Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Educ 105

Mid-La Union Campus Assessment of Learning I

College of Education Matching-Type Tests
Bachelor of Secondary Education Lesson 15

Outcomes:

1. Describe the Matching-Type test and other binomial-choice tests.

2. State the rules in constructing Matching-Type tests.
3. Construct Matching-Type tests correctly

The Matching Type Test Format

The matching type test item format provides a way for learners to connect a word,
sentence or phrase in one column to a corresponding word, sentence or phrase in a second
column. The items in the first column are called premises and the answers in the second
column are the responses. The convention is for learners to match the premise on the left
with a given response on the right. By convention, the items in Column A are numbered and
the items in Column B are labeled with capital letters.

Many authoring tools come with a pre-built matching type test template, which may
involve dragging responses to the premise or typing the letters from Column B into Column
A. The authoring tool templates may vary from the conventions of the written format.

When to Use Matching Type Test Items

The matching test item format provides a change of pace, particularly for self-check and
review activities. Many instructional designers employ them in quizzes and tests too. They
are effective when you need to measure the learner’s ability to identify the relationship or
association between similar items. They work best when the course content has many
parallel concepts, for example:

 Terms and Definitions

 Objects or Pictures and Labels
 Symbols and Proper Names 1

/ a 2 Educ 105 – Assessment of Learning I

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Educ 105
Mid-La Union Campus Assessment of Learning I
College of Education Matching-Type Tests
Bachelor of Secondary Education Lesson 15

 Causes and Effects

 Scenarios and Responses
 Principles and Scenarios to which they apply

Construction Guidelines

If you decide to use a matching type test, take the time to construct items that are valid and
reliable. Here are some guidelines for this.

1. Two-part directions. Your clear directions at the start of each question need two parts: 1)
how to make the match and 2) the basis for matching the response with the premise. You
can also include whether items can be re-used, but often pre-built templates don’t allow for
this.

Example for exercise above: Drag each career name in Column B to the best definition in
Column A. No items may be used more than once.

2. Parallel content. Within one matching test item, use a common approach, such as all
terms and definitions or all principles and the scenarios to which they apply.

3. Plausible answers. All responses in Column B should be plausible answers to the

premises in Column A. Otherwise, the test loses some of its reliability because some
answers will be “give-aways.”

4. Clueless. Ensure your premises don’t include hints through grammar (like implying the
answer must be plural) or hints from word choice (like using the term itself in a definition).

5. Unequal responses. In an ideal world, you should present more responses than premises,
so the remaining responses don’t work as hints to the correct answer. This is not often
possible when using a template.

6. Limited premises. Due to the capacity limitations of working memory, avoid a long list of
premises in the first column. A number that I’ve come across is to keep the list down to six
items. Even less might be better, depending on the characteristics of your audience.

7. One correct answer. Every premise should have only one correct response. Obvious, but
triple-check to make sure each response can only work for one premise.

You can find more guidelines for writing matching type tests at the University of
Wisconsin’s Multiple Choice and Matching Test Guidelines. Also, listen to How to Plan,
Design and Write Tests for an interview with a professor of psychometrics (the field of
psychology that focuses on testing, measurement and assessment.)
2

/ a 2 Educ 105 – Assessment of Learning I

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Educ 105
Mid-La Union Campus Assessment of Learning I
College of Education Matching-Type Tests
Bachelor of Secondary Education Lesson 15

Matching Type Test Advantages and Disadvantages

The matching test item format has advantages. It allows you to cover more content in one
question than you can with multiple choice. That’s why I think they are excellent for
intermittent knowledge checks. They are also a very efficient approach to testing and can
provide an excellent objective measurement. In addition, they provide a way to add some
variety to your activities.

On the other hand, disadvantage of the matching type test is the tendency to use this format
for the simple recall of information. Adult learners often require practice and testing of
higher-order thinking skills, such as problem solving. Don’t limit your use of this format to
recall of knowledge alone. Rather, try to find ways to use matching for application and
analysis too, such as presenting a short scenario and asking for the best solution.
When using matching test items in an assessment, you’ll need to identify the specifics of
how to score them. Some prefer to give partial credit when some—but not all—of the
responses are correct. Often, the authoring tool determines the approach, but if you do
have control, it’s an issue you’ll need to explore.

https://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/writing-matching-test-items/

Study Guides:

Reflect on the lesson by asking yourself the following questions. You may not necessarily
answer them,

 How can Matching-Type tests be made into higher-order thinking tests?

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