Constructing Different Test Types

True-False
Constructing True-False Test:
 Binomial-choice or Alternate response
 True or False; Right or Wrong; Yes or No; Good or Better; Check or Cross-out; etc.
 50% chance of getting the correct answer by sheer guessing.
 Teachers should ensure that a true-false item is able to discriminate properly between
those who know and those who do not know.
RULE 1: Do not give a hint (inadvertently) in the body of the question.
RULE 2: Avoid using the words “always”, “never”, “often” and other questions that tend
to be always true or always false.
RULE 3: Avoid using long sentences as these tend to be “true”. Keep your sentences short.
RULE 4: Avoid trick statements with some minor misleading word or spelling anomaly,
misplaced phrases, etc.
RULE 5: Avoid quoting verbatim from reference materials or textbooks.
RULE 6: Avoid specific determiners or giveaway qualifiers.
RULE 7: Avoid a grossly disproportionate number of either true or false statements or
even patterns in occurrence.
Matching Type
Constructing Matching Type: Can be considered as modified multiple choice type items where
the choices progressively reduce as one successfully matches the items on the left with the items
on the right.
 The items to match must be homogeneous.
 The stem (longer in construction than the options) must be in the first column while the
options (usually shorter) in the second column.
 The options must be more in number than the stems to prevent the student from arriving
at the answer.
 To help the examinee find the answer easier, arrange the options alphabetically or
chronologically.
 Like any other tests, the direction of the test must be given. The examinees must know
exactly what to do.
 MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS:

 Offers the student more than two (2) options per item to choose from.
 Each item consists of two parts: (a) the stem, and (b) the options.
 In the set options, there is a “correct” or “best” option while all the others are considered
“distracters”.
 Distracters are chosen in such a way that they are attractive to those who do not know
and have no appeal to those who know.
1. Do not use unfamiliar words, terms, and phrases.
2. Do not use modifiers that are vague and whose meanings can differ from the person.
3. Avoid complex or awkward arrangements.
4. Do not use negatives or double negatives such as statements that tend to be confusing.
5. Each item should be as short as possible; otherwise, you risk testing more for reading
and comprehension skills.
6. All multiple-choice options should be grammatically consistent with the stem.
7. Avoid alternatives that are synonymous with others or those that, include or overlap
others.
8: The length, explicitness, or degree of technicality of alternatives should not be
determinants of the correctness of the answer.
10. Avoid alternatives that are synonymous with others or those that, include or overlap
others.
11. Avoid the use of assumed qualifiers that many examinees may not be aware of.
12. Avoid the unnecessary use of words and phrases which are not relevant to the problem
at hand.
13. Avoid the use of non-relevant sources of difficulty such as requiring a complex
calculation when only knowledge of a principle is being tested.
14. Pack the question in the stem.
15. Note that the use of “all of the above" may allow credit for partial knowledge.
16. Better still use “none of the above” and “all of the above” sparingly. But best not to use
them at all.
17. Having compound response choices may purposefully increase the difficulty of an item.
 SUPPLY TYPE/CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE

SUPPLY TYPE/CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE

 Another useful device for testing lowered thinking skills is the supply type of tests.
 Like the multiple-choice test, the items in this kind of test consist of a stem and a blank
where the students would write the correct answer.
 Supply type tests depend heavily on the way that the stems are constructed. These tests
allow for one and only one answer and, hence, often test only the students’ knowledge. It
is, however, possible to construct supply type of tests that will test higher order thinking
as the following example shows:

1. Avoid over-mutilated sentences. Give enough clues to the student.

2. Avoid open-ended items. There should be only one acceptable answer.
3. The blank should be at the end or near the end of the sentence. The question
must first be asked before an answer is expected.
4. Ask questions on more significant items, not on trivial matters.
5. The length of the blanks must not suggest the answer.

ESSAYS
Essays, classified as non-objective tests, allow for the assessment of high-order thinking skills.
Such tests require students to organize their thoughts on a subject matter in coherent sentences in
order to inform an audience. In essay tests, students are required to write one or more paragraphs
on a specific topic.

ESSAYS
1. Comparisons between two or more things.
2. The development of defense of an opinion.
3. Questions of cause and effect.
4. Explanations of meaning.
5. Summarize information in a designated area.
6. Analysis
7. Knowledge of relationships
8. Illustrations of rules, principles, procedures, and applications.
9. Applications of rules, laws, and principles to new applications.
10. Criticisms of the adequacy, relevance, or correctness of a concept, idea, or information.
11. Formulation of new questions and problems.
12. Reorganization of facts.
13. Discriminations between objects, concepts, or events.
14. Inferential thinking. Notes that all these involve the higher-level skills mentioned in
Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Rule 1: Phrase the direction in such a way that students are guided on the key concepts to
be included.
Rule 2: Inform the students of the criteria to be used for grading their essays.
Rule 3: Put a time limit on the essay test.
Rule 4: Decide on your essay grading system prior to getting the essays of your students.
Rule 5: Evaluate all of the student’s answers to one question before proceeding to the next
question.
Rule 6: Evaluate answers to essay questions without knowing the identity of the writer.
Rule 7: Whenever possible, have two or more persons grade each answer.
Rule 8: Do not provide optional questions.
Rule 9: Provide information about the weight/value of the question and how it will be
scored.
Rule 10: Emphasize on the Higher-Level Thinking Skills.