Types of Test Items

Types of Test Items

Written test consists of different types
of test items
Test items contained 2 broad types
• Free Uncontrolled Response
• Fixed Controlled Response
Free or Uncontrolled Response
Testee can provide answers from
their way
This type includes
Essay type and Short answer Type
 Fixed/Controlled Type
Testee cannot provide answers as
like, their answers are controlled by
test items.
This include
• Very short answer type and One
word answers.
 Objective type test items
Two types
• Recall type
• Recognition type
 Objective type test items
• Completion type
• Matching type
• True or False
• Odd one
• Choose the best
 Merits of Objective type
• Only one correct answer
• Fast and easy
• Scoring if free from personal bias
• Do not require more time to answer
• Thousands of students announce the
results shortly.
 Limitations
• We can not test the ability of students.
• Test the superficial knowledge of
students.
• Vert difficult to prepare
• Well experienced teachers can prepare
good objective type test items.
• Neither promote thinking ability nor
language ability.
 Short answer type
• Students are express their
answers precisely
• Scores of answers is reliable
• Question paper covering entire
content areas
 Essay type Merits
• Ability of recalling selective
information they have learned.
• Students freely express their
own ideas.
• Develop good study habits.
• Develop critical ability.
 Demerits
• Question paper containing few essay
type questions.
• Require more time for answering.
• Good language ability can score good
marks.
• Good hand writing influence the
examiner.
• Examiner personal bias and mood
affect the marks.
Principles
for
Constructing
Test Items
 Principles for Constructing Test Items
• Following criteria are followed in developing
any type of test items
• Each test item should aim to test one or more
instructional objectives
• Test items should be constructed on what the
testees should know and are able to make
meaning of it.
• In addition there some specific principles for
developing each type of test items
 Principles related to construction of
Multiple choice items
• Principles related to STEM
• Setting the problem related to the objective
• Stating the stem is clear
• Avoiding excessive and non functioning words
• Avoiding double negative words
• Stem should be stated in grammatically correct
language
• Avoiding in the stem any clue to choose the answer
• Avoiding negative statements
 Principles related to choices
• Present at least 4 choices
• Using attractive alternatives
• Avoiding responses like all the
above and none of the above
• Making correct responses appear
at random order
• Arranging alternatives one after
the other in numerical order
 Principles related to Matching test
items
• Matching should be arranged in two
columns, one for premises other for
responses
• Premises in the left column and the
responses on the right side
• Number of responses more than number of
premises
• All the premises should find on the same
page
• Proper instructions at the top of matching
 Principles related to Completion
type Test items
• Only one answer fit in well in the blank space
provided
• A blank should not find place at the beginning
• Statement should not taken directly from the
text book
• Clue for the answer should not contained in
the statement
• Too many blanks are not desirable in an item
 Principles related to True/False
test items
• Statement should be fully true or fully false
• Avoiding the usage of words like may be,
some, many etc
• Avoiding long complex sentences
• Statement based on well established facts
• True/ False statement randomly arranged
• Use of words like all, always ,only avoided
in the statements sometime provided clue
for correct answer
Principles related to constructing
short answer type
• Questions should be framed with clear
and meaningful words
• Questions should be so structured so
that acceptable answers are in few
sentences
• Questions involve computational
problem it should be clearly stated
 Principles related to Constructing
Essay type Questions
• Words and language style should be simple
and easy
• Questions to test the ability of the students
• Size of the answers clearly mentioned
• Weightage should be determined in advance
and clearly stated in the question paper
• Essay type questions are to be used only for
the purpose
THANK YOU