1. Critiquing and Designing test
Items

2. Create plausible options.
• Which of the following substances is the hardest?
a) cardboard b)glass c) paper d) steel
Better
Which of the following substances is the hardest?
a) concrete b)diamond c)iron d)steel
There is no advantage in writing distractors no one
will select, so each alternative should be plausible.

3. Better item
• The type of test used to measure academic
learing is called
• a) an achievement test
• b) a case study
• c) a special aptitude test
• d) a test of intelligence

4. Define the task in the stem
• Poor
America
a) Contains the world´s largest population
b) Is the site of the world´s oldest culture
c) Is an unilingual culture
d) Was named after Vespucci
Better
After which person was America named?
a) Columbus
b) Magellan
c) Ponce de Leon
d) Vespucci

5. Avoid ambigous and confusing
wording and sentence structure
• Maine is not the only state that does not have
a border with a neighboring state T F
BETTER
Maine borders another state. T F

6. Keep questions short and to the point
Which of the following statements about geography
of Switzerland is true?
a) It is located in Asia
b) It is a flat, arid plain
c) It has not direct access to the ocean
d) It has a tropical climate.
To make an apple pie Billy´s mother needed 8
apples. If apples cost 30 cents for two, how much
will 8 apples cost?
a) $.30 b) $.90 c) $1.20 d) $2.40

7. Good multiple choice items
• Multiple choice items consist of two parts:
a stem and a number of options, or
alternatives. The stem is a question or
statement that is answered or completed by
one of the alternatives. All incorrect or less
appropriate alternatives are called
distractors, or foils, and the students task is
to select the correct or best alternative from
all options.

8. Advantages of multiple choice items
• It measures objectives from the rote knowledge
to the most complex level.
• - It can sample a substantial amount of course
material in a relatively short time.
• Scoring is objective, little interpretation is
needed.
• Guessing is reduced. (3 to 5 options present)
• You can do item analysis to detect areas of
student weaknes.

9. Disadvantages of MCIs
• They are time consuming to
write and students complain
that more than one defensible
answer can be given. This can
be remedied by editing and
pretesting items.

10. Advantages of Matching Items
• It is simple to construct and score.
• It reduces the effect of guessing.
• The teacher can sample a variety of
substantial amount of course
material in short time.

11. Constructing Matching items
• Limit the number of items within each set to 5
or 6 per set. A longer list is difficult for students to
handle. A 6 item subtest will probably have about 9
or 10 options. Any more options will make the search
for the correct answer overly difficult and time-
consuming.
• Place the shorter response in column B.
• Provide complete directions.
• Place options on the same page

12. Completion and essay tests
• The completion test asks students to
complete a sentence with a word or
phrase. The short answer test poses a
question that can be answered with a
word or phrase.
• The essay test allow greater freedom
of response to questions and require
more writing.

13. Advantages and disadvantages
• Construction is relatively easy.
• Guessing is eleminated
• Item sampling is improved
• What is the square root of 25?
• Who discovered radium?
• Disadvantages
• They are difficult to score.
• They are susceptible to an may encourage
bluffing
• They typically measure rote objectives

14. Advantages and disadvantages of
Essay Tests
• Advantages Disadvantages
- They are difficult to score
They allow free response - They measure limited
They eliminate guessing knowledge
They are practical - They are time consuming.
They reduce assembling time - They are subject to bluffing
(for the teacher) - They place a premium
They can measure divergent on writing.
thinking

15. Checklist for writing better tests
 Have you taken enough samples of behavior?
 Have you allowed students too much freedom?
 Is the item unambiguous?
 Have you provided clear and explicit instructions?
 Is the test well laid out and perfectly legible?
 Are students familiar with format and testing technique?
 Does the item permit scoring which is as objective as
possible?
 Have you agreed on acceptable responses at outset of
scoring?
 Is there only one correct answer?

16. Key Terms in evaluation
A test: is a task or series of tasks used to obtain
systematic observations, usually paper and
pencil procedure, about sts´s performance.
Measurement: is the process that assigns
numbers to attributes or characteristics of
persons, objects, or events according to explicit
formulations or rules. More quantitative

17. Assessment vrs Evaluation
• Assessment: the process of
collecting, synthesizing, and interpreting information
to aid in decision making. More qualitative
• Evaluation: the process of determining the value or
worth of a program, course, or other
initiative, toward the ultimate goal of making
decisions about adopting, rejecting, or revising the
innovation.
Evaluation is the more inclusive term, often making
use of assessment data in addition to many other
data sources.

18. Discrete point testing vrs integrative
testing
• Discrete point testing refers to measuring one
element at a time, item by item: a series of
items, each testing particular grammatical
structures.
• Integrative requires the candidate to combine many
language elements in the completion of a task.
• Discrete point testing will be indirect and
Integrative will be direct.

19. Direct and indirect test items
• It is direct if it asks candidates to perform the
communicative skill which is being tested
( through a composition, oral interview)
• Indirect items: measure a students´ knowledge and
ability by getting at what lies beneath their receptive
and productive skills ( controlled items: multiple
choice type for example).