b) this is because asking what format it would be in helps the study process. for example. if the teacher says a vocab test will be multiple choice, you could j recognize definitions and match it to the word. maybe a few keywords here and there. this also works for like matching definition to word. however, if she says it will be fill in the blank, then you would have to know the entire definition. it helps to know the format so you can study accordingly.
i hope this helps!