What is a fill-in-the-blank question?

Fill-in-the-blank questions are a common question type that is easy to create and can consist of one or multiple empty, or blank, spaces in a formula, sentence, or paragraph. There will only be one correct answer for each space.

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A clipboard with three checked boxes beside blank answer lines, and a pencil leaning against it

See fill-in-the-blank questions in action

Fill-in-the-blank: design Level 1

At Level 1, your fill-in-the-blank activity uses static images and stock photography that match your organization's visual identity. The fill-in-the-blank activity interface accounts for a single blank question and uses click-to-respond options to allow your learners to submit their responses.

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Fill-in-the-blank: design Level 2

At Level 2, your fill-in-the-blank activity includes an interface that features your organization's brand and visual identity. Your fill-in-the-blank activity can have multiple blanks to fill in, and the interface allows for greater interaction, like letting the learners drag-and-drop their responses onto the blanks.

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Fill-in-the-blank: design Level 3

At Level 3, your fill-in-the-blank activity interface is an entirely custom design incorporating your organization's brand and identity. The fill-in-the-blank activity interface allows your learners to fill in multiple blanks and offers additional options for interaction, like drag-and-drop, click-to-answer, and more.

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Considerations for fill-in-the-blank questions

To assist learners who may struggle with spelling, consider adding a word bank to fill-in-the-blank questions.

Fill-in-the-blank questions can be used for general knowledge-type questions, but are not suitable for measuring complex learning outcomes.

Learning benefits
- Tests learner understanding by measuring specific knowledge
- Reduces their ability to easily guess the answer (for example, when a learner has a 50/50 chance of choosing the correct response from a true or false question)
Usage examples and tips
- Example: A shipping warehouse testing learner understanding of safety regulations with questions like, "Estimate the [BLANK] of an object prior to attempting to lift it yourself."