Which type of question tends to imply the examiner already knows the answer?

• A. Assumptive question
• B. Open-ended question
• C. Closed question
• D. Rhetorical question

Answer: (A)

Assumptive questions are designed to presuppose a fact or outcome in the way they’re asked. By embedding an assumption in the wording, the question signals that the examiner already believes a certain version of events or has evidence supporting it. For example, a question like “When did you stop at the scene?” implies that the person was at the scene and that stopping occurred, nudging the respondent toward confirming that sequence. This built-in assumption makes it clear to the interviewee that the examiner expects a specific answer, which can increase pressure to align with that expectation.

Open-ended questions invite a wide, unstructured response and don’t push toward a particular conclusion. Closed questions seek a simple yes or no, but they don’t embed an assumption about what happened beyond the specific yes/no. Rhetorical questions are more about emphasis or prompting thought rather than eliciting a direct factual answer that the examiner already knows.