“SUGGESTIONS FOR USING

AND WRITING TEST ITEMS”

EDUC. 6
Reporter: Edliecel Q. Historia
Multiple Choice Items

Student asked to select only correct answers from the choices

offered as a list.
“COMPONENTS OF MULTIPLE CHOICE ITEM”

 Test Item a test question (Not always a question) or a specific task

test takers are asked to perform

 The stem Identifies the question or problem.

 The response alternatives the choices that are provided to respondents in a survey
when they are asked a question. (applicable answers)
 Key correct option / (the answer)
 Distractor incorrect or inferior/ (words related to the correct answer)
Example of a Multiple Choice Question

As societies increase in complexity from folk to industrial, society controls is more likely to
be invested in the

a. family
b. school distractors
c. state stem
d. peer group key
e. religious structure
“Advantage of Using Multiple Choice Items”

1. Versatility in measuring all levels of cognitive ability

2. Highly reliable test score
3. Scoring efficiency and accuracy
4. Objective measurement of student achievement or ability
5. A wide sampling off content or objectives
6. A reduced guessing factor when compared to true-false items
7. Different response alternatives which can provide diagnostic feedback
 “Limitations of Multiple Choice Items”

1. Difficult and time consuming to construct

2. Creates More Confusion.
3. Only a Part of The Concept is Tested.
4. Place a High Degree of dependence on the student’s reading ability and teacher’s
writing ability.
SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ITEMS

1. When possible, state the stem as direct question rather than as an

incomplete statement.

Example:
Poor: Alloys are ordinarily produced by. . . .

Better: How are alloys ordinarily produced?

2. Present a definite, explicit singular question or problem in the stem.

Example:
Poor: Psychology . . . .

Better: The science of mind and behavior is called _______.

 SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ITEMS

3. Eliminate excessive verbiage or irrelevant information from the stem.

Example:
Poor: While ironing her formal, polo shirt June burned her hand
accidentally in the hot iron. This was due to a transfer of heat because .
...

Better: Which of the following ways of heat transfer explains why June’s
hand was burned after she touched a hot iron?
SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ITEMS

4. Make all alternative plausible and attractive to the less knowledgeable

or skillful students
Example:
What process is most nearly the opposite of photosynthesis?

Poor: Better:

a. Digestion a. Digestion
b. Relaxation b. Assimilation
c. Respiration * c. Respiration *
d. Exertion d. Catabolism
 SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ITEMS

5. Include in the stem any word (s) that might otherwise be repeated in each alternative.

Example:
Poor: In national election in the Philippines the President is officially
a. chosen by the people
b. chosen by the electoral College *
c. chosen by members of Congress
d. chosen by the House of Representatives

Better: In national elections in the Philippines, the President is officially chosen by

a. the people
b. members of congress
c. the electoral College *
d. the House of Representative
SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ITEMS

6.Use negatives sparingly.

- capitalize the negative word, underscore, embolden or otherwise highlight.

Example:
Poor: Which is not cited as an accomplishment of Duterte administration?

Better: Which of the following is NOT cited as an accomplishment of Duterte administration?

 SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ITEMS

7. Keep all answer choices the same length

Example:
Poor: The most general cause of low individual incomes in the Philippines is
a. Lack of valuable productive services to sell *
b. Unwillingness to work
c. Automation
d. Inflation

Better: What is the most general cause of low individual incomes in the Philippines?
a. A lack of valuable productive service to sell *
b. The population’s overall unwillingness to work.
c. The nations' increase reliance on automation.
d. An increasing national level of inflation.
 SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ITEMS

8. Avoid irrelevant clues to the correct answer

A chain of islands is called an:

a. Peninsula grammatically clue
b. Archipelago
c. Continent
d. Isthmus

The height to which a water dam is built depends on

a. The length of the reserve behind the dam. connection between stem
b. The volume of water behind the dam. and answer
c. The height of water behind the dam
d. The strength to the reinforcing wall
 SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ITEMS

9. Avoid negative questions

- Students may be able to find an incorrect answer without knowing the
correct answer.

10. Avoid the ‘all of the above’ or ‘none of the above’ options
- This can encourage guessing. You will never know if students really
know the correct answer.

11. Mix up the order of the correct answers

- Keep correct answers in random positions and don’t let them fall into a
pattern that can be detected.
 SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ITEMS

12. Use simple sentence structure and precise wording

• Write questions in a simple structure that is easy to understand

• Use words that should be familiar to your students
• Avoid extremes – never, always, only
• Avoid nonsense words and unreasonable statements
• Have the test reviewed to find mistakes, clues, grammar and punctuation
problems
“Thank You”

Have a nice day!!!