approach the problem, what factual information to use, how to organize his reply, and what degree of emphasis to give each aspect of
his answer. Thus the essay question places a premium on the ability to produce, integrate, and express idea.
b. Objective test
Objective test is said to be one that may be scored by comparing examinee responses with an establishing set of acceptable responses of
scoring key. Objective test can be scored objectively. That is, equally competent scorers can score them independently and obtain the same
results. Objective test includes a variety of item types:
1 Multiple choice items
Multiple-choice refers to test items that require the students to select one or more responses from a set of two or more options These
items consists of a stem, which presents a problem situation, and several alternatives, which provide possible solutions to the problem.
The stem may be a question of an incomplete statement. The alternatives include the correct answer and several plausible wrong
answers, called distracters. The function of the latter is to distract those students who uncertain of the answer.
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Multiple choice items can measure a variety of learning outcomes, ranging from simple to complex, and it is easy to see why this item
type is regarded so highly and used so widely.
2 Matching Items
Another selected-response item, sometimes called an objective item, is the matching item. The format is not used as extensively as
true-false or multiple-choice items. But the matching item can be used
25
Norman E. Gronlund, Constructing Achievement..., p.38.
effectively to measure learning and, when used, it provides variety in the test format for both student and teacher.
The matching item is exactly what the name implies; it requires the student to use some association criterion in order to match the words or
phrases that represent ideas, concepts, principles, or things. Matching items are usually presented in two-column format: one column consists
of premises and the other consists of responses.
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3 True-False Items
The true-false item is simply a declarative statement that the student must judge as true or false. There are modifications of this
basic form in which the student must respond “yes” or “no,” “agree” or “disagree,” “right” or “wrong,” “fact” or “opinion,” and the like.
Such variations are usually given the more general name of alternative-response items. In any event this item type is characterized
by the fact that only two responses are possible.
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True-false items can be effective when a few guidelines are followed in the construction: Statements must be clearly true or false,
statements should not be lifted directly from the text, specific determiners should be avoided, trick questions should not be used,
some statements should be written at higher cognitive levels, and true- false items should be of the same frequency and length.
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3. The Importance of Item Analysis
Item analysis is an important and necessary step in the preparation of good multiple-choice tests. Because of this fact, it is suggested that every
classroom teachers who use multiple choice test data should know something of item analysis, how it is done and what it means.
26
William Wiersma, Educational Measurement and Testing, Boston: Allyn Bacon, 1990, p. 48.
27
Norman E. Gronlund, Constructing Achievement …, p.54.
28
William Wiersma, Educational Measurement and …, p. 47.
