Silliman University

Building Competence, Character & Faith

Constructing Multiple-
Choice Tests
Mary Ann M. Temprosa
College of Education
Silliman University
 Objectives of the Session
By the end of the session, the group shall
1. Have reviewed on the guidelines of
constructing quality multiple-choice tests ;
2. Have constructed sample test items
applying the guidelines discussed;
3. Have distinguished well-constructed
items from poorly constructed ones; and
4. Have presented and have critiqued sample
test items based on lesson guides made.
2
 Two parts of a M-CT item

1. Stem
2. Alternatives/Options-the distracters and the
right answer or the best answer
Lesson guide

3
 Two ways of stating the stem

1. Question form
2. Completion form
Don’t leave a blank in the beginning or
middle of the stemLesson guide
Avoid window dressing ( excessive verbiage)

4
 A regional office starts using a
computerized database to locate past stem
students. What kind of change does
this tracking system represent?

distractor --- a. Strategic

distractor --- b. People-centered Alternative
answer ---*c. Process-oriented
distractor --- d. Structural
distractor --- e. Short-term
5
A kind of change using a computerized stem
database to locate past students
represents a tracking system called ______.

distractor --- a. Strategic

distractor --- b. People-centered Alternative
answer ---*c. Process-oriented
distractor --- d. Structural
distractor --- e. Short-term
6
 Why Multiple-Choice Tests/Items

Is advantageous to use if suitable for

the lesson objectives
(to measure knowledge outcomes and
various types of learning outcomes)

7
 Example
Educational Objective Multiple Reason
Choice (Appropriate item type if
Item Okay? not Multiple Choice)
Writes complete
sentences
Identifies errors in
punctuation
Expresses own ideas
clearly
Uses gestures
appropriately in giving a
speech
Identifies the parts of a 8
 Example
Educational Objective Multiple Reason
Choice (Appropriate item type if
Item Okay? not Multiple Choice)
Writes complete No Response must be supplied.
sentences (Essay)
Identifies errors in Yes Response may be selected.
punctuation
Expresses own ideas No Response must be supplied.
clearly (Essay)
Uses gestures No Response must be supplied.
appropriately in giving a (Response)
speech
Identifies the parts of a No Response may be selected 9
 Misconception

 believed to be good only for

measuring simple recall of facts
(knowledge of terms, facts , methods
Lesson guide
and principles)

10
 Real Value

Is in its applicability in measuring

higher-level objectives (those based on
comprehension, application, and
analysis)
Lesson guide

11
 Suggestions for Constructing
High-level M-CT items
1. Present practical or real-world
situations.
2. Present a diagram of equipment and ask
for application, analysis or evaluation.
Lesson guide
3. Present actual quotations taken from
newspapers or other published sources
and ask for the interpretation or evaluation
of these quotations. 12
 Suggestions for Constructing
High-level M-CT question

4. Use pictorial materials that require

application of principles and concepts.
5. Use charts, tables or figures that require
Lesson guide
interpretation.

13
14
 Domain #1: School Leadership
1A 1B 1C 1D 1E 1F TOTAL
Remembering

Understanding

Applying
Lesson guide
Analyzing

Evaluating

Creating
15
TOTAL
 Situational analysis
A superintendent works with a principal and staff
members of a low-performing school to implement
the following research-based recommendations :
1. support change with strong leadership
2. maintain a consistent focus on
improving instruction
Lesson guide

3. make viable improvements early in the

process
4. build a committed staff
16
 Situational Analysis
Which of the following is the primary sources of the
recommendations above:
A. Increasing the likelihood of a successful
turnover
B. Improving teacher-administration
Lesson guide
communication
C. Establishing credibility in the community
D. Allerting other schools of the need to
maintain high standards
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 Knowledge/Application

Among the following steps, which should be the first step

in the process of evaluating if an applicant is suitable for a
position?
A. Interviewing the applicant
B. Checking the applicant’s
Lesson guide
references
C. Reviewing the applicant’s resume
D. Administering a skills test to the applicant
E. Administering a performance assessment to the
applicant
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 Varieties of M-C Items

1. Single Correct Answer

all but one of the alternatives are incorrect;
the remaining alternative is the correct
answer
the examinee identifies the one correct
Lesson guide

answer

19
 Varieties of M-C Items

2. Best Answer
 the alternatives differ in their degree of
correctness;
some may be completely
Lesson guide incorrect and
some correct, but one is clearly more
correct than the others;
the examinee identifies the best answer
20
 Varieties of M-C Items
3. Combined Response
the examinee selects one set of letters
representing a combination of
alternatives;
Also known as complex
Lesson guide Multiple-choice,

multiple multiple-choice, or type K.

21
 Varieties of M-C Items
4. Negative
the examinee identifies either the
alternative that is an incorrect answer,
or the alternative that is the worst
answer; the reverse of 1 & 2
Lesson guide

• This , however is not recommended for

general use.

22
 Varieties of M-C Items
4. Negative
can be used occasionally, esp. when
dealing with issues where knowing
what not to do is important;
Must be carefullyLesson
worded
guide to avoid
confusion;
the negative word should be placed in
the stem, not in the alternatives;
23
 Varieties of M-C Items
4. Negative
must be emphasized by using underline,
italics, bold face, or CAPITALS;
Alternatives be phrased positively to
avoid forming a confusing
Lesson guide double
negative with stem

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 Strengths
1. Learning outcome from simple to
complex can be measured.
2. It is highly structured and clear tasks
are provided.
3. A broad sample ofguide
Lesson achievement can
be measured.
4. Incorrect alternatives provide
diagnostic information.
25
 Strengths
5. Scores are less influenced by guessing
than true-false items.
6. Scores are more reliable than
subjectively scored items (essays).
Lesson guide
7. Scoring is easy, objective and reliable.
8. Item analysis can reveal how difficult
each item was and how well it is
discriminated between the strong and
the weaker examinee. 26
 Strengths
9. Performance can be compared from
class/cluster to class/cluster.
10. Can cover a lot of material very
efficiently (about one item per minute
of testing time).
Lesson guideperformance can be

11. Items can be written so that students

must discriminate among options that
vary in degree of correctness.
12. Avoid absolute judgments in T/Ftests. 27
 Limitations
1. Constructing good items is time-
consuming.
2. It is frequently difficult to find
plausible distractors
3. This is ineffective
Lesson for
guide measuring some

types of problem solving and the

ability to organize and express ideas.

28
 Limitations
4. Real-world problem solving differs- a
different process is involved in
proposing a solution versus selecting
a solution from a set of alternatives.
5. Scores can be Lesson
influenced
guide by reading
ability.

29
 Limitations
6. There is lack of feedback on individual
thought processes- it is difficult to
determine why individual students
selected incorrect responses.
Lesson guide
7. Students can sometimes read more
into the question than was intended.

30
 Limitations
6. There is lack of feedback on individual
thought processes- it is difficult to
determine why individual students
selected incorrect responses.
Lesson guide
7. Students can sometimes read more
into the question than was intended.

31
 Limitations
8. Often focus on testing factual
information and fails to test higher levels
of cognitive thinking.
9. Sometimes there is more than one
defensible “correct” answer.
Lesson guide

10. They place a high degree of dependence

on the learner’s reading ability and the
instructor’s writing ability.
32
 Limitations
11. Does not provide measure of writing
ability.
12. May encourage guessing.

Lesson guide

33
 Helpful Hints
1. Based each item on an educational
objective of the lesson, not trivial
information.
2. Try to write items in which there is
one and only one correct and clearly
Lesson guide

best answer.

34
 Helpful Hints
3. The phrase that introduces the item
(stem) should clearly state the
problem.
4. Test only a single idea in each item
and test only for
Lessonsignificant
guide and
important information.
5. Be sure wrong choices (distractors)
are at least plausible.
35
 Helpful Hints
6. Incorporate common errors in
distractors.
7. The position of the correct answer
should vary randomly from item to
item. Lesson guide

8. Include from three to five options for

each item.

36
 Helpful Hints
9. Avoid overlapping alternatives.
10. The response options should be
parallel and similar in length
(preferably short).
11. There should be no
Lesson grammatical clues
guide

to the correct answer (specific

determiners and keywords)

37
 Helpful Hints
12. Format the items vertically, not
horizontally (list the choices
vertically).
13. The response options should be
indented and in column
Lesson guide form.
14. Avoid excessive use of negative and
/or double negatives.

38
 Helpful Hints
15. Word the stem positively; avoid
negative phrasing such as “not” or
“except.” If cannot be avoided, the
negative word should always be
highlighted byLesson
underlining
guide or
capitalization.

39
 Helpful Hints
16. Avoid the use of “All of the above” or
“None of the above” in the response
alternative.
 In the case of “All of the above”,
learners only need
Lessonto have partial
guide

information in order to answer the

question.

40
 Helpful Hints

Learners need to know that only two of

the options are correct (in a four or
more option question) to determine
that “ All of the above”
Lesson guide is the correct

answer choice.

41
 Helpful Hints

Conversely, learners only need to

eliminate one answer choice as
implausible in order to eliminate “All of
the above” as anLesson
answer
guide choice.

42
 Helpful Hints

Similarly, with “None of the above”,

when used as the correct answer
choice, information is gained about
learner’s ability to detect
Lesson guide incorrect
answers. However, the item does not
reveal if students know the correct
answer to the question.
43
 Helpful Hints
17. Avoid trick items.
18. Allow time for editing and other types
of item revision.
19. Use good grammar, punctuation, and
spelling consistently
Lesson guide (in both

alternatives and stem)

20. Use the active voice.

44
 Helpful Hints
21. Have your items peer reviewed.
22. Present the answer in each of the
alternative positions approximately
an equal number of times, in a
Lesson guide
random order.

45
 Logical sequencing of
alternatives
Logical Order Example
Numerical a. 1939
b. 1940
c. 1941
d. 1942
Lesson guide
Alphabetical a. Changing alpha from .01 to .05
b. Decreasing the degrees of freedom
c. Increasing the spread of the exam scores
d. Reducing the size of the treatment effect
Sequential a. Heating ice
b. Melting ice
c. Heating water
d. Evaporating water
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e. Heating steam
 Helpful Hints
23. Lay out the items in a clear and
consistent manner
24. Avoid textbook, verbatim phrasing.
25. Be sensitive to cultural and gender
Lesson guide
issues.

47
Writeshop
Lesson guide

48
 Thank you
and
God bless us all!
Mary Ann Mansing-Temprosa
Silliman University College of Education
Dumaguete City, Philippines
marymtemprosa@su.edu.ph