Selection Type Items (objective type)
There are four types of test items in the selection category of tests that are in common use today. They are multiple-choice, matching, true-false, and completion items.
Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple-choice test items consist of a stem or a question and three or more alternative answers (options) with the correct answer sometimes called the keyed response and the incorrect answers called distracters. This form is generally better than the incomplete stem because it is simpler and more natural.
Grounlund (1995) writes that the multiple choice question is probably the most popular as well as the most widely applicable and effective type of objective test. Student selects a single response from a list of options. It can be used effectively for any level of course outcome. It consists of two parts: the stem, which states the problem and a list of three to five alternatives, one of which is the correct (key) answer and the others are distracters (incorrect options that draw the less knowledgeable pupil away from the correct response). Multiple choice questions consist of three obligatory parts:
1. The question (“body of the question”)
2. The correct answer (“the key of the question”)
3. Several incorrect alternatives (the so called “distracters”) and optional (and especially valuable in self-assessment)
4. Feedback comment on the student’s answer.
The stem may be stated as a direct question or as an incomplete statement. For example:
- Direct question
Which is the capital city of Pakistan? ————— (Stem)
A. Paris. ————————————— (Distracter)
B. Lisbon. ————————————– (Distracter)
C. Islamabad. ———————————- (Key)
D. Rome. ————————————— (Distracter)
- Incomplete Statement
The capital city of Pakistan is
A. Paris.
B. Lisbon.
C. Islamabad.
D. Rome.
Multiple choice questions are composed of one question with multiple possible answers (options), including the correct answer and several incorrect answers (distracters).
Typically, students select the correct answer by circling the associated number or letter, or filling in the associated circle on the machine-readable response sheet. Students can generally respond to these types of questions quite quickly. As a result, they are often used to test student’s knowledge of a broad range of content. Creating these questions can be time consuming because it is often difficult to generate several plausible distracters. However, they can be marked very quickly.
Multiple Choice Questions Good for: Application, synthesis, analysis, and evaluation levels
Rules for Writing Multiple-Choice Questions
There are several rules we can follow to improve the quality of this type of written examination.
1. Examine only the Important Facts!
Make sure that every question examines only the important knowledge. Avoid detailed questions – each question has to be relevant for the previously set instructional goals of the course.
2. Use Simple Language!
Use simple language, taking care of spelling and grammar. Spelling and grammar mistakes (unless you are testing spelling or grammar) only confuse students. Remember that you are examining knowledge about your subject and not language skills.
3. Make the Questions Brief and Clear!
Clear the text of the body of the question from all superfluous words and irrelevant content. It helps students to understand exactly what is expected of them. It is desirable to formulate a question in such way that the main part of the text is in the body of the question, without being repeated in the answers.
4. Form the Questions Correctly!
Be careful that the formulation of the question does not (indirectly) hide the key to the correct answer. Student (adept at solving tests) will be able to recognize it easily and will find the right answer because of the word combination, grammar etc, and not because of their real knowledge.
5. Take into Consideration the Independence of Questions!
Be careful not to repeat content and terms related to the same theme, since the answer to one question can become the key to solve another.
6. Offer Uniform Answers!
All offered answers should be unified, clear and realistic. For example, unlikely realisation of an answer or uneven text quantity of different answers can point to the right answer. Such a question does not test real knowledge. The position of the key should be random. If the answers are numbers, they should be listed in an ascending order.
7. Avoid Asking Negative Questions!
If you use negative questions, negation must be emphasized by using CAPITAL letters, e.g. “Which of the following IS NOT correct…” or “All of the following statements are true, EXCEPT…”.
8. Avoid Distracters in the Form of “All the answers are correct” or “none of the answers is correct“!
Teachers use these statements most frequently when they run out of ideas for distractions. Students, knowing what is behind such questions, are rarely misled by it. Therefore, if you do use such statements, sometimes use them as the key answer. Furthermore, if a student recognizes that there are two correct answers (out of 5 options), they will be able to conclude that the key answer is the statement “all the answers are correct”, without knowing the accuracy of the other distracters.
9. Distracters must be significantly different from the right answer (key)!
Distracters that only slightly differ from the key answer are bad distracters. Good or strong distracters are statements that themselves seem correct but are not the correct answer to a particular question.
10. Offer an appropriate number of distractions.
The greater the number of distractions, the lesser the possibility that a student could guess the right answer (key). In higher education tests, questions with 5 answers are used most often (1 key + 4 distracters). That means that a student is 20% likely to guess the right answer.
Read: Types of achievement tests and their purpose
Advantages of MCQs
Multiple-choice test items are not a panacea. They have advantages and disadvantages, just as any other type of test item. Teachers need to be aware of these characteristics in order to use multiple-choice items effectively.
Versatility
Multiple-choice test items are appropriate for use in many different subject-matter areas and can be used to measure a great variety of educational objectives. They are adaptable to various levels of learning outcomes, from simple recall of knowledge to more complex levels, such as the student’s ability to:
• Analyze phenomena
• Apply principles to new situations
• Comprehend concepts and principles
• Discriminate between fact and opinion
• Interpret cause-and-effect relationships
• Interpret charts and graphs
• Judge the relevance of information
• Make inferences from given data
• Solve problems The difficulty of multiple-choice items can be controlled by changing the alternatives, since the more homogeneous the alternatives, the finer the distinction the students must make in order to identify the correct answer. Multiple-choice items are amenable to item analysis, which enables the teacher to improve the item by replacing distracters that are not functioning properly. In addition, the distractions chosen by the student may be used to diagnose misconceptions of the student or weaknesses in the teacher’s instruction.
Validity
In general, it takes much longer to respond to an essay test question than it does to respond to a multiple-choice test item since the composing and recording of an essay answer is such a slow process. A student is therefore able to answer many multiple-choice items in the time it would take to answer a single essay question. This feature enables the teacher to use multiple-choice items to test a broader sample of course contents in a given amount of time. Consequently, the test scores will likely be more representative of the student’s overall achievement in the course.
Reliability
Well-written multiple-choice test items compare favorably with other test item types on the issue of reliability. They are less susceptible to guessing than true-false test items and therefore capable of producing more reliable scores. Their scoring is more clear-cut than short-answer test item scoring because there are no misspelled or partial answers to deal with. Since multiple-choice items are objectively scored, they are not affected by scorer inconsistencies as are essay questions, and they are essentially immune to the influence of bluffing and writing ability factors, both of which can lower the reliability of essay test scores.
Efficiency
Multiple-choice items are amenable to rapid scoring, which is often done by scoring machines. This expedites the reporting of test results to the student so that any follow-up clarification of instruction may be done before the course has proceeded much further.
Essay questions, on the other hand, must be graded manually, one at a time. Overall, multiple-choice tests are:
•Very effective
•Versatile at all levels
•Minimum of writing for student
•Guessing reduced
•Can cover a broad range of content
Read this: Top qualities and skills of a good teacher.
