how it is marked, and when to use it.

Automated vs Manual Marking: How the two marking methods differ and what each requires.
Auto-Marked Question Types: True/False, Multiple Choice, and Selection.
Manually Marked Question Types: Short Answer and Online Submission.
Structural Tools: Question Set.

Who can do this: Content Editors with Program permission can add and configure question types when creating or editing an assessment.

Automated vs Manual Marking

Understanding how results are captured is essential for creating efficient assessment workflows:

Auto-Marked: These question types are graded instantly by the system based on the "Correct Answer" key you configure during setup. Results are delivered to students immediately upon submission.
Manually Marked: These require a Trainer or Assessor to review the student's unique input and provide a formal result with feedback.

Auto-Marked Question Types

These question types deliver immediate results to students and require no manual intervention from training staff.

True/False - Icon: T/F

Students evaluate a statement as either true or false. This is the fastest way to confirm comprehension of a specific fact or principle.

Best used for: Testing understanding of key concepts, policies, procedures, or safety rules where only one outcome is correct.

Multiple Choice - Icon: Four boxes with checkmark

Students select one correct answer from a list of options.

Best used for: Testing understanding of definitions, processes, or scenarios where a single correct answer applies.

Selection

Icon: Three-line icon

Similar to Multiple Choice, but students can select multiple correct options from the list.

Best used for: Identifying all components of a process, recognising multiple valid elements, or checklist-style knowledge checks.

Manually Marked Question Types

These question types allow students to demonstrate deeper understanding or provide practical proof of competency. They require a trainer to review each submission and assign a result.

Short Answer - Icon: Pen

Students type a text-based response directly into a field. Each response is unique to the student.

Best used for: Open-ended questions requiring critical thinking, explanation of a process, reflection, or application of knowledge to a specific scenario.

Online Submission - Icon: Upward arrow

Students upload a file as their response — such as a PDF, image, or video.

Best used for: Portfolio-based evidence, practical work samples, essays, project documentation, or any task requiring tangible proof of competency.

Structural Tools

Question Set - Icon: File stack

A Question Set groups related questions into a single, cohesive block. Questions within the set are presented together and can be organised by theme or topic.

Best used for: Breaking a large assessment into clearly labelled sections, organising questions under a specific learning outcome, or improving student navigation through a complex assessment.

Creating an Assessment
Marking Assessments