A Long Answer question is for extended written responses, like a paragraph or two of explanation. The AI auto-marks against a mark scheme you write, and reads the rest of the page for context so contextual questions ("refer to the passage above...") work properly.
Adding one
Type /long or pick Long Answer from the + menu.
Writing the question
The block opens with a prompt field at the top and a Mark Scheme section below. Type the question in the prompt area. Rich text and inline maths both work, so a question like "Explain how chlorophyll absorbs light. Reference the wavelengths of visible light in your answer." renders the way you'd expect.
Setting up the mark scheme
The Mark Scheme tells the auto-marker what a correct answer looks like. You have two options:
Write it yourself. Type criteria in the "Write a mark scheme here..." field. Be specific. "Mentions chlorophyll absorbs red and blue wavelengths and reflects green" is far better than "Talks about chlorophyll".
Generate it. Click Generate Mark Scheme. The AI drafts a mark scheme from your question. Edit it before saving. Generated mark schemes are a starting point, not a finished product.
Use the + and - controls in the bottom right to set how many marks this question is worth. Default is 1 mark.
How grading works
When a student submits, the auto-marker reads:
Your mark scheme
The student's answer
Everything that appears before this question on the same page (text, images, tables, callouts, earlier question prompts)
That last part means you can write questions that reference the page. "Using the worked example above, calculate..." works because the auto-marker can see the worked example.
For more, see "How long-answer questions are graded with page context".
How students see it
Students type their answer in a text area below the question. They can also drop in maths, paste images, upload a photo from their phone or sketch directly with a touchscreen. See "Answering with images, drawings or maths" for the full student-side walkthrough.
Reviewing submissions
Once students submit, open the lesson assignment from your classroom view. The Block Detail Drawer shows each student's full answer, the AI auto-mark and the feedback. You can adjust marks manually, leave additional feedback, or trigger a remark with an updated mark scheme.
For the drawer in detail, see "The Block Detail Drawer: per-student responses".
Tips
Long Answer is overkill for one-word answers. Use Free Response (short answer) for those.
If you're asking students to reference a diagram or passage, keep both on the same page as the question so the auto-marker can see them.
A good mark scheme has 2-4 criteria worth a mark each. More than that, and the auto-marker starts splitting hairs.