WRITING SELECTION

ITEMS
 Describe the characteristics of multiple choice
 Describe the strengths and limitations of multiple
choice
 Distinguish between well stated and poorly stated
multiple choice items
 Identify and correct faults in poorly stated
multiple choice items
 Match multiple-choice items to intended learning
outcomes
 Construct multiple-choice items that are well
stated, relevant to important learning outcomes,
and free of defects.
 A. The most widely used and highly regarded
of the selection-type items.
 B. It provides a defined term and requires a
test taker to match identifying characteristics
to the correct term.
 C. Questions present candidates with a
binary choice - a statement is either true or
false.
 D. Measures the ability to identify the
relationship between a set of similar items.
A. The most widely
used and highly
regarded of the
selection-type items.
 Is made up of items each of which
presents two or more responses, only one
of which is correct or definitely better than
the others.
 The multiple choice item consists of
“stem”, which represents a problem
situation, and several “alternatives”
(options or choices), which provide
possible solutions to the problem.
 A. The alternatives include the correct
answer.
 B. The plausible wrong answer.
 C. The question or incomplete statement.
C.The question
or incomplete
statement.
 A. The alternatives include the correct
answer.
 B. The plausible wrong answer.
 C. The question or incomplete statement.
 A. The
alternatives
include the correct
answer.
 A. It includes the correct answer.
 B. The plausible wrong answer.
 C. The question or incomplete statement.
B.
The plausible
wrong answer.
 Supply-type test items
 Best-answer form
 Scaled multiple choice test
 Choices:
 A. Supply-type test items
 B. Best-answer form
 C. Scaled multiple choice test
 __1. What kind of a polygon is this?
 A. octagon
 B. Pentagon
 C. hexagon
 D. Decagon
 __2. Do you love your country?
A. Very much
B. Much
C. Fairly Much
D. Not much
E. Not at all
 __3.
 Is a type of matching type test where in
the given choices are words only. This is
what we call Short answer items.
Example:

 __1. What kind of a polygon is this?

 A. octagon
 B. Pentagon
 C. hexagon
 D. Decagon
 The alternatives are all partially correct
but one is clearly better than the others.

Example:
__2. Do you love your country?
A. Very much
B. Much
C. Fairly Much
D. Not much
E. Not at all
 Is a multiple type of test in which the
chosen option is taken from the list of
orderable categories, degrees or
gradations.
 The multiple-choice item can be used to
measure knowledge outcomes and various
and various types of complex learning
outcomes.
 A. knowledge items
 Typically measure the degree to which
previously learned material has been
remembered.
 The items focus on the simple recall of
information and can be concerned with the
measurement of terms, facts or other specific
aspects of knowledge.
 Examples.
1. Outcome: identifies the meaning of a term
Reliability means the same as:
a. consistency c. representatives
b. relevancy d. usefulness
2. Outcome: Identifies the order of events
What is the first step in constructing an achievement test?
a. Decide on test length
b. Identify the intended learning outcomes
c. Prepare a table of identification
d. Select the item types of used.
1.1 Knowledge of Terminology
What statement best defines the term _________?
1.2 Knowledge of Specific Facts
Where would you find _______?
1.3 Knowledge of Conventions
What is the correct form for __________?
1.4 Knowledge of Trends and Sequences
What is the most important cause of _________?
1.5Knowledge of Classifications and Categories
What are the main types of __________?
1.6 Knowledge of Criteria
What criteria are used to classify _________?
1.7 Knowledge of Methodology
What is the best way to ___________?
1.8 Knowledge of Principles and Generalizations
Which statements best expresses the principle of _________?
1.9 Knowledge of Theories and Structures
What statement is most consistent with the theory of _________?
 B. Comprehension Items
 Typically measure at the lowest level of
understanding.
 They determine whether the students have
grasped the meaning of the material without
requiring them to apply it.
 Examples.
1. Outcome: Identifies the an example of a term
Which one of the following statements contains a specific
determiner
a. America is a continent.
b. America was discovered in 1942
c. America has some big industries.
d. America’s population is increasing.
2. Predicts the most probable effect of an action.
What is most likely to happen to the reliability of the scores for
multiple-choice test, where the number alternatives for each
item is changed from three to four?
a. It will decrease. c. it will stay the same.
b. It will increase. d. there is no basis for making a prediction
 C. Application Items
 Also measure understanding, but typically a
higher level than that of comprehension.
 The students must demonstrate that they not
only grasp the meaning of information but can
also apply it to concrete situations that are
new to them.
 Examples
1. Outcome: distinguishes between properly and
improperly stated in terms of student
performance
Which of the following learning outcomes is
properly stated in terms of student performance
a. Develops an appreciation of the importance of
testing.
b. Explains the purpose of test specification
c. Learns how to write good test items.
d. Realizes the importance of validity
 Strengths
1. Learning outcomes from simple to complex
can be measured.
2. Highly structures and clear tasks are
provided.
3. A broad sample of achievement can be
measured.
4. Incorrect alternatives provides diagnostic
information.
5. Scores are less influenced by guessing than
true-false items.
6. Scoring is easy, objective and reliable.
  Limitations
1. Constructing good items is time
consuming
2. It is frequently difficult to find plausible
distracters.
3. This item is ineffective for measuring
some types of problem solving and ability
to organize and express ideas.
4. Scores can be influence by reading ability.
1. Design each item to measure an important learning outcome.
2. Present a single clearly formulated problem in the stem of the item.
3. State the stem of the item in simple, clear language.
4. Put as much of the wording as possible in the stem of the item.
5. State the stem of the item in positive form, wherever possible.
6. Emphasize negative wording whenever it is used in the stem of an
item.
7. Make certain that the intended answer is correct or clearly best.
8. Make all alternatives grammatically consistent with the stem of the
item and parallel in form.
9. Avoid verbal clues that might enable students to select the correct
answer or to eliminate an incorrect alternative.
10. Make the distracters plausible and attractive to the uninformed.
1. Vary the relative length of the correct answer to
eliminate length as a clue.
2. Avoid using the alternative “all of the above” and use
“ none of the above” with extreme caution.
3. Vary the position of the correct answer in a random
manner.
4. Control the difficulty of the item either by varying the
problem in the stem or by changing the alternatives.
5. Make certain each item is independent of the other
items in the test.
6. Use an efficient item format
7. Follow the normal rules of grammar.
8. Break or bend any of these rules if it will improve
effectiveness of the item.
The end