ASSIGNMENT

ON

OBJECTIVE TYPE
Introduction

Objective type tests in nursing education typically consist of multiple-choice

questions (MCQs) or similar formats where there is a clear and specific correct answer
among the options provided. These tests are widely used because they efficiently
assess students' knowledge and understanding of nursing concepts, procedures, and
critical thinking skills. Here are some key aspects of objective type tests in nursing
education

Definition:

Is one that can be profiled with a single pre- determined test of correct answers
so that objective opinion

Or

Judgment in the scoring procedure is eliminated.

RL Ebei ami DA Frisbe, 1986

Objective test items require students to work or select a correct or best answer.
These items are called objective because they can be scored more objectively than any
other type of item used to measure students performance selected response items
include alternative response, matching, keyed and multiple choice items.

Loit M Ctzrry, 1988

Format:

Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs):

Most common, for students choose the correct answer from a set of options.

Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are a popular type of objective assessment

used in various educational contexts, including nursing education. Here's a detailed look
at multiple-choice questions:
Structure of MCQs:

1. Stem: This is the main part of the question that poses the problem, scenario, or
question to be answered. It should be clear and concise.
2. Options: These are the possible answers provided to the question. Typically,
there are four options, but sometimes there may be more or fewer.
3. Correct Answer: Among the options provided, there is only one correct or best
answer.
4. Distractors: These are the incorrect options that are designed to resemble the
correct answer but are incorrect or less appropriate. Distractors should be
plausible to challenge students' understanding and to avoid making the correct
answer too obvious.

Advantages of MCQs:

 Efficiency: They can efficiently assess a large amount of content knowledge

within a short period.
 Objectivity: Scoring is straightforward as answers are either right or wrong,
reducing subjectivity in grading.
 Validity: Well-constructed MCQs can effectively assess higher-order cognitive
skills such as application, analysis, and evaluation, not just factual recall.
 Reliability: They can be standardized easily, ensuring consistency in
assessment across different groups of students.
 Flexibility: MCQs can cover a wide range of topics and levels of difficulty,
providing a comprehensive assessment of student knowledge and skills.

Types of MCQs:

1. Simple MCQs: These questions present a straightforward problem or scenario

with four options to choose from.
 2. Complex MCQs: These questions may involve multiple steps or considerations,
requiring students to analyze and synthesize information before selecting an
answer.
3. Negative MCQs: These questions present options that include plausible but
incorrect answers (distractors) alongside the correct answer.
4. Single Best Answer (SBA): A variation of MCQs where students choose the
best answer among several options, often used in medical and clinical scenarios.
5. Extended Matching Questions (EMQs): These questions present a list of
options that are related to a stem or scenario, requiring students to match the
correct options with the stem.

Tips for Creating and Answering MCQs:

 Clear and Concise: Ensure the stem and options are clear and do not contain
unnecessary information.
 Avoid Ambiguity: The correct answer should be clearly distinguishable from the
distracters.
 Plausible Distracters: Distractors should be reasonable and related to the stem,
reflecting common misconceptions or errors in reasoning.
 Randomization: Randomize the order of options to reduce the chances of
guessing.
 Practice and Feedback: Provide practice questions and feedback to help
students understand why an answer is correct or incorrect.

Criticisms and Considerations:

 Guessing: Students may guess the correct answer, especially if they are
uncertain, which can impact the reliability of the assessment.
  Limited to Knowledge Recall: MCQs may not effectively assess certain skills
like practical application or critical thinking that require more complex
assessment formats.
 Test Construction: Designing high-quality MCQs requires skill to ensure they
accurately measure desired learning outcomes.

In nursing education, MCQs are often used in exams, quizzes, and standardized
assessments to evaluate students' understanding of nursing concepts, clinical
reasoning skills, and ability to apply knowledge in various scenarios. Effective use of
MCQs involves thoughtful construction and alignment with learning objectives to ensure
they provide meaningful insights into student learning.

True/False:

Students indicate whether a statement is true or false.

True or false (T/F) questions are a type of objective assessment format where
students are presented with a statement and are asked to determine whether it is true
or false. Here's a detailed look at true or false questions:

Structure of True or False Questions:

1. Statement: The stem of the question is a declarative statement that can be

objectively judged as either true or false.
2. Answer Choices:
o True: The statement accurately reflects factual information or is logically
correct based on the context provided.
o False: The statement is inaccurate, misleading, or does not logically follow
from the context.

Advantages of True or False Questions:

  Efficiency: They are quick to administer and grade, making them useful for
assessing a large amount of content in a short time.
 Clarity: Statements are usually brief and straightforward, minimizing ambiguity
for both students and graders.
 Validity: Well-constructed true or false questions can effectively assess
knowledge and understanding of factual information or basic concepts.
 Objectivity: Like multiple-choice questions, grading is straightforward as
answers are either right or wrong.

Tips for Creating and Answering True or False Questions:

 Clear Statements: Ensure that statements are clear and unambiguous, avoiding
complex or convoluted sentences.
 Avoid Absolute Terms: Statements with absolute terms like "always," "never,"
or "all" should be used cautiously unless they are universally true.
 Avoid Trick Questions: Statements should not be intentionally misleading or
tricky, aiming instead to assess understanding.
 Balance: Create a balanced set of true and false statements to avoid bias or
predictability.

Criticisms and Considerations:

 Guessing: Students may have a 50% chance of guessing the correct answer,
which can affect the reliability of the assessment.
 Limited Scope: True or false questions are typically best for assessing factual
knowledge or basic concepts and may not adequately assess higher-order
thinking skills.
 Subjectivity in Ambiguous Statements: Statements that are vague or open to
interpretation can lead to confusion among students and inconsistency in
grading.

Effective Use in Assessment:

  Complementarity: True or false questions can be used alongside other types of
questions (such as multiple-choice, short-answer, or essay questions) to provide
a more comprehensive assessment of student learning.
 Feedback: Provide explanations or rationale for the correct answer to help
students understand why a statement is true or false, promoting deeper learning.

In nursing education, true or false questions are commonly used in quizzes, exams, and
assessments to evaluate students' knowledge of foundational facts and concepts. When
well-constructed and aligned with learning objectives, true or false questions can be
valuable tools for assessing and reinforcing understanding in nursing theory and
practice.

Matching:

Students match items from two columns (e.g., diseases and symptoms).

Matching questions are another type of objective assessment format commonly

used in educational settings, including nursing education. Here’s a detailed look at
matching questions:

Structure of Matching Questions:

1. Format:
o Column A: This column contains a list of items, such as terms, definitions,
concepts, or descriptions.
o Column B: This column contains another list of items that correspond to
the items in Column A.
2. Objective:
o Students are required to match the items from Column A with the correct
items from Column B based on specified criteria.
o Matching can be based on various relationships, such as definitions to
terms, symptoms to diagnoses, actions to medications, etc.
Advantages of Matching Questions:

 Assessment of Knowledge Relationships: Matching questions assess

students’ ability to recognize relationships between concepts, terms, or elements.
 Versatility: They can be used to assess a wide range of content areas and types
of relationships, from simple definitions to complex scenarios.
 Clarity: Well-constructed matching questions provide clear guidelines for
students on how to pair items from each column.
 Efficiency: Like other objective formats, matching questions are efficient to
administer and grade, especially when automated or using answer keys.

Tips for Creating and Answering Matching Questions:

 Clearly Label Columns: Clearly label Column A and Column B to avoid

confusion for students.
 Consistent Format: Maintain consistency in the format of items in both columns
(e.g., alphabetical order, numerical order) unless a specific order is intended.
 Avoid Overlap: Ensure that items in one column have clear and unique matches
in the other column to avoid confusion.
 Balance: Create a balanced set of matches to ensure fair assessment across
different areas of knowledge.

Criticisms and Considerations:

 Guessing: Students may guess correct matches if they are uncertain, which can
affect the reliability of assessment.
 Complexity: Matching questions can become complex if relationships between
items are not straightforward or if there are too many items to match.
 Subjectivity: Grading may be subjective if there are multiple plausible matches
or if students provide unconventional but valid matches.

Effective Use in Assessment:

  Application of Learning Objectives: Use matching questions to assess specific
learning objectives that require students to recall and apply relationships
between concepts or terms.
 Diagnostic and Formative Assessment: They can be used for diagnostic
purposes to assess prior knowledge or as formative assessment to provide
feedback on students’ understanding before summative assessments.
 Engagement: Incorporate engaging and relevant content in matching questions
to enhance student interest and motivation in learning.

In nursing education, matching questions are valuable for assessing students’ ability
to recognize and apply relationships between nursing concepts, procedures,
medications, diagnoses, and more. When well-designed and aligned with learning
objectives, matching questions can effectively contribute to comprehensive
assessments of students' knowledge and understanding in nursing theory and practice.

Fill-in-the-Blank:

Students provide a word or phrase to complete a sentence or question.

Fill-in-the-blank questions are a type of objective assessment format where

students are provided with a sentence, paragraph, or statement with one or more blanks
to be filled in. Here’s a detailed look at fill-in-the-blank questions:

Structure of Fill-in-the-Blank Questions:

1. Format:
o A statement or sentence is provided with one or more blanks (gaps) where
students are required to supply the missing word(s) or phrase(s).
2. Objective:
o Assess students’ knowledge and understanding of specific terms,
concepts, procedures, or relationships.
 o Evaluate students’ ability to recall factual information, apply concepts, or
complete logical sequences.

Advantages of Fill-in-the-Blank Questions:

 Assessment of Specific Knowledge: They can target specific details or

concepts that are critical for understanding in a particular subject area.
 Versatility: Fill-in-the-blank questions can be used to assess various levels of
cognitive skills, from simple recall to application and analysis.
 Efficiency: They are relatively quick to create, administer, and grade, especially
if using automated grading systems.
 Objective Grading: Grading can be objective if the correct answer is clearly
defined and provided in advance.

Tips for Creating and Answering Fill-in-the-Blank Questions:

 Clear Instructions: Provide clear instructions on how many blanks there are and
what type of response is expected (word, phrase, number, etc.).
 Grammar and Syntax: Ensure that the sentence or statement surrounding the
blank is grammatically correct and coherent.
 Avoid Ambiguity: The context surrounding the blank should make the correct
answer clear and unambiguous.
 Variety: Include different types of blanks (e.g., single word, phrase, number) to
assess different types of knowledge and skills.

Criticisms and Considerations:

 Guessing: Students may guess the correct answer if they are uncertain, which
can affect the reliability of the assessment.
 Limited Assessment Scope: Fill-in-the-blank questions may not effectively
assess higher-order thinking skills or complex problem-solving abilities.
 Subjectivity: Grading may be subjective if there are multiple acceptable answers
or if students provide unconventional but valid responses.
Effective Use in Assessment:

 Concept Application: Use fill-in-the-blank questions to assess students’ ability

to apply knowledge in specific contexts or scenarios.
 Diagnostic and Formative Assessment: They can be used for diagnostic
purposes to gauge students’ understanding before more comprehensive
assessments or as formative assessment to provide feedback on learning
progress.
 Integration with Learning Objectives: Align fill-in-the-blank questions with
learning objectives to ensure they effectively measure desired learning
outcomes.

In nursing education, fill-in-the-blank questions can be valuable for assessing students’

recall of essential terminology, procedures, medical terms, and other critical details
necessary for clinical practice. When well-designed and aligned with learning objectives,
fill-in-the-blank questions can contribute to a comprehensive assessment strategy that
supports student learning and retention of essential nursing knowledge and skills.

Purpose:

o Assess understanding of nursing theories, concepts, and principles.

o Evaluate knowledge of procedures, protocols, and best practices in
nursing care.
o Measure critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills in decision-making
scenarios.

Design:

o Questions should be clear, concise, and avoid ambiguity.

o Use of scenario-based questions to assess application of knowledge in
real-world situations.
 o Questions should cover a range of difficulty levels to assess different
levels of understanding.

Advantages:

o Efficient for assessing a large amount of content in a short time.

o Objective scoring reduces subjectivity in grading.
o Can test a wide range of knowledge and skills, from factual recall to
higher-order thinking.

o It can be scored objectively and easily. The scoring will not vary from time
to time or from examiner to examiner. The mood of the examiner in no
way affects scoring
o In this type, more extensive and representative sampling can be obtained.
This reduce the role of luck and craming of expected question. As a result
there is greater reliability and better content validity. They can be made to
cover more material than traditional type
o It possesses economy of time, for it takes less time to answer than an
essay test. Comparatively many test items can be presented to students.
It also saves, a lot of time of the scorer
o Students like them very much, because there is no question as to the
accuracy of marks they receive and there
o It elimates extraneous (irrelevant) factors such as speed of writing, fluency
of expression, literacy style, good hand writing neatness, etc
o They discourage cramming and encourage thinking observation and
scrutiny
o It creates an incentive for pupils to building a broad base of knowledge,
skills and abilities. They are more educative for the students.
o Disadvantages
o Objectives like ability to organize matte ability to present matter logically
and in a coherent fashion, etc., cannot be evaluated.
 o Guessing is possible. No doubt the chances of success may be reduced
by the inclusion of a large number of items.
o . The construction of adequate objective type items is difficult. It requires
special abilities and is time consuming.
o Printing cost is considerably greater than that of an essay type test. Use
of this type test are very expensive.
o Classification
o type test There are a number of varieties in objective type test. The
common type which are widely used are given,

Preparation:

o Study materials should align closely with the test format (e.g., review
textbooks, lecture notes, practice questions).
o Practice answering different types of questions to become familiar with the
format and improve speed and accuracy.
o Understand the structure of the test (e.g., number of questions, time limit)
to manage time effectively during the exam.

Challenges:

o Constructing high-quality questions that effectively assess learning

objectives.
o Avoiding cueing within questions that could unintentionally guide students
to the correct answer.
o Ensuring that questions are fair and do not disadvantage any group of
students.

Feedback:

o Immediate feedback on objective tests is typically limited to whether an

answer is correct or incorrect.
 o Use of test results to identify areas of strength and weakness, guiding
future study efforts.

In nursing education, objective type tests are often used in conjunction with other
assessment methods, such as practical exams, clinical evaluations, and essays, to
provide a comprehensive evaluation of students' knowledge, skills, and abilities.