Writing
Objective Test
Questions
What is objective assessment?
A test consisting of questions or items that are
highly structured and have only one right or
best answer determined in advance.
Examples:
Multiple-choice
True-false
Matching
Hierarchy of Learning
Outcomes
Objective Assessment is Effective for
Measuring Lower Levels of Cognitive
Learning Outcomes
Knowing
Recall a definition, a term or a fact
Recognize a symbol
Understanding
Explain how things work
Interpret a diagraph
Compare and contrasts two entities
Applying
Use a procedure to solve a problem
Make a prediction
GUIDELINE FOR WRITING
MULTIPLE-CHOICE
QUESTIONS
Guideline 1: The stem of an item should be
meaningful by itself and should present a definite
problem
South America… Most of South America
a. Is a flat, arid country. was settled by colonists
b. Imports coffee from the from?
United States. a. England
c. Has a larger population b. France
than the United States. c. Holland
d. Was settled mainly by d. Spain*
colonists from Spain*.
Guideline 2: Make all choices plausible to
uninformed students
What are electrons? What are electrons?
a. Negative particles* a. Negative particles*
b. Positive particles b. Positive particles
c. Neutral particles c. Neutral particles
d. Mechanical tools
Guideline 3: The stem should be concise, free of
irrelevant materials, and include as much
information as possible
Most of South America was Why did Spanish colonists
settled by colonists from settle most of South America?
Spain. How would you a. They were adventurous.
account for the large number b. They were in search of
of Spanish colonists settling wealth.*
there?
c. They wanted lower taxes.
a. They were adventurous.
d. They were seeking
b. They were in search of religious freedom.
wealth.*
c. They wanted lower taxes.
d. They were seeking
religious freedom.
Guideline 4: Avoid extraneous clues to the correct
and incorrect choices
An electric transformer can An electric transformer can
be used be used to
a. for storing electricity. a. store electricity.
b. to increase the voltage of b. increase the voltage of
alternating current.* alternating current.*
c. it converts electrical c. convert electrical energy
energy into mechanical into mechanical energy.
energy. d. change alternative current
d. alternating current is to direct current.
changed to direct current.
Guideline 5: Avoid using the “none of the above”,
“all of the above” and “I don’t know” alternatives
Which of the following Which of the following
agencies should you contact agencies should you contact
to find out about a tornado to find out about a tornado
warning in your locality? warning in your locality?
a. Farm bureau a. Farm bureau
b. Post office b. Post office
c. Weather Bureau c. Radio station*
d. None of the above* c. Weather Bureau
Practice
Write a multiple-choice question on any topic you
are familiar with. Exchange with the person
sitting next to you to critique each other’s
question.
Guidelines for Writing Matching
Questions
A Sample Matching Question
On the line to the left of each achievement listed
in column A, write the letter of the person’s
name in Column B who is noted for that
achievement. Each name in Column B may be
used once, more than once, or not at all.
Column A Column B
_A_ 1. Invented the telephone A. Alexander
Graham Bell
_B_ 2. Discovered America B. Christopher
Columbus
_C_ 3. First United States astronaut C. John Glenn
to orbit the earth D.
Abraham Lincoln
_F_ 4. First president of the United E. Ferdinard Magellan
States F. George
Washington
G. Eli Whitney
Guidelines for Writing T-F Questions
1. Avoid broad general statements if they are to be judged true or false.
Poor: The president of the United States is usually elected to that
office. T F Better: The president of the United States is elected to that
office. T F
2. Avoid double negative statements.
Poor: None of the steps in the experiment was unnecessary. T F
Better: All of the steps in the experiment were necessary. T F
3. If opinion is stated, attribute it to some source.
Poor: Adequate medical care can be best provided through socialized
medicine. T F
Better: The American Medical Association favors socialized medicine
as the best means of providing adequate medical care. T
F
Guidelines for Writing T-F Questions
4. Avoid complex sentences
Poor: Whales are mammals because they are large.
T F
Better: Whales are mammals. T F
5. Avoid long sentences
Poor: Despite the theoretical and experimental
difficulties of determining the exact pH value of a
solution, it is possible to determine whether a solution is
acid by the red color formed on litmus paper when it is
inserted into the solution. T F
Practice
Write a true-false and a matching question on a
topic you are familiar with. Exchange with the
person sitting next to you to critique each
other’s questions.
Useful Resources
1. Anderson, L. W.; Krathwohl, D. R. (eds.) (2001). A taxonomy for learning,
teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom's taxonomy of educational
objectives. New York: Longman
2. Bloom, B. S., et al., (eds.). (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: Handbook
I: Cognitive domain. New York: David McKay Company.
3. Haladyna, T. M., & Downing, S. M. (1989a). A taxonomy of multiple-choice item-
writing rules. Applied Measurement in Education, 2(1), 37-50.
4. Haladyna, T. M., & Downing, S. M. (1989b). Validity of a taxonomy of multiple-
choice
item-writing rules. Applied Measurement in Education, 2(1), 51-78.
5. Haladyna, T. M., Downing, S. M., & Rodriguez, M. C. (2002). A review of multiple-
choice item-writing guidelines for classroom assessment. Applied Measurement
in Education, 15(3), 309-334.
