Writing GoodMultiple Choice Items

Good Item or Bad?

Good or Bad?

1. I took a class on a topic I knew nothing about, clicked through the materials and took the test without reading anything. I passed! What does that suggest?

A. I am a genius!B. The assessment was too easyC. The course was too easyD. The course didn’t even need to be writtenE. b, c and d

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Good or Bad?

2. In a multiple-choice question, when is the longest answer the correct answer?

A. RarelyB. SometimesC. It’s almost always the correct answer, and it’s often stuffed

with new information that should have gone in the main part of the course but we forgot so now we’re putting it in the quiz because we can’t possible leave out the tiniest detail

D. Occasionally

http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/assessment/writing-good-multiple-choice-test-questions/

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Good or Bad?

3. When is “all of the above” the correct answer?

A. With alarming regularityB. When we try to cover too much in one questionC. When we use a question to teach instead of

assessD. All of the above

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Good or Bad?

4. We can confuse learners when we:1. Fail to actually complete the sentence we started

in the question2. Inconsistent grammar in the option3. Sometimes we veer off into another idea entirely4. wombats

www.blogcathy-moore.com/2007/08/can-you-answer-these-6-questions-about-multiple-choice-questions/

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Good or Bad?

5. Which statement refers to measurement as opposed to evaluation?

A. Emily got 90% correct on a math testB. Lin’s test scores have increased satisfactorily this

year.C. Justin’s score of 20 on this test indicates that his

study habits are ineffectiveD. Keesha got straight A’s in her history courses this

year

Tomorrow’s Professor Mailing List from Stanford Center for Teaching & Learning

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Good or Bad?6. The nurse is making a home visit to a 75 year old male client who has had Parkinson’s disease for the past five years. Which finding has the greatest implication for this patient’s care?

A. The client’s wife tells the nurse that the grandchildren have not been to visit for over a month

B. The nurse notes that there are numerous throw rugs throughout the client’s home

C. The client has a towel wrapped around his neck that the wife uses to wipe her husband’s face

D. The client is sitting in an armchair, and the nurse notes that he is gripping the arms of the chair

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Good or Bad?

8. What literary device is best illustrated in the cartoon below?

A. Situational ironyB. Plot twistC. Sarcasm

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Starters

Write a Knowledge Item

• Write the fact statement• Transform the statement into a positive

question• Write 3-4 plausible distractors and 1 correct

answer

Write a Comprehension Item

• Use this template: Which of the following is an example of ______________________?

Write an Application Item

• Prepare a short case study or example.• Write a stem that asks the student to demonstrate the use of

the procedural knowledge or solve a problem

Example:What are the stoichiometric coefficients for the following chemical reaction?___NH3+___O2☐___NO+___H2O

A. 2, 5, 2 and 6B. 3, 6, 3 and 4C. 4, 5, 5 and 6D. 5, 5, 5 and 6

Write an Application Item

• Present the student with a diagram and ask for analysis.

Example• Given the following chart, which of the

following is the most likely to occur next?

Write an Evaluation Item

• Give the student a short case study• Ask: Which of the following would have been

a better plan of action?

Samples

Knowledge - Vocab

1. Locomotion is the same as:A. When you make crazy looking movementsB. When the feet move the body from one place to

anotherC. When any part of the body is in motionD. When your movements sound like a train

PE Central - Search: Paper and Pencil Assessments

Comprehension/ApplicationVocab

1. Which of the following is an example of locomotion?

A. SittingB. StandingC. WinkingD. Running

Comprehension/ApplicationConcept

1. Which of the following is the best health benefit of 30 minutes of daily locomotion?

A. Stronger heart and lungsB. Toned musclesC. Improved athletic skillsD. Better digestion

Analysis - Procedure

1. John’s Day: – 10 minutes - Walk to school (eat breakfast bar on the way)– 200 minutes – Math, Reading, Science, Soc St– 30 minutes - lunch– 15 minutes – recess (hang out with friends on steps)– 50 minutes – specials class– 10 minutes – walk home (eat chips on the way)– 200 minutes – watch tv and eat supper– 60 minutes – video games

Which advice statement below would improve John’s health the most?

A. Jog to and from schoolB. Listen to TV on headset while walking 30 minutes every day. C. Join a baseball team in the summerD. Help Mom with chores everyday (dishes, trash, feed dog)

1. This image is a good example of which statement below?A. Use of linear perspectiveB. Showing form through dark and lightC. Use of variation in contour lineD. Use of shading

Comprehension/Application

Analysis

http://www.Pics4learning.com

Music

• Sample Vocabulary Items (Knowledge Level)http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=elements-music-test

• Sample with Auditory Excerpts (Comprehension/Application) http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/MFT/pdf/mft_samp_questions_music.pdf