Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 15 views

    Constructing Multiple Choice

    Uploaded by

    Mark Harold Bruce
    This document provides guidelines for constructing effective multiple choice questions. It discusses key aspects of multiple choice question structure, including the stem, options, and distractors. Some of the main points covered are: - The stem should be as short as possible to avoid testing reading skills. Options should be grammatically consistent and equally plausible. - Avoid complex words or negatives, which can add unnecessary difficulty. Each distractor should attract those who don't know the answer but have no appeal to those who do. - Items should not reveal answers to other questions or use synonyms. Avoid unnecessary details that test reading rather than subject knowledge. - Questions should directly ask something and not assume knowledge. Difficulty can

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Constructing Multiple Choice

    Uploaded by

    Mark Harold Bruce
    15 views10 pages
    This document provides guidelines for constructing effective multiple choice questions. It discusses key aspects of multiple choice question structure, including the stem, options, and distractors. Some of the main points covered are: - The stem should be as short as possible to avoid testing reading skills. Options should be grammatically consistent and equally plausible. - Avoid complex words or negatives, which can add unnecessary difficulty. Each distractor should attract those who don't know the answer but have no appeal to those who do. - Items should not reveal answers to other questions or use synonyms. Avoid unnecessary details that test reading rather than subject knowledge. - Questions should directly ask something and not assume knowledge. Difficulty can

    Original Description:

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    This document provides guidelines for constructing effective multiple choice questions. It discusses key aspects of multiple choice question structure, including the stem, options, and distractors. Some of the main points covered are: - The stem should be as short as possible to avoid testing reading skills. Options should be grammatically consistent and equally plausible. - Avoid complex words or negatives, which can add unnecessary difficulty. Each distractor should attract those who don't know the answer but have no appeal to those who do. - Items should not reveal answers to other questions or use synonyms. Avoid unnecessary details that test reading rather than subject knowledge. - Questions should directly ask something and not assume knowledge. Difficulty can

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    15 views10 pages

    Constructing Multiple Choice

    Uploaded by

    Mark Harold Bruce
    This document provides guidelines for constructing effective multiple choice questions. It discusses key aspects of multiple choice question structure, including the stem, options, and distractors. Some of the main points covered are: - The stem should be as short as possible to avoid testing reading skills. Options should be grammatically consistent and equally plausible. - Avoid complex words or negatives, which can add unnecessary difficulty. Each distractor should attract those who don't know the answer but have no appeal to those who do. - Items should not reveal answers to other questions or use synonyms. Avoid unnecessary details that test reading rather than subject knowledge. - Questions should directly ask something and not assume knowledge. Difficulty can

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 10

    CONSTRUCTING

    MULTIPLE CHOICE
    MULTIPLE CHOICE
    TESTS
    - The multiple choice type of test offers the student with more
    than two (2) options per item to choose from
    (a) the stem
    (b) the options
    Distracters
    The distracters are chosen in such a way that they are
    attractive to those who do not know the answer or who are
    guessing but at the same time, have no appeal to those who
    actually know the answer. It is this feature of multiple choice type
    tests that allows the teacher to test higher order thinking
    skills .even if the options are clearly stated.
    Guidelines for Constructing Multiple Choice Items
    1) Do not use unfamiliar words, terms and phrases. The ability of the
    item to discriminate or its level of difficulty should stem from the subject
    matter rather than from the wording of the question.

    2) Do not use modifiers that are vague and whose meanings can differ
    from one person to the next such as: much, often, usually, etc.

    3) Avoid complex or awkward word arrangements. Also, avoid use of


    negatives in the stem as this may add unnecessary comprehension
    difficulties
    4) Do not use negatives or double negatives as such statements tend
    to be confusing. It is best to use simpler sentences rather than
    sentences that would require expertise in grammatical construction.

    5) Each item stem should be as short as possible; otherwise you risk
    testing more for reading and comprehension skills.

    6) Distracters should be equally plausible and attractive.

    7) All multiple choice options should be grammatically consistent


    with the stem
    8) The length, explicitness, or degree of technicality of
    alternatives should not be the determinants of the correctness of
    the answer. The following is an example of this rule

    9) Avoid stems that reveal the answer to another item

    10) Avoid alternatives that are synonymous with others or those


    that include or overlap others.
    11) Avoid presenting sequenced items in the same order as in the text.

    12) Avoid use of assumed qualifiers that many examinees may not be
    aware of

    13) Avoid use of unnecessary words or phrases which are not relevant to
    the problem at hand (unless such discriminating ability is the primary
    intent of the evaluation). The item's value is particularly damaged if the
    unnecessary material is designed to distract or mislead. Such items test
    the student's reading comprehension rather than knowledge of the
    subject matter.
    14) Avoid use of non-relevant sources of difficulty such as
    requiring a complex calculation when only knowledge of a
    principle is being tested.

    15) Pack the question in the stem. Here is an example of a


    question which has no question. Avoid it by all means.
    16) Use the "None of the above" option only when the keyed answer is
    totally correct. When choice of the "best" response is intended, "none of
    the above" is not appropriate, since the implication has already been
    made that the correct response may be partially inaccurate.

    17) Note that use of "all of the above" may allow credit for partial
    knowledge. In a multiple option item, (allowing only one option choice) if
    a student only knew that two (2) options were correct, he could then
    deduce the correctness of "all of the above." This assumes you are
    allowed only one correct choice.
    18) Better still use "none of the above" and "all of the above"
    sparingly but best not to use them at all.

    19) Having compound response choices may purposefully


    increase difficulty of an item. The difficulty in a multiple choice
    item may be controlled by varying the homogeneity or degree
    of similarity of responses. The more homogeneous, the more
    difficult the item because they all look like the correct answer.
    THANK YOU
    FOR WATCHING
    

    You might also like