SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING

TEST ITEMS

Edelyn D. Sabilla
GENERAL SUGGESTIONS
 General Suggestions

1. Use Table of Specifications

(TOS) as a guide to item writing.

2. Construct more items than

needed.
 General Suggestions

3. Write the items ahead of the

testing date.

4. Write each test item at an

appropriate reading level and
difficulty.
 General Suggestions

5. Write each test item in a way

that is does not provide help in
answering other test items.
6. Write each test item so that the
task to be done is clearly defined.
 General Suggestions

7. Write a test item whose answer

is one that would be agreed upon
by the experts.
6. Whenever a test is revised,
recheck its relevance.
SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS
I. Writing True or False Test
1. Avoid broad, trivial statements
and use of negative words,
especially double negatives.

2. Avoid long and complex sentences.

I. Writing True or False Test
3. Avoid multiple facts or including
two ideas in one statement, unless
cause and effect relationship is being
measured.
4. If opinion is used, attribute it to some
source unless the ability to identify
opinion is specifically measured.
I. Writing True or False Test
5. Use proportional number of true
statements and false statements.

6. True statements and false

statements should be
approximately equal in length.
II. Writing Matching Type Test
1. Use only homogenous material in a
single matching exercise.

2. Include an unequal number of responses

and premises and instruct the students
that responses may be used once, more
than once, or not at all.
Use a joker or jokers.
II. Writing Matching Type Test
3. Keep the list of items to be matched
brief, and place the shorter responses
at the right.
4. Arrange the list of responses in logical
order.
5. Indicate in the directions the basis for
matching the responses and premises.
II. Writing Matching Type Test
6. Place all the items for one matching
exercise on the same page.

7. Limit a matching exercise to not more

than 10 10 15 items.
III. Writing Multiple Choice Test
1. The stem of the item should be
meaningful by itself and should
present a definite problem.
2. The item stem should include as
much of the item as possible an
should be free of irrelevant material.
III. Writing Multiple Choice Test
3. Use a negatively stated stem only
when significant learning outcomes
require it, and stress/highlight the
negative words for emphasis.

4. All the alternatives should be

grammatically consistent with the
stem of the item.
III. Writing Multiple Choice Test
5. An item should only contain one
correct or clearly best answer.

6. Items used to measure

understanding should contain some
novelty, but not too much.
III. Writing Multiple Choice Test
7. All distracters should be
plausible/attractive.

8. Verbal associations between the

stem and the correct answer should
be avoided.
III. Writing Multiple Choice Test
9. The relative length of the
alternatives/options should not
provide a clue to the answer.
10. The alternatives should be
arranged logically.
III. Writing Multiple Choice Test
11. The correct answer should appear
in each of the alternative positions
and approximately equal number of
times but in random order.

12. Always have the stem and the

alternatives on the same page.
III. Writing Multiple Choice Test
13. Use of special alternatives such as
none of the above or all of the above
should be done sparingly.

14. Do not use multiple choice items

when other types are more appropriate.
III. Writing Multiple Choice Test
15. Provide at least four (4) options.
IV. Writing Supply Type of Test
1. Word the item/s so that the required
answer is both brief and specific.

2. Do not take statements directly

from textbooks.
IV. Writing Supply Type of Test
3. A direct question is generally more
desirable than an incomplete
statement.
4. If the item is to be expressed in
numerical units, indicate the type of
answer wanted.
IV. Writing Supply Type of Test
5. Blanks for answers should be equal
in length and as much as possible at
the end or near the end of the
statement.
6. When completion items are to be
used, do not indicate too many blanks.
V. Writing Essay Type of Test
1. Restrict the use of essay questions
to those learning outcomes that
cannot be satisfactorily measured by
objective items.

2. Construct questions that will call forth

the skills specified in the learning
standards.
V. Writing Essay Type of Test
3. Phrase each question so that so that
the students’ task is clearly defined
or indicated.
4. Avoid the use of optional questions.
V. Writing Essay Type of Test
5. Indicate the approximate time limit
or the number of points for each
question.
6. Prepare an outline of the expected
answer in advance or scoring rubric.
 The Learning Outcomes
Measurable by Essay Type of
Test:
1. Comparison between two or more thing
2. The development and defense of opinion
3. Questions of cause and effect
4. Explanation of meaning
5. Summarizing of information in a
designated area
 The Learning Outcomes
Measurable by Essay Type of
Test:
6. Analysis
7. Knowledge of relationship
8. Illustrations of rules , principles,
procedures
and application
9. Application of rules, laws, and principles
to
new situations.
 The Learning Outcomes
Measurable by Essay Type of
Test:
10. Criticism of adequacy, relevance, or
correctness
of a concept, idea, or information
11. Formulation of new questions and
problems
12. Reorganization of fact
13. Discriminations between objects,
concepts, or
Reference
Assessment of Learning1
Navarro, Santos and
Corpuz, Third Edition.
Lorimar Publishing
Assignment:
Using the guidelines
discussed, construct three
(3) test items of each type.
Use your assigned area of
specialization.