The ongoing research into computer science (CS) education continues to interest higher education institutions as they grapple with low student retention and the perceived difficulty of both content and assessment. This paper examines the differences between open and closed assessments in terms of a student’s self-efficacy. Open-ended assessment is similar to regular closed assessment, but permits students to explore and extend their solutions.

The methodology used in this research is very straightforward and results in several interesting outcomes. The data was filtered to remove several categories that would have little impact, for example, students who withdrew or failed to submit any work. The research shows that gender, prior experience, and assessment type does not significantly affect self-efficacy.

This study raises a number of questions for future research, which is explored in the final section. The paper will interest programming lecturers and CS educators. In particular, the findings should have an impact on the future development of CS course assessments and projects.