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    Students should by this point know that an unexplained answer is worthless — Only if you actually tell them that an unexplained answer is worthless! If your exam only says "Yes/No", then you're only asking for "Yes/No", which means you must give full credit for a correct Yes/No. Students should not be expected to read your mind. More strongly: Students should be expected not to read your mind. Commented Jan 23, 2019 at 11:16
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    @JeffE But the example does not say yes/no. If it did then you'd have to accept yes/no otherwise it's a failure to answer the question. Commented Jan 23, 2019 at 11:41
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    @JackAidley It only asks a yes/no question. If you want more than a yes/no answer, ask for more than a yes/no answer. Use your words. Commented Jan 24, 2019 at 2:13
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    Students should be expected to understand the conventions of exams — You're assuming that there are universal conventions for exams. There aren't. Commented Jan 24, 2019 at 13:52
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    @TheGreatDuck And where did OP say there were 5 blank lines? You and I might say the default is to assume an explanation is required, but not everyone has that default. Even different instructors in the same department might have different defaults. Even if your university has mandated conventions that everyone actually follows (which would be a miracle), you still have to be fair to new/visiting/1st-year students who haven't learned the default yet. Use your words. Commented Jan 26, 2019 at 9:12