申论题是考试题目类型的其中一种，主要要求受试者阐述自己的理念或意见，或是写一篇短文并提供事实、范例或其他的证明。

申论题大致上不但能够测试受试者直截的知识，也能测出他们对某一主题的大观念（见范例），可让受试者回答自己熟悉的领域知识。除此之外，受试者并不会有任何的投机机会来猜答案，他们必须全盘了解某些知识才能顺利作答，也可防止受试者有作弊的机会。

Free response, usually referred to as essay, is a type of question used in tests in education, workplace, and government. Most free response questions ask or require the test-taker to state a belief, opinion, or write a short essay and support it with facts, examples, or other evidence. However, few tests solely rely on these types of problems, and tend to work in conjunction with other types, such as multiple choice. Free response questions generally test more than straight knowledge and ask for a "big picture" type of response (see example). Also, they usually allow the taker to choose an area in which they are familiar.