Construct the Test Items

• In this section, we shall discuss the

different format of objective type of
test items
• The steps in developing objective and
subjective test
• The advantages and limitations

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GENERAL GUIDELINES
FOR CONSTRUCTING
TEST ITEMS

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Kubiszyn and Borich(2007) suggested some general
guidelines for writing test items to help classroom
teachers improve the quality of test items to write
1. Begin writing items far enough or in
advance so that you will have time to
revise them.
2. Match items to intended outcomes at
appropriate level of difficulty to provide
valid measure of instructional objectives.
Limit the question to the skill being
assessed.

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3.Be sure each item deals with an important
aspect of the content area and not with the
trivia
4.Be sure the problem posed is clear and
unambiguous.
5. Be sure that the item is independent with
all other items. The answer to one item
should not be required as a condition in
answering the next item. A hint to one answer
should not be embedded to another item.
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6.Be sure the item has one or best answer on which
experts would agree.
7. Prevent unintended clues to an answer in the
statement or question. Grammatical inconsistencies
such as a or an give clues to the correct answer to
those students who are not well prepared for the test.
8. Avoid replication of the textbook in writing test
items; do not quote directly from the textual
materials. You are usually not interested in how well
students memorize the text. Besides, taken out of
context, direct quotes from the text are often
ambiguous.
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9. Avoid trick or catch questions
in an achievement test. Do not
waste time testing how well the
students can interpret your
intentions.
10. Try to write items that require
higher-order thinking skills.
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Determining the number of test
items
• Consider the following average time in
constructing the number of test items.
• The length of time and the type of item
used are also factors to be considered in
determining the number of items to be
constructed in an achievement test.
• These guidelines will be very important in
determining appropriate assessment for
college students.

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Average time in constructing the
number of test items
ASSESSMENT FORMAT AVERAGE TIME TO ANSWER
TRUE-FALSE 30 SECONDS
MULTIPLE-CHOICE 60 SECONDS
MULTIPLE-CHOICE OF HIGHER 90 SECONDS
LEVEL LEARNING OBJECTIVES
SHORT ANSWER 120 SECONDS
COMPLETION 60 SECONDS
MATCHING 30 SECONDS PER RESPONSE
SHORT ESSAY 10-15 MINUTES
EXTENDED ESSAY 30 MINUTES
VISUAL IMAGE 30 SECONDS

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• The number of items included in a
given assessment will also depend on
the length of the class period and the
type of items utilized.
• The following guidelines will assist
you in determining an assessment
appropriate for college-level students
aside from the previous formula
discussed.
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Checklist for constructing Test
items
YES NO
The item is appropriate to measure a learning objective.
The item format is the most effective means of measuring
the desired knowledge.
The item is clearly worded and can be easily understood
by the target student population.
The items of the same format are grouped together.
There are various item types included in the assessment.
The students have enough time to answer all test items.
The test instructions are specific and clear.
The number of questions targeting each objective matches
the weight of importance of that objective.
The scoring guidelines are discussed clearly and available
to students.
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ASSEMBLE THE TEST ITEMS
• After constructing the test items following
the different principles of constructing test
item, the next step to consider is to
assemble the test items.
• These are 2 steps in assembling the test .
1. Packaging the test
2. Reproducing the test

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In assembling the test, consider
the following guidelines:
a) Group all test items with similar format.
-all items in similar format must be grouped
so that the students will not be confused.
b) Arrange test items from easy to difficult.
-the test items must be arranged from easy
to difficult so that the students will answer
the first few items correctly and build
confidence at the start of the test
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c) Space the test items for easy reading.
d) Keep items and option in the same page.
e) Place the illustrations near the
description.
f) Check the answer key.
g) Decide where to record the answer.

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Write Directions
Check the test directions for each item
format to be sure that it is clear for the
students to understand.
The test direction should contain the
numbers of items to which they apply:
• How to record their answers
• The basis of which they select answer
• And the criteria for scoring or the scoring
system.
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Check the Assembled Test Items
• Before reproducing the test, it is very
important to proofread first the test
items for typographical and grammatical
errors and make necessary corrections
if any.
• If possible, let others examine the test
to validate its content. This can save
time during the examination and avoid
destruction of the concentration of the
students. 15
Make the Answer Key
• Be sure to check your answer key so that
the correct answers follow a fairly
random sequence.
• Avoid answers such as TFTFTF, etc., or
TTTFFF for a true or false type, and A B
C D A B C D patterns for multiple-choice
type.
• The number of true answers must be
equally the same with false answers and
also among the multiple-choice options.16
Analyze and Improve the Test
Items
Analyzing and improving the test items
should be done after checking, scoring,
and recording the test. The details of
this part will be discussed in the
succeeding chapter

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