TEACHER EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT
VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY-ALANGALANG
Binongtoan,Alangalang, Leyte, 6517, PHILIPPINES
Tel. Number : (053) 525-0140
Email: alangalang@vsu.edu.ph
Website: www.vsu.edu.ph

Lesson 3.2: Principles in Writing the Different

Objective Tests

Lesson Summary
There are several types of objective tests that teachers can choose from in developing their test. Teachers
should familiarize themselves with the principles in preparing each type of objective test.

Learning Outcomes
1. Describe the principles and experts’ suggestions in writing the different types of test items.
2. Write sample test items.

Motivation Question
Can you still recall the VSU Admission Test you took for you to be able to enroll in VSU-Alangalang?
How did you find the test, was it easy or difficult? Can you share the reason why you considered it easy
or difficult?

Discussion
Basically, there are four types of objective test: essay, short response, simple recall, and
recognition. For the recall type, there are two subtypes that include simple recall and completion. While
there are five subtypes for the recognition type that include alternative response, multiple choice, matching,
rearrangement, and analogy. This lesson ends with the strengths and weaknesses of the recall and
recognition objective type of test.
A. RECALL TYPE

1. Simple-Recall Type
 item appears as direct question, a stimulus word or phrase, or a specific direction
 answer consist of either a word or phrase
 applicable in natural sciences (Math, Physics, Chemistry) – problem solving

Rules in constructing simple-recall type

1. Worded that the answer is brief (single word, number, symbol)
2. Direct-question form is preferable
 TEACHER EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT
VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY-ALANGALANG
Binongtoan,Alangalang, Leyte, 6517, PHILIPPINES
Tel. Number : (053) 525-0140
Email: alangalang@vsu.edu.ph
Website: www.vsu.edu.ph

3. Blank space for answers must be at the right column of the items
4. Worded that there is only one correct response
5. Minimum use of textbook language in the question

2. Completion test
 Consist of items which requires examinees to fill a word or phrase on the blank
 An item may contain one or more blanks

Rules in constructing completion type

1. Give reasonable basis for the responses required
 Avoid indefinite statements
 Avoid overmutilated statements
2. Avoid unwarranted clues to the desired response
 Do not lift statements direct from books
 Omit only key words rather than trivial details
 Avoid “a” or “an” immediately before the blank
 Do not indicate the expected answer by varying the length of blank
 Avoid the possibility that answer to an item is found in another item
 Avoid grammatical clues to the expected answer
3. Arrange test to facilitate scoring
 Allow one point for each blank
 Blank must be at the end of statement
 Prepare scoring key

B. RECOGNITION TYPE

1. Alternative response test (two constant alternative: true-false type, right-wrong, plus-minus, yes-no,
correct-incorrect, same-different; and three-constant alternative; true-false, doubtful; modified true
false)
Rules in constructing true-false test
1. test items must be arranged in groups to facilitate scoring
2. single letter for response (ex. T for true, F for false)
3. avoid similar statements in books to avoid rote memorization of students’
4. use simple language, avoid flowery words
5. avoid specific determiners (all, always, none, never, not, nothing, no as it may indicate false; and
may, some, seldom, sometimes, usually, often as it may indicate true)
6. Avoid qualitative terms which are vague (few, many, great, frequent, large)
7. avoid ambiguous and double negative statements

2. Multiple-choice test
 flexible and objective scoring
 testing vocabulary, reading, comprehension, relationship, interpretation of graphs, formulas,
tables, and drawing of inferences from a set of data
 TEACHER EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT
VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY-ALANGALANG
Binongtoan,Alangalang, Leyte, 6517, PHILIPPINES
Tel. Number : (053) 525-0140
Email: alangalang@vsu.edu.ph
Website: www.vsu.edu.ph

Rules in constructing multiple-choice test

a) Avoid lifting from books
b) Options must be plausible
c) Grammatically consistent options
d) Articles “a” and “an” must be avoided
e) Four or more options per item
f) No regular pattern for correct options
g) Uniform number of options in all items
h) Increase homogeneity of options
i) Use simple method of indicating response to facilitate scoring (ex. indicate letter or number only
of response)

Five Varieties of Multiple-Choice Test Items

1. Stem-and-options variety
 Commonly used
 Stem serves as the problem and followed by four or more options
2. Setting-and-option variety
 Optional responses depend on a setting (graph, sentence, paragraph, picture, equation,
forms of representation
3. Group-term variety
 Consist of a group of words or terms in which one does not belong to the group
4. Structured response variety
 Used in natural science subjects
 How good in judging closely related statements
5. Contained option variety
 Identify errors in a word, phrase, sentence or paragraph

3. Matching Type
 Number of items is equal to number of options (balanced form)
 Unequal numbers in 2 columns (unbalanced matching)

Rules in constructing matching type

1. Avoid heterogeneous materials (e.g. do not mix date and terms, persons and events, etc)
2. To minimize guessing factor use unbalanced matching
3. Each category must be grammatically correct
4. All options including distractors must be plausible
5. Item column at left and option at right
6. Options must be arranged to facilitate selection (e.g. dates in chronological order)
7. Only one correct answer per item
8. Ideal number of 5 to 10 items and a maximum of 15
9. All items must be in one-page
 TEACHER EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT
VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY-ALANGALANG
Binongtoan,Alangalang, Leyte, 6517, PHILIPPINES
Tel. Number : (053) 525-0140
Email: alangalang@vsu.edu.ph
Website: www.vsu.edu.ph

4. Rearrangement Type
 Consists of multiple-option item where it requires chronological, logical, rank, etc. order

5. Analogy
 Consist of pairs of related words

14 kinds of relationships
1. Purpose
2. Cause and effect
3. Part-Whole
4. Action to Object
5. Object to Action
6. Synonym
7. Antonym
8. Place
9. Degree
10. Characteristics
11. Sequence
12. Grammatical
13. Numerical
14. Association

Strengths and limitations of recall and recognition objective type tests in comparison to essay test
questions

Strengths Limitations
1. Easy to correct or score 1. Difficult to construct
2. Eliminates subjectivity 2. Encourages cheating and guessing
3. Adequate sampling 3. Expensive
4. Objectivity in scoring 4. Encourages rote memorization
5. Eliminates bluffing 5. Time consuming
6. Norms can be established
7. Saves time and energy in answering questions

Learning Tasks/Activities
Read and write a summary of the following pdf articles: (Not more than 250 words per article)
1. How do I Create Tests for my Students? from
https://www.depts.ttu.edu/tlpdc/Resources/Teaching_resources/TLPDC_teaching_resources/Docu
ments/HowdoICreateaTestforMyStudentswhitepaper.pdf.

2. Writing Multiple-Choice Questions by Brenda Kupsch from

http://academic.son.wisc.edu/wistrec/net/multiplechoicetext.html
 TEACHER EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT
VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY-ALANGALANG
Binongtoan,Alangalang, Leyte, 6517, PHILIPPINES
Tel. Number : (053) 525-0140
Email: alangalang@vsu.edu.ph
Website: www.vsu.edu.ph

Assessment
1. Write samples of test question for each type of objective test

Type of objective test Sample test question

1. Simple recall
2. Completion
3. Alternative
response
4. Multiple choice
5. Matching type
6. Rearrangement
7. Analogy