Multistage collaborative exams, in which students retake a test in groups after individual testing, have been shown to benefit classroom learning (Cooke et al., 2019). However, little is known about the specific factors affecting the benefits of collaborative tests, such as test format. Research has shown that multiple choice (MC) and short answer (SA) tests differently facilitate learning (Little et al., 2012). The current study investigated if collaborative testing enhances learning beyond the effects of re-testing in a controlled setting. It further examined if the benefit of a collaborative test is influenced by test format or order of individual and collaborative tests. Participants studied a passage and either took only individual or both individual and collaborative tests. They then either tested with MC, or with a mix of MC and SA, questions. Two days later they took a final SA exam. We found no significant differences between any conditions in performance on the final exam, suggesting that there may not be a benefit of collaborative tests in a controlled setting, and that test order and format may not notably impact the efficacy of these assessments.