Guidelines Multiple Choice and Matching Type Tests

1. Test Construction
Guidelines for Multiple
Choice and Matching
Type Tests
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2. Session objectives
❖ Discuss the guidelines in constructing
multiple choice and matching type tests
❖ Construct a multiple choice and matching
type tests
❖ Share insights on the importance of
constructing a good type of test
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3. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/claude_bernard_177950

4. Activity 1
What are the characteristics
of a good multiple choice
test?
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library.com/clipart/461268.htm

5. Multiple-Choice Test Questions
❖ an effective and efficient way to
assess learning outcomes
❖ an objective assessment which has
only correct answers from the choices
❖ recommended to have 4 or 5 choices
❖ choices are identified by the letters
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6. Parts of a Multiple-Choice Test
Stem
• Part of the item which presents a problem
• Can be a question, a set of directions or a
statement with an embedded blank
Options/Alternatives
• Refers to the choices given for the item
Key
• Correct choice for the item
Distractors
• Incorrect choices for the item. http://clipart-
library.com/clipart/158631.htm

7. Which one of the following best illustrates
the law of diminishing returns?
A. A machine decreased in utility as its
parts became worn.
B. The population of a country increased
faster than the means of subsistence.
C. The demand for a farm product
increased faster than the supply of the
product.
D. A factory doubled its labor force and
increased production by 50 percent.
Parts of a Multiple Choice Test
Stem
Key
Options/
Alternatives
Distractors

8. General Guidelines in Constructing a Multiple
Choice Test
❖ Align with specific learning competencies
❖ Give clear directions
❖ Avoid negatively stated items. If negative form is used,
indicator is underlined, capitalized or italicized.
❖ Include a must information as possible in the stem and
keep the options short as possible
❖ Use vocabulary that is appropriate for the group being
tested

9. General Guidelines in Constructing a Multiple
Choice Test
❖ Avoid using special characters such as “all of the above”, or
any of the above
❖ Edit and proof all items, prompts, and instructions
❖ Avoid verbal association between the stem and the correct
option

10. General Guidelines in Constructing a
Multiple-Choice Test
❖ Make the stem meaningful
❖ Avoid long worded stem
❖ Write the stem as a question
❖ Put the main or central idea of what you want to ask in
the stem, not in the answer choices.

11. General Guidelines in Constructing a
Multiple-Choice Test
❖ Keep the options approximately equal in length or arrange
them from shortest to longest or longest to shortest
❖ Use each option as the correct answer approximately an
equal number of times
❖ Make all alternatives grammatically consistent with the
stem and parallel in form
❖ Make sure that distractors are plausible
❖ Make sure that there is only one correct or best response

12. Variations of Multiple Choice Test
1. Correct Answer Variety
Who is our national hero?
A. Jose P. Rizal B. Andres Bonifacio
C. Marcilo H. Del Pilar D. Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo
2. Best Answer Variety
What describes best about the sun?
A. A hot star
B. An average bright star
C. Part of the solar system
D. Center of the solar system
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13. Variations of Multiple Choice Test
3. Incomplete Statement
Direction: Choose an option to make the
statement complete.
A cube has ____ sides.
A. 2 B. 4 C. 6 D. 8
4. Negative Stem Variety
Which of these does not belong to the group?
A. circle B. square C. triangle D. rectangle http://clipart-
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14. Variations of Multiple Choice Test
5. Mother Stem Variety
In the old days, the farmer worked with
horse teams and each horse has four shoes.
1. Suppose each horseshoe costs Php 250.00,
how much did the farmer pay for the shoes
of one horse?
A. Php 5000 B. Php 2500 C. Php1000 D. Php 500
2. If there are nine horses in each farmer’s team,
how many horseshoes are there?
A. 9 B. 18 C. 24 D. 36
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15. Variations of Multiple Choice Test
6. Substitution Variety
Direction: Certain words are underlined. If the
underlined word is incorrect, change it from
any of the options. If all the underlined words
are correct, choose “no error.”
One of the pupils in the school wear a name tag
on “Speak to me in English.”
A. more C. wears
B. pupil D. no error
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16. Variations of Multiple Choice Test
7. Combined Response Variety
Direction: Arrange the sentences below to
form a story.
1) They row the boat into the sea. 2) After a
while, their nets become heavy. 3) Every
afternoon, Father and Ben go fishing.
4) Soon, Father throws the net into the water.
A. 1-2-3-4 C. 3-1-4-2
B. 2-3-4-1 D. 4-3-2-1
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17. Variations of Multiple Choice Test
8. Multiple True-False
US President (1) Barrack Obama arrived
in Manila yesterday with (2) his wife.
A. Both 1 & 2 are true
B. Both 1 & 2 are false
C. 1 is true & 2 is false
D. 1 is false & 2 is true
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18. Variations of Multiple Choice Test
9. Multiple Meanings
The author wants to convey that life without
fuel would be hard and impossible.
What does the author mean by fuel?
A. a firewood used for cooking
B. a diesel used to run machine
C. a gas used for basic existence
D. an oil used to minimize friction
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19. Variations of Multiple Choice Test
10. “If – then” condition
If the selling price of a prime commodity
increases but its capital cost remains
constant, then________.
Which of the following will likely to increase?
A. profit C. investment
B. supply D. consumption
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20. Variations of Multiple Choice Test
11. Relations and Correlates
Hammer: Carpenter,
while _________: ___________
A. Awl : Cobbler
B. Carabao : Farmer
C. Wine : Bartender
D. Thread : Seamstress
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21. Examples:
* Memory Only (poor)
Which description best characterizes whole foods?
A. orange juice B. toast
C. bran cereal D. grapefruit
* With Memory-Plus Application (better)
Sally’s breakfast this morning included one glass
of orange juice (from concentrate), one slice of
toast, a small bowl of bran cereal, and a grapefruit.
What “whole food” did Sally eat for breakfast?
A. bran cereal B. grapefruit
C. orange juice D. toast
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22. Example
* Emphasize higher-order thinking
Why does investing money in common stock protect
against loss of assets during inflation?
A. It pays higher rates of interest during inflation.
B. It is protected by the Federal Reserve System.
C. It increases in value as the value of a business increases.
D. It provides a steady but dependable income despite
economic conditions.
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23. Example
* Emphasize higher-order thinking
Why is adequate lighting necessary in a balanced
aquarium?
A. Fish take in oxygen in the dark.
B. Fish need light to see their food.
C. Plants grow too rapidly in the dark.
D. Plants expel carbon dioxide in the dark.
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24. Instructions: Number your paper from 1 to 10.
Evaluate the following items of a Multiple-Choice
test. Write good if it is well constructed and poor
if it needs improvement.
1. Who received a Nobel Prize for
discovering the DNA?
A. Francis Crick
B. James Watson
C. Rosalind Franklin
D. A and B
E. B and C
F. A and C
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8353676474494/

25. 2. The nurse is making a home video to a 75 y-o male
client who has had Parkinson’s disease for the past
five years. Which finding has the greatest implication
for this patient’s care?
A. The client’s wife tells the nurse that the grandchildren have not
been to visit for over a month.
B. The nurse notes that there are numerous throw rugs throughout
the client’s home.
C. The client has a towel wrapped around his neck that the wife
uses to wipe her husband’s face.
D. The client is sitting in an armchair, and the nurse notes that he
is gripping the arms of the chair.
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26. 3. In addition to the nucleus, _____ are
organelles that contain DNA.
A. Golgi bodies
B. Mitochondria and chloroplasts
C. Ribosomes
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27. 4. All of the following are true about
mitochodria except _______.
A. They contain DNA.
B. They make some of their own proteins.
C. They are static.
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28. 5. In constructing a test, a table of
specifications is necessary in order to ensure
_____.
A. objectivity of the test
B. good sampling of items
C. consistency of scores
D. elimination of ambiguous items
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29. 6. What guideline in test construction is NOT observed in
this test item? “Jose Rizal wrote ____.”
A. The item belongs to the knowledge category.
B. The length of the blank suggests the answer.
C. The central problem is not contained in the item.
D. The answer is opened to more than 1 correct answer.
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library.com/clipart/di48R8RLT.htm

30. 7. Organization. ______
A. permeate every aspect of urban life
B. command much social power
C. are powerful social tools that coordinate
many human actions in order to achieve their goals
D. all of the above
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31. 8. All living things can adapt to their
environment. What adaptation is used by polar
bears to survive in cold climate? _____
A. Polar bears have smooth, white furs.
B. Polar bears have thick, white furs.
C. Polar bears have tiny, white furs.
D. Polar bears have long, white furs.
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32. 9. Why did God create human beings? ____
A. to be greater than angels
B. in God’s image
C. to be slaves
D. to be like God
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33. 10. Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition
proved that the _____.
A. east can be reached by sailing south
B. colonization of the Philippines
C. world is flat
D. east can be traded by sailing west
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34. Matching Type Test
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35. Matching Type Test
❖ require students to match a series of
stems or premises to a response or
principle
❖ cover large areas of material without
having to spend much time or effort
on constructing the questions
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36. Matching Type Test
Consists of three (3) columns
1st Column - Premises
2nd Column –Alternative/responses
3rd Column – Spaces where the
answers are to be
written
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37. Matching Type Test
Premises - items in the first
column for which a match is
sought
Responses - items in the second
column from which the selection is
made
Answers - to be written on the
spaces provided in the third
column
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38. 1. Use homogeneous premises
and responses in a single
matching exercise.
2. Indicate clearly in the
directions the basis for
matching where answers
should be written
Guidelines in Constructing a
Matching Type Test
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39. 3. Limit a matching exercise to a
maximum of 10-15 items.
4. Label each column with a heading
that accurately describes its
content
5. Keep the responses or answer
choices short and logically
ordered.
Guidelines in Constructing a
Matching Type Test
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40. 6. Have more responses or answer
choices than premises
7. Place all the premises and responses
on a single page.
8. Indicate in the instruction that a
response may be used once, more
than once or not at all.
9. Avoid giving pattern in the answer.
Guidelines in Constructing a
Matching Type Test
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41. SAMPLE
Directions: (sample)Pick the phrase in column B that most
accurately defines each of the phrases in column A and write
your answer in column C.
Column A Column B
*Column C.
1. A.
1. _____
2. B.
2. _____
10. K.
10._____
*not to disrupt the flow of thought

42. ACTIVITY
1. Construct at least 3 multiple
choice and 5-item matching
type tests. (Use the story
“Goldilocks and the Bears”)
2. Present your output in a
PowerPoint presentation for
critiquing.
https://worldstories.org.uk/content/book/245/Cover-400x514.jpg

43. https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/54515755/stori
es-goldilocks-and-the-three-bears-transcript

44. Presentation of Outputs
https://worldstories.org.uk/content/book/245/Cover-
400x514.jpg

45. What are your insights on
the importance of
constructing a good type
of test?
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library.com/clipart/160395.htm

46. https://media.allauthor.com/images/quotes/gif/paul-j-meyer-quote-productivity-is-never-an-
accident-it.gif

47. Thank You
and
God Bless!

48. References:
Multiple Choice Guidelines for Constructing Questions. (2022). Centre-for-Teaching-Excellence.
https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/sites/ca.centre-for-teaching-
excellence/files/uploads/files/multiple_choice_guidelines_for_constructing_questio
ns_august_2015. pdf
General Guidelines for Writing MC (Multiple Choice) Test Items. (2022).
Tomorrowsprofessor.Sites. https://tomorrowsprofessor.sites.stanford.edu/posting/1712
Timothy W. Bothell, Ph.D. (2022). 14 RULES FOR WRITING MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS.
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY 2001 Annual University Conference. Retrieved April 19,
2022, from https://testing.byu.edu/handbooks/14%20Rules%20for%20Writing%20Multiple-
Choice%20Questions.pdf
Https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/54515755/stories-goldilocks-and-the-three-bears-
transcript. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from http://clipart-
library.com/clipart/di48R8RLT.htm
Taken from Center for Teaching Excellence

49. References:
For Images
Self-assessment-CLIPARTS #3142936 (license: Personal use). (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from http://clipart-library.com/clipart/self-assessment-
cliparts_8.htm
Http://clipart-library.com/clipart/461283.htm. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from http://clipart-library.com/clipart/self-assessment-cliparts_8.htm
http://clipart-library.com/clipart/self-assessment-cliparts_19.htm
Http://clipart-library.com/clipart/self-assessment-cliparts_19.htm. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from http://clipart-library.com/clipart/self-
assessment- cliparts_8.htm
Https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/claude_bernard_177950. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from http://clipart-library.com/clipart/self-assessment-
cliparts_8.htm
Http://clipart-library.com/clipart/461268.htm. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from http://clipart-library.com/clipart/self-assessment-cliparts_8.htm
Http://clipart-library.com/clipart/461336.htm. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from http://clipart-library.com/clipart/self-assessment-cliparts_8.htm
Http://clipart-library.com/clipart/158631.htm. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from http://clipart-library.com/clipart/self-assessment-cliparts_8.htm
Http://clipart-library.com/clipart/461268.htm. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from http://clipart-library.com/clipart/self-assessment-cliparts_8.htm
Http://clipart-library.com/clipart/428772.htm. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from http://clipart-library.com/clipart/self-assessment-cliparts_8.htm
Http://clipart-library.com/clipart/461268.htm. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from http://clipart-library.com/clipart/self-assessment-cliparts_8.htm
Http://clipart-library.com/clipart/461291.htm. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from http://clipart-library.com/clipart/self-assessment-cliparts_8.htm
Https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/351914158352544866/. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from http://clipart-library.com/clipart/self-assessment-
cliparts_8.htm
Https://media.allauthor.com/images/quotes/gif/paul-j-meyer-quote-productivity-is-never-an-accident-it.gif. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from
http://clipart-library.com/clipart/self-assessment-cliparts_8.htm
Happy face PIC #1214595 (license: Personal use). (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from http://clipart-library.com/clipart/di48R8RLT.htm
Https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/635148353676474494. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2023, from http://clipart-library.com/clipart/di48R8RLT.htm

50. MAY P. EDULLANTES
Education Program Supervisor, LRMDS
may.edullantes@deped.gov.ph