# The 13 question types

> What each of the 13 question types is for, which ones LearnWorkly marks automatically and which ones you mark yourself, with partial credit where it applies.

URL: https://learnworkly.com/help/activities/question-types · Updated 2026-11-11

When you click **Add question** in the editor, you choose a type. There are 13 question types, plus **[Content](https://learnworkly.com/help/question-types/content-blocks)** for anything that is not a question: instructions, a reading passage, a worked example, an image or a YouTube video.

Questions with an answer key are marked automatically as soon as a student answers. Open answers, drawings, recordings and files you mark yourself.

| Type | Good for | Marking |
|---|---|---|
| **[Multiple choice](https://learnworkly.com/help/question-types/multiple-choice)** | One or more correct answers. Switch between **One answer** and **Several answers** | Automatic: right only when exactly the correct options are picked |
| **[True / False](https://learnworkly.com/help/question-types/true-false)** | Quick checks of a statement | Automatic |
| **[Short answer](https://learnworkly.com/help/question-types/short-answer)** | A word or phrase. Add every answer you accept | Automatic. Extra spaces are ignored; **Case-sensitive** is optional |
| **[Number](https://learnworkly.com/help/question-types/number)** | A number, with an allowed margin (±) and an optional unit | Automatic. Students may write 3.5 or 3,5 |
| **[Fill in the blank](https://learnworkly.com/help/question-types/fill-in-the-blank)** | Gaps in a sentence, such as verb forms or vocabulary | Automatic, with points split across the blanks |
| **[Math](https://learnworkly.com/help/question-types/math)** | Formulas typed with a math keyboard | Automatic. Equal values count as right, so 1/2 and 0.5 both match |
| **[Matching](https://learnworkly.com/help/question-types/matching)** | Connect matching pairs, such as words and definitions | Automatic, partial credit for each correct pair |
| **[Put in order](https://learnworkly.com/help/question-types/put-in-order)** | Sequence steps or events | Automatic, partial credit for each item in the right place |
| **[Categorize](https://learnworkly.com/help/question-types/categorize)** | Sort items into groups | Automatic, partial credit for each item in the right group |
| **[Free response](https://learnworkly.com/help/question-types/free-response)** | A written answer, or a photo of handwritten work | By you |
| **[Drawing](https://learnworkly.com/help/question-types/drawing)** | Draw, handwrite, show working, label a diagram | By you |
| **[Audio](https://learnworkly.com/help/question-types/audio)** | Speaking and pronunciation, up to a length you choose | By you |
| **[File upload](https://learnworkly.com/help/question-types/file-upload)** | Students hand in a document or photo | By you |

## Leave the answer key empty to mark by hand

> **Leave the answer key empty to mark by hand:** If you do not tick a correct option or add an accepted answer, the question is not marked automatically. It waits for you in the live view instead, like an open question.

## Details for some types

- **Fill in the blank**: write the sentence and put each answer in double square brackets, for example "She [[has|’s]] lived here for years." Separate alternative answers with |. The editor shows what students will see.
- **Matching** and **Put in order**: students see the items shuffled.
- **Audio**: choose the **Maximum recording length**: 30 seconds, 1, 2 or 5 minutes.
- **File upload**: choose how many **Files per student** (1, 2, 3 or 5). PDF, Word, text or photos, up to 15 MB each.
- **Free response** and **Drawing**: **Allow photos of handwritten work** is on by default, so students can also send a photo from their phone.
- **Free response**, **Drawing**, **Audio** and **File upload** can have a **Rubric**: grade with criteria instead of one score, and students see the breakdown.

## Frequently asked questions

**Is there partial credit for multiple choice with several answers?**
No. A multiple choice question is right only when the student picks exactly the correct options. Matching, Put in order, Categorize and Fill in the blank give partial credit.

**Can I change the points of a question?**
Yes, in the **points** box of each question. Questions with a rubric are worth the total of their criteria.

**Can students skip a question?**
Yes, unless you mark it **Required**. Students must answer required questions before submitting.