# Self-gradable answers

> Answers a learner can honestly mark right or wrong in one glance.

## What & why

After each card, the learner has to answer one question about themselves: _did I know
that?_ Deckberry's whole schedule rides on that honest yes or no. If the answer on the
back is a paragraph, they can't give one — they knew _some_ of it, blanked on the rest,
and end up guessing at their own grade. Keep the answer short enough to judge in a
single glance and the grading stays honest.

## The rule

> Make the back short enough to grade in one breath. If you can't tell at a glance
> whether you got it right, it's too long.

## Bad → good

A fact from the **Science Facts** catalog deck. Tap a card to reveal its answer.

**Before — A paragraph — the learner can't cleanly say “did I know that?”**

> **Q:** Tell me about the mitochondria.
> **A:** They're organelles that generate most of the cell's ATP through cellular respiration, have their own DNA, are thought to have originated as bacteria…

**After — One crisp answer — an honest pass or fail every time.**

> **Q:** What does the mitochondria produce for the cell?
> **A:** ATP (energy)

## When it applies

Any time the answer is open-ended or longer than a phrase. If the material genuinely
has several parts worth knowing, that's a sign to split it into separate cards — one
crisp answer each — rather than cram them onto one back. See
[one card, one fact](https://www.deckberry.com/creators/guide/deck-craft/one-fact/).

Extra context can still help memory — just move it off the graded answer. A short note
below the answer teaches without muddying the pass/fail.

## Related

- [One card, one fact](https://www.deckberry.com/creators/guide/deck-craft/one-fact/)
- [Ask, don't display](https://www.deckberry.com/creators/guide/deck-craft/ask-dont-display/)
- [Common mistakes & anti-patterns](https://www.deckberry.com/creators/guide/tips/anti-patterns/)

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[Read this guide on Deckberry](https://www.deckberry.com/creators/guide/deck-craft/self-gradable/)