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Opscan Evaluation: Test Writing Tips

 

This information is intended to guide faculty in the design and writing of multiple-choice tests. The accurate assessment of student learning depends, in part, on the quality of the tests you write.

Items on a multiple-choice test consist of a stem, which is followed by a correct answer as well as three to four distractors. Items on a well-written multiple-choice test will have stems that are precise and clear, one answer that is clearly correct or best, and distrators that are plausible.

Writing Multiple-Choice Tests

Test Items should:

  • Provide three to five possible answers
  • Offer consistency bewteen stem and response format
  • Be stated in a positive format
  • Have responses that are the same length
  • Be concise and to the point
  • Use familiar language
  • Limit the use of negatives

Test items should not:

  • Include impossible answers
  • Use "none of the above"
  • Use qualifiers such as "always"
  • Use "all of the above"
  • Use "a & b, not c"

Test Checklist

Make sure that

  • Items measure significant, not trivial, issues
  • Item stems present a problem
  • Each item is clear and precise
  • Each item has one correct or best answer
  • Distractors are plausible
  • Stems are carefully worded so as not to provide obvious clues to the correct answer

Pros & Cons

Pros

 

Well written multiple-choice tests:

  • Provide reliable test scores
  • Offer efficiency and accuracy in scoring
  • Allow for a wide range of content
  • Have a reduced guessing factor, compared to True/False question
  • Allow for testing various cognitive ability levels

Cons

 

Multiple-choice tests:

  • Take considerable time and effort to write well
  • Favor the simple recall of facts
  • Are highly dependent on students' reading and instructors' writing skills
  • Offer cues so that correct response may be guessed through elimination

References

Brookfield, S.D. (1990). The Skillful Teacher: On Technique, Trust, and Responsiveness in the Classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers

Grieve, D. (1990). A Handbook for Adjunct/Part-Time Faculty and Teachers of Adults. Cleveland: InfoTech, Inc.

*Jacobs, L.C. & Chase, C.I. (1992). Developing and Using Tests Effectively: A Guide for Faculty. Lexington: D.C.Heath and Company.

*Ory, J.C. & Ryan, K.E. (1993). Tips for Improving Testing and Grading. vol. 4 Newbury Park: Sage.

Ramsden, P. (1992) Learning to Teach in Higher Education. London: Routledge.

*available in CTLT Resource Library