Comments are welcome.
Some teachers assume that multiple choice items encourage superficial studying.
Certainly if students are expecting a multiple choice test and they receive an essay test instead, they complain. However, essay tests have their own set of problems. If students are asked to do the test on a word processor, it is hard to insure that the work is original. Grades for essay tests are influenced by the length of the essay. If a student rambles on, there is greater likelihood of hitting a few important points.