The document discusses guidelines for constructing multiple choice and matching type test questions. It provides 17 guidelines for multiple choice questions, including avoiding negatives or double negatives in stems, keeping stems short, making distractors equally plausible, and only using "none of the above" when no option is fully correct. It also lists 5 guidelines for matching type questions, such as matching homogenous items and having more options than stems to prevent guessing. The document aims to help test designers construct valid multiple choice and matching questions.

1. MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST AND
MATCHING TYPE
REPORTERS:
MAEBELLE LIW-AGAN
SANDY COBSIN
JOLINA DALUPING

2. 1. MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS
 It is a type of test that offers student with more than 2
options per item to choose from.
 TWO PARTS OF MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST
A. STEM
B. OPTIONS
 There is “correct” or “best” option while all the others are
considered “distracters”. DISTRACTERS are chosen in
such a way that they are attractive to those who do not
know the answer or are guessing but at the same time ,
have no appeal to those who actually know the answer.

3. GUIDELINES IN CONSTRUCTING
MULTIPLE CHOICE ITEM
1. Do not use unfamiliar words, item, and phrases. The
ability of the item to discriminate or its level of difficulty
should stem from the subject matter rather than from the
wording of the question.
2. Do not use modifiers that are vague and whose meanings
can differ from one person to the next such as: much, often,
usually, etc.

4. 3. Avoid complex or awkward word arrangements. Also avoid
use of negative in the stem as this may add unnecessary
comprehension difficulties.
4. Do not use negatives or double negatives as such
statements tend to be confusing. It is best to use simpler
sentences rather than sentences that would require
expertise in grammatical construction.
5. Each item stem should be a short as possible; otherwise
you risk testing for reading and comprehension skills.

5. 6. Distracters should be equally plausible and attractive.
7. All multiple choice options should be grammatically
consistent with the stem.
8. The length, explicitness, or degree of technicality of
alternatives should not be the determinants of the
correctness of the answer.
9. Avoid stems that reveal the answer the answer to another
item.

6. 10. Avoid alternatives that are synonymous with others or
those that, include or overlap others.
11. Avoid presenting sequenced items in the same order as in
the text.
12. Avoid use of assumed qualifiers that many examinees
may not be aware of.
13. Avoid use of unnecessary word or phrases, which are not
relevant to the problem at hand (unless such discriminating
ability is the primary intent of the evaluation).

7. 14. Avoid use of non-relevant sources of difficulty such as
requiring a complex calculation when only knowledge of a
principle is being tested.
15. Pack the question in the stem. Avoid question which has
no question.
16. Use the “none of the above” option only when the keyed
answer is totally correct. When choice of the “best”
response is intended, “none of the above” is not
appropriate, since the implication has already been made
that the correct response may be partially inaccurate.

8. 17. Note that use of “all of the above” may allow credit for
partial knowledge. In a multiple option item, (allowing only one
option choice) if a student only knew that two options were
correct, he could then deduce the correctness of “all of the
above”. This assumes you are allowed only one correct choice.
18. Better still use “none of the above” and “all of the above”
sparingly. But best not to use them at all.
19. Having compound response choices may purposely increase
difficulty of an item. The difficulty of a multiple choice item
may be controlled by varying the homogeneity or degree of
similarity of responses. The more homogeneous, the more
difficult the item because they all like the correct answer.

9. MATCHING TYPE
The matching type items may be considered modified
multiple choice type items where the choices progressively
reduce as one successfully matches the items on the left
with the items on the right.
TWO PARTS OF MATCHING TYPE
1. Premises
2. Responses

10. GUIDELINES IN CONSTRUCTING MATCHING TYPE OF
TEST
1. Match homogenous not heterogenous items. The items to match must be
homogenous.
 Here is an example of homogenous items. The items are all about
Fiipino heroes, nothing more.
Direction: Match the item in column A with the items in column B.
A B
__1. First president of the Republic a. Magellan
__2. National hero b. Mabini
__3. Discovered the Philippines c. Rizal
__4. Brain of Katipunan d. Lapu-lapu
__5. The great painter e. Aguinaldo
__6. Defended Limasawa island f. Juan Luna
g. Antonio Luna

11. 2. The stem (longer in construction than the options) must
be in the second column while the options (usually shorter)
must be in the second column.
3. The options must be more in number than the stems to
prevent the student from arriving at the answer by mere
process of elimination.
4. to help the examinee find the answer easier, arrange the
options alphabetically or chronologically.
5. Like any other test, the direction of the test must be
given. The examinees must know exactly what to do.

12. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!
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