CONSTRUCTING OBJECTIVE TEST ITEMS: MULTIPLECHOICE FORMS

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CONSTRUCTING OBJECTIVE TEST ITEMS
MULTIPLE-CHOICE FORMS

• CHAPTER 8
• AMY L. BLACKWELL
• JUNE 19, 2007

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• 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.
• Chapter 8 covers
• Characteristics of Multiple-Choice Items
• Uses of Multiple-Choice Items
• Advantages and Limitations of Multiple-Choice
  Items
• Suggestions for Constructing Multiple-Choice
  Items

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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

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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

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• 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.

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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

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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

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• 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)
• Learning Exercise (page 209)
• 4

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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.