Topic 6

Constructing Objective Test

Items – Simple Forms and
Multiple-Choice Forms
Objective test items are not limited to the measurement of simple
learning outcomes. The multiple choice item can measure both
knowledge and understanding levels and is free of many of the
limitations of other forms of objective items.
Multiple-Choice Items

• Most widely used

• Measure simple learning outcomes
• Measure complex learning outcomes (knowledge, understanding,
and application)
• Flexible, high quality items adaptable to most subject-matter
content
• Used extensively in achievement testing
Characteristics of Multiple-Choice Items
• Consists of a problem (stem) and a list of suggested solutions (alternatives,
choices, or options)
• Answers other than the correct answer are called distracters (decoys or foils)
• Items can be stated in two ways.
1) Direct questions
a) easier to write
b) more natural for younger students
c) present a clearly formatted problem
2) Incomplete sentences
a) more concise
b) present a well defined problem if phrased well
• Correct Answer Type and Best Answer Type
The correct answer type has only one possible correct answer
(recall factual information).

The best answer type measures learning outcomes that require the
understanding, application, or interpretation of factual information
(measures more complex learning and is more difficult).

When dealing with the best answer variety, make sure your best answers
are those that are agreed on by experts. This will allow you to defend
your answers as the best possible choice.
USES OF MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS
Measuring Knowledge Outcomes
1) Knowledge of Terminology
2) Knowledge of Specific Facts
3) Knowledge of Principles
4) Knowledge of Methods and Procedures

Measuring Outcomes at the Understanding

and Application Levels

1) Ability to Identify Application of Fact and Principles

2) Ability to Interpret Cause-and-Effect Relationships
3) Ability to Justify Methods and Procedures
Advantages and Limitations of Multiple-
Choice Items
Advantages
• Measures achievement and complex learning outcomes.
• Structure of alternatives eliminate vagueness and ambiguity
• Knowledge of content area is measured without concern for spelling errors
• Multiple-choice requires students to choose the correct or best answer while true-false tests
allow students to get credit for knowing a statement is not correct.
• Multiple-choice items have a greater reliability than true-false
• Multiple-choice items measure a single idea while matching exercises require a series of
related ideas
• Multiple-choice items are usually free of response sets
• Incorrect answers in multiple-choice items can usually allow for diagnosis of errors and
misunderstandings that need correction
Disadvantages
• Limited to outcomes at the verbal level
• Requires selection of the correct answer and therefore it does not measure problem solving
skills in math and science or the ability to organize and present ideas
• It is difficult to find a sufficient number of reasonable alternatives or distracters (especially at
the primary level)
Suggestions For Constructing Multiple Choice
Items
• The stem of the item should be meaningful by itself and should present a
definite problem.
• The item stem should include as much of the item as possible and should be
free of irrelevant material.
• Use a negatively stated stem only when significant learning outcomes require
it.
• All the alternatives should be grammatically consistent with the stem of the
item.
• An item should contain only one correct or clearly best answer.
• Items used to measure understanding should contain some novelty, but
beware of too much.
• All distracters should be plausible. The purpose is to distract the uninformed
from the correct answer.
• Verbal associations between the stem and the correct answer should be
avoided.
• The relative length of the alternative should not provide a clue to the answer.
• The correct answer should appear in each of the alternative positions an
approximately equal number of times but in random order.
• Use sparingly “none of the above” or “all of the above.”
• Do not use multiple-choice items when other items are more appropriate.
Alternate Response Items
• Involves the selection of one of two alternatives
• true / false
• yes / no
• right / wrong
• fact / opinion

• Mainly for Knowledge & Comprehension

• Can be written at higher levels
True / False
• Word statements clearly. Vague or ambiguous wording will confuse students.
• Avoid overgeneralizing.
• Poor: Heavy smoking causes lung cancer.T F
• Better: Heavy smoking often causes lung cancer. T F

• Avoid Trick questions.

• i.e., General Wolseley led Canadian troops to Manitoba in 1870.
• 3 tricks: Colonel, British, Not yet a province

• Do not use trivial statements to “pad out” the number of questions and marks to arrive at a
predetermined level.
True / False
• Statements should be entirely true, or entirely false:

• Unacceptable:
• In King Lear, Regan ordered Gloucester’s eyes to be plucked out and Gloucester died when he
jumped off the cliff of Dover.

• Acceptable:
• In King Lear, Regan ordered Gloucester’s eyes to be plucked out. (T)
• In King Lear, Gloucester died when he jumped off the cliff at Dover. (F)
True / False
• Avoid using universal descriptors such as “never”, “none”, “always”, and “all”.
• Testwise students will recognize that there are few absolutes.

• Avoid negative words, as they are often overlooked by students.

• Poor: It was not unheard of for Henry VIII to close monasteries in England. T F
• Better: Henry VIII closed some monasteries in England. (T)
True / False
• Do not include two ideas in one statement unless you are evaluating student’s understanding
of cause and effect relationships.

• Poor: Porpoises are able to communicate because they are

mammals. T F
• Better: Porpoises are mammals. T F
Porpoises are able to communicate.T F

• Provide a “T” and “F” beside each statement and ask students to circle correct answer.

• Avoids problem of students writing illegible letters.

True / False & Variations
• Include more false than true statments in any given test and vary the number
of false statements from test to test.

• tendency to mark more statements true than false.

• discrimination between those who know the content and those who do not
is greater for false expressions.

• Avoid using negative statements.

• Under the demands of the testing situation, students may fail to see the
negative qualifier.
Matching Items
• Consist of:

• a column of premises

• a column of responses

• directions for matching the two.

• Similar to multiple choice, but easier and more efficient to construct

• Can be written to assess Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis

level behaviors
Guidelines for Writing Matching Items
• Provide clear instructions on how to indicate the correct answers.

• Indicate whether the same response can be used more than once.

• Maintain grammatical consistency within and between columns.

• within a column: either sentence or point form

• between columns: one or the other

• Ensure that any matching question appears entirely on one page.

• Provide an unequal number of premises and responses
• reduces guessing and elimination
• increases measure of comprehension

• Avoid designing questions which require students to draw lines between

premise and response.
• confusing for student and marker
• provide space for letter or number answers
• Make sure lists are homogeneous.
• i.e., do not include items testing names, dates, and events.
• Instead, make every response plausible

• Make the wording of the premises longer than the wording of the responses.

• Identify the items in one list with numbers and those in the second list with
letters.
Example:
Instructions: 1. On the line to the right of each phrase in Column I, write the letter for the
word in Column II that best matches the phrase.
2. Each word in Column II may be used once, more than once, or not at all.

Column I Column II
1. Name of the answer in addition A. Difference
problems. B. Dividend
2. Name of the answer in subtraction C. Multiplicand
problems. D. Product
3. Name of the answer in E. Quotient
multiplication problems. F. Subtrahend
4. Name of the answer in division G. Sum
problems.
Short Answer Test Items
• Typically, the student is asked to reply with a word, phrase, name, or
sentence, rather than a more extended response.
• Direct Questions / Short Answer
• Who is the current Prime Minister of Malaysia?
• Incomplete Sentences / Fill In the Blanks
• The current Prime Minister of Malaysia is _____?

• Items are fairly easy to construct and mark

• Assess mainly knowledge, comprehension, and some application.

Guidelines for Writing Short Answer Items
• Questions must be carefully worded so that all students understand the
specific nature of the question asked and the answer required.

• Poor: British defeated Japanese in _____ ?

• Better: In what battle fought in 1945 did British defeat Japanese?

OR

In what year did British defeat Japanese at Malaya?

• Word completion or fill-in questions so that missing information is at, or near
the end of, the sentence. Makes reading and responding easier.

• Poor: In the year ______ , Canada turned 100 years old.

• Better: Canada turned 100 years old in the year _____ .

• Instructions and teacher’s expectations about filling in blanks should be made

clear. Indicate whether each blank of equal length represents one word or
several words, whether long blanks require sentences or phrases, and
whether synonymous terms are accepted.
• When an answer is to be expressed in numerical units, the unit should be
stated.
• Poor: If a room measures 7 meters by 4 meters, the perimeter is _____ .
• Better: If a room measures 7 meters by 4 meters, the perimeter is _____
meters (or m).

• Do not use too many blanks in completion items. The emphasis should be on
knowledge and comprehension, not mind reading!

• Consider:
In the year _____ , Prime Minister _________ signed the __________ ,
which led to a ___________ which was __________ .