What are all the possible combinations when two test items are possible out of four and order matters

Question

Say there are a total of four items: a,b,c,d . If two of these can be picked at a time, what are all the possible combinations? ab is different than ba. aa, bb, cc and dd are possible but are only counted once. My best guess is that this is 4p2 + 4 = 16.

Answer 1

Since there are four options for each choice, and each choice is independent of the others, and there are two choices, there are $4^2=16$ total options.

Answer 2

You take one and you have got 3 options left. So three possibilities if you pick a first, another three if you you pick b first .... . So in total you have got 12 possibilities.