This document provides an overview of different types of objective test items including true/false, matching, multiple choice, and completion test items. It discusses the key characteristics of each type of item and provides suggestions for writing effective items. Some key points include: - True/false items should avoid absolute terms and be clearly true or false without qualifications. Matching items should have homogeneous options and unambiguous questions. - Multiple choice items should have a clear stem and plausible distractors. The correct answer should be the only logically correct choice. - Completion items should require a single-word answer and omit only key terms. - Advantages of objective items include ease of scoring and ability to test a wide range

1. Writing Objective Test
Items
By: Nessel D. Montejo
Master of Arts in Administration & Supervision

2. What is an objective test?
 measure both your ability to
remember facts and figures and
your understanding of course
materials.

3. What are the examples of an objective test
items?
1. True or False
2. Matching Type
3. Multiple Choice
4. Completion Test

4. True or False
 Measure the ability to identify whether
statements are correct or not.
are usually a declarative statement.
are quick & easy to write ,…but good
true-false items are not that easy to
write.

5. Exercise: Put a G in the space next to the items
you believe are good true-false items & a P next
to the items you feel are poor.
_____1. High-IQ children always get high grades
in school.
_____2. Will Roger said, “I never met a man I
didn’t like.”
True or False

6. POOR 1. High-IQ children always get high grades
in school.
Item no. 1, the word always is an absolute.
To some extent, true-false items depend on
absolute judgments.
Thus, an alert student will usually answer
“FALSE” to items that include:
always, all, never, or only.
avoid using terms like all, always,
never, or only

7. GOOD 1. High-IQ children tend to get high
grades in school.
Item no. 2 is a
good one

8. True or False
Suggestions for Writing:
1. True or false test should be clearly explained
before students begin the test.
2. Construct statements that are definitely true or
definitely false, w/o additional qualifications.
3. Use relatively short statements

9. 4. Keep true & false statements approximately the same length.
5. Avoid using double- negative statements
True or False

10. 6. Avoid the following
True or False
a. Verbal clues, absolutes, & complex
sentences.
b. Broad general statements, usually not
true/false w/o clarification
c. Terms denoting indefinite degree
d. Placing items in systematic order
e. Taking statements directly from the text

11. Advantages of TRUE-FALSE ITEMS:
More material can be covered than any other item format
Take less time to construct
Scoring is easier

12. Disadvantages of TRUE-FALSE ITEMS:
Tend to emphasize rote memorization of knowledge
Presume answers unequivocally true/false
Encourage high degree of guessing

13. Matching Type
Consist of a column of key words on the left
side of the page
Column of options on the right side of the
page

14. Keywords:
Column A Column B
Premises Responses
Person who provides schooling for children._____1
_____2. Person who enables a group to
_____3. Persons who instructs adults
in a classroom.
find a solution.
A. Facilitator
B. Tutor
C. Trainer
D. Teacher

15. Matching Type
Good matching items are not easy to write
as you might think.
Faulty problem of the matching item test:
• Homogeneity
• Order of Lists
• Easy Guessing
• Poor Directions
• Too Many Correct Responses
• Ambiguous Lists

16. Suggestions for writing Matching Items
1. Keep questions & options short &
homogeneous.
2. Make sure all the options are plausible
distractors for each
description
3. Use longer phrases as question & shorter
phrases as options.

17. Suggestions for writing Matching Items
4. Number each question & use alphabetical
letters for the options
5. Include more options than descriptions.
6. In the directions, specify the basis for
matching

18. Advantages of MATCHING ITEMS:
Are usually simple to construct and score
Suited to measure associations between facts
Matching questions can be more efficient than MC
questions
Matching questions reduce the effects of guessing

19. Disadvantages of MATCHING ITEMS:
Tend to ask students trivial information
Emphasize memorization
Limiting the size of particular matching item

20. Used to measure knowledge outcomes & other types of
learning outcomes
Multiple choice question is consists of:
• Stem – text of the question
• Options – choices provided after the
stem
• The key – correct answer in the list of
options
• Distracters – incorrect answers in the
list of options
Multiple Choice

21. Multiple Choice
multiple choice question is consists of :

22. Suggestion for writing multiple choice:
1. Stem of the item should clearly
formulate a problem
2. Be sure there’s one correct answer
3. Be sure distractors are plausible.
4. Use negative questions if knowledge being
tested requires

23. Suggestion for writing multiple choice:
5. Include 3 – 5 options to test knowledge
rather than guessing.
6. Increase the similarity of content among options
7. Use the option “none of the above”
sparingly…
8. Avoid using “all of the above”.

24. Advantages of Multiple Choice Item
Versatile in measuring objectives from knowledge to
evaluation level
Substantial amount of course material can be sampled in
relatively short time
Scoring is highly objective.
So that students must discriminate among option that
vary in degree of correctness.

25. Advantages of Multiple Choice Item
Effects of guessing are reduced.
are amenable to item analysis.
So that students must discriminate among option that vary
in degree of correctness.

26. Disadvantages of the Multiple Choice Item
If not carefully written, M-C questions can sometimes have
more than one defensible correct answer.
Can be time consuming to write.

27. Completion Test
Type of test that includes
series of sentences which
certain important
words/phrase has been
omitted

28. Suggestion for for writing Completion Test
1. Items should require single-word answer
2. Be sure, statement poses a problem
3. Be sure, the answer required is factually √

29. Suggestion for for writing Completion Test
5. Blank is near the end of the statement
6. Numerical answer is to indicate units…
4. Omit only key words..

30. Advantages of Completion Test:
Guessing is eliminated
Completion question, take less time to complete
Relatively easy to construct

31. Disadvantages of Completion Test:
Responses can be difficult to score
Restriction of answer tends to measure the recall of specific
facts, names…etc.
Encourage low level of response complexity

32. Thank you for listening