Writing Effective Exam Questions

What is it?
Writing effective exam questions is challenging yet valuable component of teaching. Well-
written exam questions skillfully assess student understanding, reveal misconceptions, and
document learning.

Why is it important?
The purpose of writing effective exam questions is to: (1) create valuable assessment tools
to document learning; (2) motivate students and reveal educator expectations; (3) identify areas of
improvement; (4) provide feedback to educator regarding understanding and areas of confusion;
(5) avoid poorly written questions that may be “thrown out” after an exam has been implemented.

How do I do it?
Writing effective exam questions includes: identifying what to assess; selecting the
appropriate type of question to evaluate the concept; creating a clear question; creating effective
distractors, when appropriate; and editing the final product.

What should I assess?

Ideally, the exam questions should focus on learning outcomes or objectives. Clearly identify
what you expect students to recall (knowledge), understand (comprehend), apply, analyze,
synthesize and evaluate. Assign points to reflect the importance of the material in the context of
the entire course.

Select the Most Appropriate Question Type

FIVE MINUTE - TOPIC 1

 Select the type of question to match the assessment intent and tools available:

Question Type Bloom’s Notes

True v. False Recall Guessable (50% chance to be correct); Difficult to avoid
ambiguity in question; Provide widest sampling for
limited time; good for online testing
Multiple Choice, Recall, More reliable than True/False; Increased reliability if
Multiple Response Understand, focus on only 1 concept; Assess broad concepts due to
Application, time efficiency therefore more valid; good for online
Analysis testing
Evaluation
Fill in the Blank Recall Minimize guessing; Provide wide sampling; Include
(Short Answer, spelling expectations; calculation questions (include
Completion) decimal rounding expectations); difficult to avoid
irrelevant clues
Matching Recall Efficient to create; Broad content may be assessed; May
Understand identify concept association; Provide clear instructions
Application (clarify frequency of using choices); Include more
choices than needed
Ordered Response Recall, Limited application; good for timeline, strength
Understand, comparisons
Application,
Analysis
Complex Multiple Recall, Previously used for board exams, decreasing
Choice (K-Type) Understand, application; not recommended due to partial
Application, knowledge revealing correct answer
Analysis
Evaluation
Essay Recall, Difficult to objectively grade; Time-consuming to grade;
Understand, Use rubric to grade; Fewer concepts assessed
Application,
Analysis,
Evaluation

FIVE MINUTE - TOPIC 2

Create The Question Stem (All question types)
Create the stem to capture the definite problem efficiently while decreasing the opportunity
for misinterpretation. Stems are more effective if written as a question or a partial sentence. Other
guidelines include: use correct grammar; avoid limiting adjectives (never, always, all); avoid
irrelevant material (shown to decrease validity); avoid degrees open for interpretation (few, some,
usually, frequently, probably); avoid double negatives; avoid opinions (“The most popular ice
cream is…”); avoid idioms, slang, allegories; avoid unnecessary words; provide definitions if not an
intended component of assessment.

Create Distractors (Multiple Choice/Response, K-Type, Matching question types)

Select appropriate distractors to assess students. Some guidelines for effective distractors
include: homogeneous (similar category, comparable, etc.); mutually exclusive; consistent in
grammar (same tense) and in length (number of words); plausible and may be selected if concept
is misunderstood; avoid outliers; avoid being humorous; avoid trying to “trick” students. When
designing the exam, scramble the order of choices presented, if possible. Choices such as “All of
the above” or “None of the above” are not recommended as students’ partial knowledge can
create a correct answer.

Complete Final Editing (All question types)

Confirm correct grammar, tense and readability of questions. If possible, ask colleagues to
proofread. If team-taught class and multiple exam writers, edit final questions to establish
flow/format and avoid duplicative/contradictory questions.

Quick Tips
• Select appropriate question type for purpose and tools available
• Avoid confusing jargon, leading adjectives, ineffective distractors
• Provide enough information to set the scene, not too much to be confusing
• Spell check, grammar check, spell check
• Create questions that have longevity and can be easily modified then used again

More Information
Online References
• Callahan M & Logan MM. Texas Tech University Teaching, Learning & Professional Development
Center. “How do I create tests for my students?” Accessed December 18,
2013 http://www.tltc.ttu.edu/teach/TLTC%20Teaching%20Resources/CreateTests.asp
• Vanderbilt University, Center for Teaching. “Writing Good Multiple Choice Questions.” Accessed
December 18, 2013 http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/assessment/writing-good-multiple-
choice-test-questions/

FIVE MINUTE - TOPIC 3

 • Renton Technical College Office of Instructional Improvement. “Simple Guidelines for Writing Test
Questions.” Accessed December 18, 2013
http://webs.rtc.edu/ii/Teaching%20Resources/GuidelinesforWritingTest.htm
• Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning; Assessing Student Learning. Accessed December 18,
2013 https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/resources/teaching/evaluating-students/assessing-
student-learning

Book References:
• Davis BG. Tools for Teaching. 2nd ed. 2009. Quizzes, Tests and Exams. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Svinicki M and McKeachie WJ. 2011. McKeachie’s Teaching Tips. 12th ed. Boston, MA: Houghton
Mifflin.

Journal Articles

• Martinez ME. Cognition and the Question of Test Item Format. Educational Psychologist.
1999:34(4);207-218.
• Brookhart SM. The Art and Science of Classroom Assessment: The Mission part of Pedagogy. ASHE-
ERIC higher Education Report. 1999:27(1).

FIVE MINUTE - TOPIC 4