I recently had an email exchange with someone about to take their first FSA exam, and realized it really makes for a nice FAQ to share:
The original question:
Can you get point deductions if you write too much for an answer?
Examples:
1) Question asked for 2 examples, but 4 examples are written down.
1a) Also, if 2 of the examples are relevant, and the 2 extra are irrelevant and/or incorrect, then do you receive point deductions? Or would they only grade based on having at least 2 correct?
I’m just wondering if on the exam, if I extra time after finishing the questions, if I should go back and put as much filler as possible.
To which I responded:
Good question. You will never, ever lose points by saying too much unless you contradict yourself. Points are really additive. You start with zero, then you add points to your score as you write (assuming you are answering the question correctly). If you write more than needed, you simply don’t get any extra credit, but you don’t lose points.
The only way you can “subtract” points is if you contradict something you already said that was correct. If an exam question asks you what color the sky is, and you answer “blue,” you get that point. But if you say:
- The sky is blue
- The sky is red
Then those cancel out, and get zero points. 
And his next question:
What if I say the sky is blue, and the grass is purple? The grass comment is irrelevant and incorrect. Do you think that would be a point deduction?
To which I responded:
If it’s irrelevent then no harm done. You only lose time, but not points.
And this is worth emphasizing: even though you wouldn’t lose points, your time is finite. Once you feel you’ve fully answered a question, by all means, move on and grab more points on questions that remain!