Criteria for Evaluating Individual Test Questions
Point of the Question
Is it clear what kind of learning is being evaluated?
Does the question evaluate a level of learning
higher than "recall knowledge" or basic understanding?
Technical Characteristics of the Question
1. Multiple Choice Questions (from p. 13 of
IDP handout on writing test questions)
- Present a single, definite concept in the stem.
- Place all common wording in the stem.
- Phrase stems positively unless you wish to emphasize
an exception; in that case, underscore or capitalize
the exception.
- Make the alternatives grammatically consistent with
the stem and with each other.
- Avoid verbal association between the stem and the
correct response.
- Construct items with a single best answer.
- Include four or five alternatives.
- Use plausible distractors.
- Arrange alternatives in a logical sequence.
- Avoid using opposites or mutually exclusive alternatives.
- Eliminate option length and specificity as clues to
the correct response.
- Delete specific determiners from the alternatives.
- Avoid using "All of the above" and None
of the above' as options.
- Vary the position of the correct answer in a random
manner.
2. Essay Questions (from pp. 38, 40-41 of the
IDP handout)
- Restrict the use of essay questions to those learning
outcomes which cannot be satisfactorily measure by objective
items.
- OBJECTIVES: Formulate questions that will call forth
the behavior specific in the learning outcomes. (p.
38) Phrase the item to elicit the cognitive process
you wish to measure. (p. 40)
- TASK: Phrase each question so that the student's task
is clearly indicated. (p. 38) State specifically what
you expect the answer to include. (p. 41)
- Indicate an approximate time limit for each question.
- Avoid the use of optional questions.
- Incorporate novel material or novel organization of
material.
- Use precise, unambiguous language.
