assessment of learning - multiple choice test

Multiple Choice

Test

IntroductionThe multiple – choice test

is regarded as one of the best forms of testing. This form is the most valuable

and widely – used in standardized test due to its flexibility and objectivity in

scoring.

IntroductionThe multiple – choice item

is considered somewhat more difficult to construct than the other objective items. However, it is as

much more effective item for measuring higher cognitive processes.

Introduction

The multiple – choice type of test is a form of assessment in which

students are asked to select the correct or best answer out of the

choices from the list. It requires the student to select from the given options that will make the stem

complete or correct. All incorrect or less appropriate responses are called “distracters” or “foils”.

Introduction

Oftentimes, multiple – choice tests include a stimulus material

where the item or question is drawn. A stimulus material, or

an introductory material, is added information in the form of chart, graph, stanza of a poem,

or novel pictorial.

Introduction

A multiple – choice test is made up of items each of

which presents two or more responses, only one

of which is correct or definitely better than the

others.

IntroductionThe multiple – choice item

consists of two parts: (a) the stem, which identifies the

question or problem; and (b) the response alternatives. Students are asked to select

one alternative that best completes the statement or

answers to the question.

Example

Item stem:

• Which of the following is a chemical change?

Example

Response alternatives:

• A. Evaporation of Alcohol• B. Freezing of water• C. Burning of oil• D. Melting of wax

IntroductionThe given options are the

possible answers that the examinees can choose from, with the correct

answer called “key”. The minimum number of

options is three while the maximum is five.

IntroductionIn short, each multiple –

choice item consist of a stem and a series of

alternative responses, one of which is the correct

response. Alternatives that are incorrect are, for

obvious reasons, called “distracters”.

StemThe introductory part of an item is

called the stem, and its functions are to ask question,

set the task to be performed, or state the problem to be solved.

As a general rule, after the examinee has read the stem, he or she should understand

the task at the hand and know what task is required by the

stem.

StemThe stem is the beginning part of the

item that presents the item as a problem to be solved, a question asked

of the students, or an incomplete statement to be completed. It can be

presented in three ways: a direction, an incomplete statement, or a

mathematical equation. If it is an incomplete statement, all the options or

the last one ends with the period. For elementary students, it is advisable to

use a direct question.

Stem

Example of a direct question:

• Who is the President of the Philippines after EDSA I?

Stem

Example of an incomplete statement:

• The President of the Philippines after EDSA I is

Stem

A stem may also be presented in the form of a mathematical equation:

• In the equation 2x + 3 = 4, solve for x.

StemThe stem in multiple – choice question should present the problem so

clearly that the students will know

exactly what is expected of them.

StemIt should be constructed in

such a way that it leads directly to the alternatives without ambiguity. This can be assured if both the stem and the correct alternative

are written as grammatically complete statements.

Stem

Example:

The Connecticut River originates

at the Connecticut

Lakes in Northern Vermont.

StemStated this way, the entire

item is more likely to have a clearly – stated stem and a

good set of alternatives. Then, break the sentence in

the following way to construct the alternatives, responses, or distracters:

Example:

Stem The Connecticut River originates at the Connecticut Lakes in:

A. Southern CanadaB. Northwestern New HampshireC. Northern VermontD. Northeastern Connecticut

Stem

It does not matter very much where the stem

is split so long as it makes good sense and contains most of the

information.

Stem

Items at this level should provide clues for accurate recall in

order for the students to be accurate in their selection of an answer.

Stem

It does not matter either whether the

stem is written as an incomplete sentence, as above or whether it is restated as question.

Stem

Example:

Where does Connecticut River originate?

A. Southern CanadaB. Northwestern New HampshireC. Northern Vermont D. Northeastern Connecticut

The Alternatives/Respo

nse/Options

Alternatives/Response/Options

The suggested responses are called

alternatives/responses/options. Usually, only one of the alternatives is the correct or best answer to the question

or problem posed.


The remaining incorrect alternatives are called

“distracters” or “foils”. Their function is to appear as

plausible answers or solutions to the problem for those

examinees who do not possess sufficient knowledge.


The alternatives (sometimes called options) are the

“multiple choices” from which students

select.


Since alternatives are as plausible as the correct

responses, they are called “distracters”. They are

designed to force students to think by making their choices more difficult.

Advantages of Multiple – Choice Test

It has a great versatility in measuring objectives from the level of the rote memorization to the most complex level.It often requires less time to administer than tests requiring written responses.

Because this style of test does not require a teacher to interpret the answers, test – takers are graded purely on the selection, thus creating a lower likelihood of teacher bias in the results.

Factors irrelevant to the assessed materials, such as handwriting and clarity of presentation, do not come into play in a multiple choice assessment.

Because student writing is minimized, the teacher can cover a substantial amount of course material in relatively short time.Scoring is objective since only little interpretation is needed to count the number of correct responses.

Teachers can construct options that require students to discriminate among them. These items vary in the degree of correctness.The effects of guessing are largely reduced since there are more options.

Items are more amenable to item analysis, and this can be used to detect areas of student weaknesses, evidence of the item ambiguity, item difficulty, and the extent to which the item can measure individual differences.

The multiple – choice item can be used to test a greater variety of instructional objectives.

It does not require the examinee to write out and elaborate their answers, minimizing the opportunity for less knowledgeable examinees to “bluff” or “dress up” their answer.

It focuses on reading and thinking.

Highly reliable test scores.

A wide sampling of content or objectives.Different response alternatives which can provide diagnostic feedback.

Limitations of Multiple –

Choice Test

This type of test is more time consuming in terms of looking for options that are plausible.

Multiple – choice tests are ambiguous. Failing to interpret the question as the test maker intended can result in an incorrect response, even if the test taker’s response is potentially valid.

The term multiple guess has been used to describe this scenario because test – takers may attempt to guess, rather than determine the correct answer.

In a multiple – choice test, a student who is incapable of answering a particular question can simply select a random answer and still have a chance of receiving a mark of it.

It is a common practice of students who have no time left to give all the remaining questions random answers in the hope that they will get at least some of them right.

Test naïve student complain of more than one defensible correct answer.They require students to choose from among a fixed list of options, rather than to create or express their own ideas and solutions.

Poorly written multiple – choice test items can be superficial, trivial, and limited to factual knowledge.Multiple – choice items tend to based on “standardized”, “vulgarized”, or “approved” knowledge and give students the impression that there is a single, correct answer.

Lead a teacher to favor simple recall of facts.Place a high degree of dependence on student’s reading ability and teacher’s writing ability.

Suggestions for Constructing a

MULTIPLE – CHOICE TEST

Constructing/Improving the Main

Stem

A. Constructing/Improving the Main Stem

Statements barrowed from textbooks or other

reference materials must be avoided. Use familiar

phrasing to test the comprehension of

students.


The main stem of the test item

may be constructed in:

Question form

Completion form

Direction form

Question Form

Which is the same as four hundred seventy?

A.B.C.D.

Completion Form

Four hundred seventy is the same as ______________.

A.B.C.D.

Direction Form

Add 22 and 43

A.B.C.D.


Articles “an” and “a” must be avoided as last words in an incomplete sentence. These

words give clues to the probable answers as to

whether the best option starts with a consonant or vowel.


The main stem should be clear. Avoid awkward stems.

Example of an awkward stem:

If there are 9 chairs in the classroom and 16 children in the class, the classroom lacks how many chairs?

A.6B.7C.8D.9

Improved stem:

There are 16 children and 9 chairs in the classroom. How many more chairs are needed?

A.6B.7C.8D.9


In items testing definitions, place the word or term in the stem and use definitions or descriptions as alternatives.


Avoid negatively – worded items.


When possible, state the stem as a direct question rather

than as incomplete statement.

Example

Alloys are ordinarily produced by. . .

How are alloys ordinarily produced?

Poor

Better


Present a definite, explicit singular question or problem in the stem.

Example

Psychology. . .Poor

The science of mind and behavior is

called. . .

Better


Eliminate excessive verbiage or irrelevant information from the

stem.

Example

While ironing her formal, polo shirt June

burned her hand accidentally on the hot iron. This was due to a

transfer of heat because. . .

Which of the following ways of heat transfer explains why June’s hand was burned

after she touched a hot iron?

Poor

Better


Include the stem any word (s) that might

otherwise be repeated in each alternative.

Example

In the national elections in the United States, the President is officially

A. chosen by the peopleB. chosen by electoral

CollegeC. chosen by members

of CongressD.chosen by the House

of Representatives

Poor

Example

In the national elections in the United States, the President is officially chosen by

A. the peopleB. electoral CollegeC. members of CongressD.the House of

Representatives

Better


Use negatively questions sparingly. When used,

underline and/or capitalized the negative

word.

Example

Poor

Better

Which of the following is not cited as an

accomplishment of Arroyo administration?

Which of the following is NOT cited as an accomplishment of

Arroyo administration?

Constructing/Improving Alternatives

Alternatives should be as closely related

to each other as possible.

B. Constructing/Improving Alternatives

Alternatives should be arranged

accordingly to length: from

shortest to longest or vice versa.


All options must be plausible with each other to

attract student to choose detractors or incorrect

responses where only those with high intellectual levels

can get the best option.


All options must be grammatically consistent. For instance, if the stem is singular, the options are all

singular.


Four or more options must be provided in

each item to minimize guessing.


The order of correct answers in all items is

randomly arranged rather than following a regular

pattern.


A uniform number of options in each item must be used. For instance, if there are twenty

items for this type and if item 1 starts with five options, the

rest of the items will have also five options.


Avoid using “not given”, “none of the above”, “all

of the above”, etc. as alternatives in best –

answer types of items.


Make all alternatives plausible and attractive to the less knowledgeable or

skillful student.

Example

Poor Better

A.DigestionB.RelaxationC.RespirationD.Exertion

What process is most nearly the opposite of

photosynthesis?

A.DigestionB.AssimilationC.RespirationD.Catabolism


Make the alternatives grammatically parallel with each other and

consistent with the stem.

Example

Poor

What would do most to advance the application of

atomic discoveries to medicine?

A.Standardized techniques for treatment of patients.

B.Train the average doctor to apply the radioactive treatments.

C.Remove restriction on the use of radioactive substances.

D.Establishing hospital staffed by highly trained radioactive therapy specialist.

Example

Better

What would advance the application of atomic

discoveries to medicine most?

A.Removal of restriction on the use of radioactive substances.

B.Development of standardized techniques for treatment of patients.

C.Addition of trained radioactive therapy specialists to hospital staffs.

D.Training the average doctor in application of radioactive treatments.


Make the alternatives mutually exclusive.

Example

Poor

The daily minimum required amount of milk that a 10 – year old child

should drink is

A. 1 – 2 glassesB. 2 – 3 glassesC. 3-4 glassesD. At least 4 glasses

Example

Better

What is the daily minimum required amount of milk a 10 – year old child should

drink?

A. 1 glassB. 2 glassesC. 3 glassesD. 4 glasses


When possible, present alternatives in some

logical order (chronological, most to

least, alphabetical).

Example

At 7 a.m. two trucks leave a diner and travel north. One truck

averages 42 miles per hour and the other truck averages 38 miles per hour. At what time will they be

24 hours apart?

Example

Undesirable

A. 6 p.m.B. 9 p.m.C. 1 a.m.D. 1 p.m.E. 6 a.m.

Desirable

A. 1 a.m.B. 6 p.m.C. 9 a.m.D. 1 p.m.E. 6 p.m.


Be sure that there is only one correct or best

response to the item.

ExampleThe two most desired

characteristics in a classroom test are the

validity and

Poor Better

A. PrecisionB. ReliabilityC. ObjectivityD. Consistency

A. PrecisionB. ReliabilityC. ObjectivityD.

Standardization


Make alternative approximately equal

in length.

Example

PoorThe most general cause of low individual incomes in the United States is

A. Lack of valuable productive services to sell.B. Unwillingness to work.C. AutomationD. Inflation

Better

ExampleWhat is the most general cause of low individual incomes in the United States?

A. A lack of valuable productive services to sell.B. The population’s overall unwillingness to work.C. The nation’s increase reliance on automation.D. An increasing national level of inflation.


Avoid irrelevant clues, such as grammatical

structure, well – known verbal associations or connections between

stem and answer.

Example

Poor

Grammatical clue

A chain of islands is called an

A. ArchipelagoB. PeninsulaC. ContinentD. Isthmus

Example

Poor

Verbal associations

The reliability of test can be estimated by the coefficient of

A. MeasurementB. CorrelationC. TestingD. Error

Example

Poor

Connection between stem and

answer

The height to which a water dam is built depends onA. The length of the reserve behind the dam.B. The volume of water behind the dam.C. The height of water behind the dam.D. The strength of the reinforcing wall.


Use at least four alternatives for each

item to lower the probability of getting the item correct by

guessing.


Randomly distribute the correct responses among the alternative positions

throughout the test having approximately the same

proportion of the alternatives a, b, c, d, and e

as the correct response.


Use the alternative NONE OF THE ABOVE and ALL

OF THE ABOVE sparingly. When used, such

alternatives should occasionally be used as the correct response.

An illustration of a Multiple –

Choice Item that Measures

behavior in the Cognitive Domain

KNOWLEDGE

Where is the mouth of the Connecticut River Valley located?

A. New HavenB. New LondonC. SaybrookD. Essex

Simple recall of information is all that is

asked.

UNDERSTANDING

Which term most accurately describes the soil deposited at the base of a Canyon?

A. Volcanic rockB. AlluvialC. Sedimentary depositD. Conglomerate

Children need to recall information about erosion and soil formation accurately and

understand how these phenomena build specific geographic formations.

APPLICATION

To help retain valuable farm lands along a river, man often builds:

A. DikesB. Underwater damsC. WaterfallsD. Floodgates

Children must apply their knowledge and understanding of rivers and flooding to know that

dikes will prevent rampaging floods from carrying the soil

away.

ANALYSIS

A river that flows between steep mountains for a hundred miles and then suddenly into a broad plain will require people who live in the plain to build dams:

A. At the head of the canyonB. At the mouth of the canyonC. Two miles below the mouth of the canyonD. At the several points along the canyon

In analyzing the flow of such a river, students should

understand how water from the water from the mountain streams will swell the water

level in the river and cause it to flow faster and dangerous

amounts. They should conclude, if they can perform at this cognitive level, that a

series of dams will likely afford the best protection.

ANALYSIS

SYNTHESIS

In addition to providing drinking water, a reservoir high in the mountains can be an important source for which of the following needs of man?

A. TransportationB. IrrigationC. ElectricityD. Energy

SYNTHESIS

Students now will have to analyze the

information they have gained about the flow

of water in order to synthesize a new way

to make use of the reservoir.

EVALUATION

Which of the following strategies would be the most equitable solution to the perennial drought problems of a large population living in a plain below a well – watered upland area?

A. Divert the water from the upland lakes by aqueducts.B. Change the course of a major river that serves the upland region.C. Drill deep wells in the plains area.D. Build a series of dams in the upland region to store water for the plains area

EVALUATION

Each response is plausible and each

poses economic and emotional problems. Making a thoughtful judgment in terms of available information

is called for.

Types of Multiple –

Choice Tests

Types of Multiple – Choice Tests

Stimulus Material – Stem – Options

The papers, of course, had been full of tragedy – glaring headlines, sandwiched biographies of every member of the household and the usual familiar tag about the police having no clue. Nothing was spared. The war was momentarily inactive and the newspapers seized with avidity on this crime in fashionable life: “the mysterious affair styles” was the topic of the moment.From “The Mysterious Affair at Styles” by Agatha Christie

Why are the newspapers making The Mysterious Affair at Style their lead story? A. They are bored with regular news.B. The Cavendishes were fashionable.C. The war is over.


Stem – Options

Which of the following serves as an example of formative evaluation?

A. Diagnostic testB. Entrance testC. Periodical testD. Short quizzes


Negative stem/The

Negative Variety

The following are examples of an adjective EXCEPT


Best Answer/The Best Answer

Variety

Since there is no clear – cut or well defined policies on observing privacy in all instances, the teacher is simply required to be


Contained Options

Identify the error in the sentence.My parents was in A BManila to assist my

Csister enroll in College.

DNo Error

E


Correct Answer/Correct Answer Variety

What is the summer capital city of the Philippines?


Group Options

Write –

A. If the item is a simple sentenceB. If the item is a compound sentenceC. If the item is a complex sentence


Morse Variety

Write –

A. If W affects X but X affects Y but Y affects Z.B. If W does not affect X but X does not affect Y but Y does not affect Z.C. If W affects X but X does not affect Y but Y affects Z.


The Multiple – Response

Variety

What factors are principally responsible for the clotting of blood?

A. Contact of blood with foreign substance.B. Contact of blood with injured tissueC. Oxidation of hemoglobin


The Incomplete Statement

Variety

Millions of dollars’ worth of corn, oats, wheat, and rye are destroyed annually in the U.S. by:


Substitution Variety


The Incomplete – Alternative

Variety

An apple that has a sharp, pungent, but not disagreeably sour or bitter, taste is said to be [4] A. PB. QC. TE. VF. W(The numeral in the parentheses indicates the number of letters in the correct answers which in this case is “tart”)


The Combined – Response

Variety

Scoring the Multiple – Choice

Tests

Children below the fourth grade should

probably answer questions on the test booklet itself rather than on a separate

sheet.

A separate sheet is an advantage to older children since the

scoring time, and the scoring and counting of errors can be reduced. It

can also facilitate the analyzing of the class’ response to each item

for diagnosis.

Determining the optimal number

of options

The number of items on a test and

the number of alternatives for each item affect the accuracy of measurement.

Current evidence shows that the teacher would better off with 80 items having three alternatives each than

60 items with four options each. Three to

five choices are reasonable for multiple

– choice tests.

CHECKLIST FOR WRITING MULTIPLE – CHOICE ITEMS

Are the item and the main problem in the stem clearly presented?Has the item been cast so that there is no repetition of the key words or phrases for each question?

Do the options come to the end of the stem?

Have the responses been arranged in some systematic fashion, such as alphabetically or by the length of options?

Are all distracters plausible?

Have all irrelevant clues been avoided?Are the correct answers randomly assigned throughout the test with approximately equal frequency?

Is there only one correct or best answer?

Has “all the above” been avoided?

Have all irrelevant clues been avoided?Has the “none of the above” option been used sparingly or only when appropriate?

Have the overlapping options been avoided?Have the negative statements been avoided? If used, has the negative been underlined or written in capital letters?

If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.

Laurence J. Peter

Buendicho, F.C. (2010) Assessment of Learning 1. Quezon City: REX Printing Company.

Bandiola, E.I (2003) Assessing Student Learning. Quezon City: Great Books Trading.

References

End of Report

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assessment of learning - multiple choice test

Education