Objective Tests
Objective tests measure one’s ability to remember facts & figures understanding of course materials. These tests are often designed to make test-takers think independently. Good objective tests require test-takers to employ high level critical reasoning and make fine discriminations to determine the best answer
Objective Tests. ‘
The most common objective test questions are:
- Â Â Â multiple-choice
- Â Â Â true-false
- Â Â Â matching items
- Â Â Â cloze
The most common is the multiple choice question (MCQ) test where students must select the correct answer from a number of possible answers.
The incorrect answers in MCQs are termed distractors.
Distractors should cotnain:
- Â Â Â misconceptions
- Â Â Â partly correct answers
- Â Â Â common errors of fact or reasoning (these distract students who are not well prepared for the test from giving the correct answer)
MCQs are usually used to test the test-taker’s ability to:
- Â Â Â recall information
- Â Â Â interpret data/diagrams
- Â Â Â analyse/evaluate material
Main strengths of MCQs:
- Â Â Â test a wide range of issues in a short time
- Â Â Â assessment is not affected by a student’s ability to write
- Â Â Â can be reliably marked as all answers are predetermined
- Â Â Â can be quickly marked by computer
- Â Â Â computer marking gives easy access to an item analysis of questions to pinpoint problem areas for students
- Â Â Â a large bank of questions can be built up to reduce future preparation time
- Â Â Â can be used for quick revision at the start or end of a class and marked by the students
Main weaknesses of MCQs:
- Â Â Â do not test the student’s ability to develop and organize ideas and present these in a coherent argument
- Â Â Â takes a long time to write plausible distractors (especially in cases where higher order cognitive skills are being tested)
-    restrictions are placed on the test-taker’s answers as they must select from given alternatives
- Â Â Â guessing may result (but plausible distractors will result in intelligent guessing)
- Â Â Â questions are often re-used which means special attention to security
- Â Â Â questions need to be pre-tested and items reviewed to ensure the validity of the items
Writing MCQs is a relatively difficult task. However, the effort expended in item construction is rewarded by the ease and reliability of marking
MCQs must have:
a clear and unambiguous stem
a correct answer
several (usually 3 or 4) distractors which appear plausible to students who do not know the correct answer
coherence to the content matter to be examined
E.g.
Tips for constructing MCQs:
- Â Â Â use simply worded stems
- Â Â Â present only one issue in the stem
- Â Â Â avoid use of negative premises (may especially disadvantage ESL students)
- Â Â Â ensure that the answer to one question cannot be obtained from another
- Â Â Â Keep the distractors brief and as homogeneous as possible
- Â Â Â ensure the distractors are plausible (i.e. common errors made by students)
- Â Â Â use at least 3 distractors (reduces chance of guessing the correct answer)
- Â Â Â avoid distractors that provide clues (e.g. phrases from text books)
- Â Â Â group similar types of MCQs together
- Â Â Â avoid using a pattern for the position of the correct response