<p>first of all, you haven’t seen any of the MCQ tests I put together as a Ph.D. TA years back. They used to kill all the students.</p>
<p>However, that’s besides the point, unless you are uniquely better at taking MCQ than other students or uniquely bad in writing - that would be a major problem.</p>
<p>If not, it’s all relative to what other students are doing. if the faculty decides to apply a harsh grading policy, it does not matter whether it’s MCQ or writing. He/she will give A’s only 10% regardless of whether of the exam format.</p>
<p>I would say this: MCQ is all about (100%) the convenience for the teaching staff and does NOT help students get better education. Giving writing assignment is a colossal PAIN IN THE BEHIND, but paves a ground for much better education. It takes dedicated and not overburdened teaching staff to give writing assignments. As a student, you want the latter, NOT the former.</p>
<p>Trust me, even (may be especially more so) in this day and age of 200 character twit age, writing well is a TREMENDOUS asset.</p>