reinforcement as they proceed (Salend, by using well-written, grammatically
all be viable choices that are shorter
2011).
correct, academically appropriate test
than the stem and that share common
items. Research has identified best
elements (such as the same grammati-
Provide Choices
practices for composing multiple-
cal structure and level of specificity).
Choice leads to more engaged test
choice, true-false, sentence-completion, For example, if the correct answer
takers (Salend, 2011). If a test consists
and essay items (Salend, 2009). The
is a poetic device, all choices should
of 25 questions of varying types, for
Madison teacher team tackled their
be poetic devices. Answer choices
instance, an instructor might give
problematic test items and revised those shouldn’t include key words from the
students a choice to respond to any 20
items. When giving students options,
it’s important to identify the topics or
items that students avoided and find
items to incorporate best practices.
Multiple Choice
Although multiple-choice items typi-
stem or categorical words like always
that can tip off students to the correct
answer.
alternative ways to assess mastery of this cally assess recall of important informa-content.
tion, they can also assess students’
In creating good test
application of content. In writing these
Avoiding Trick Questions
types of items, the stem should provide items, we should
As the Madison students’ comments
reveal, confusing test items can hinder
the context for the answer and any
relevant material and terminology, and
address not only what
student performance. Teachers can
lessen the likelihood of this happening
it should contain only one major point. was taught but also
The item’s answer alternatives should
how it was taught.
FIGURE 2. Original and Revised Multiple-Choice Item
Original Item:
Directions: Choose the best answer.
1. Which of the following choices presents the best definition of what the term
alliteration means?
A) A poetic device where there is a comparison between two objects with the
idea of providing a clearer meaning to one of them
B) A poetic device where the words used imitate sounds
C) A poetic device where inanimate objects are given human traits or abilities
D) A poetic device which involves the repetition of initial consonant sounds
Revised Item:
Directions: Circle the letter of the choice that best answers the
question. Each multiple-choice item is worth 3 points.
1. A poet writes Bertha blew big, blue bubbles. What type of poetic device is
the poet using?
a) Alliteration
b) Metaphor
c) Onomatopoeia
d) Personification
Source: From Classroom Testing and Assessment for ALL Students, by S. J. Salend, 2009, Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin. Copyright 2009 by Corwin Press. Reprinted with permission.
To alleviate visual confusion, present
answer choices vertically, ordered in a
logical sequence. Highlight keywords in
the stem, limit the number of choices to
no more than four, and eliminate such
choices as all of the above or none of the
above. Figure 2 shows how the Madison
teachers improved a multiple-choice
question.
True-False
True-false items assess students’ factual knowledge and understanding
of specific concepts. However, many
students have difficulty answering
true-false items. These difficulties can
be lessened if, for each item, teachers
( 1) present only one important point
or relationship; ( 2) address material
they have explicitly taught rather than
information gained through intuition,
common sense, or general knowledge;
( 3) use declarative statements that are
clearly either true or false; ( 4) offer
meaningful information and the context for responding to the question
