c. One advantage of the multiple choice item over the true-false
item is that students also know what is correct rather than only know that a statement is incorrect.
In the writer’s opinion, multiple choice item includes at least three components, which are the stem, the distractors, and the
correct answer. The stem can be the direct question or incomplete statement which students have to response. The distractors are
presented to distract the students who do not study well for choosing the answer correctly. This type especially useful for
measuring learning outcomes that require the understanding, application, or interpretation of factual information.
2. True-False
In the book, Criterion-Referenced Language Testing, true-false item “requires student to respond to the language by selecting one
of two choices, for instance, between and true and false or between correct and incorrect.”
54
In line with that opinion, Norman gives the definition of true-false item as follow:
“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.”
55
For example: Direction: Read each of the following statements, if the statement
is true grammatically, circle the T. If the statement is false gramatically, circle the F
54
James Dean Brown and Thom Hudson, Criterion-Referenced Language Testing, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002, p. 66.
55
Norman E. Gronlund, Constructing Achievement ..., p. 54.
T F 1. Toni usually help her mother in cooking.
T F 2. Every student must bring their own book.
T F 3. If I had much money, I would buy a house.
T F 4. She is smarter in our classroom.
T F 5. The men are gathered in a conference room.
The most common use of the true-false item is to measure the ability to identify the correctness of statement of fact, definition of
terms, principles, etc and to distinguish fact from opinion.
56
It is used in measuring such relatively simple learning outcomes so a
single declarative statement is provided with one of several methods of responding.
Therefore, to make it more effective in measuring students’ understanding, there are some rules which should be noticed for
constructing true-false items:
57
a. Include only one central, significant idea in each statement
b. Word the statement so precisely that it can be judged true
or false unequivocally c.
Keep the statement short, and use simple language structure d.
Use negative statements sparingly, and avoid double negatives
e. Statements of opinion should be attributed to some source
f. Avoid extraneous clues to the answer
Moreover, Anthony J. Nitko states that this item type has some advantages and criticisms.
58
Here they are: Advantages:
a. Certain aspects of the subject matter lend themselves to
verbal prepositions that can be judged true or false b.
Such items are relatively easy to write c.
They can be scored easily and objectively d.
They can cover a wide range of content with a relatively short period of testing
56
Wilmar Tinambunan, Evaluation of Students ..., p. 70.
57
Norman E. Gronlund, Constructing Achievement ..., p. 55-56
58
Anthony J. Nitko, Educational Test ..., p. 170-171.
Criticisms: a.
They are often used only to test specific, frequently trivial, facts
b. They can be ambigiously worded
c. They can be answered correctly by blind guessing
d. They may encourage students to study and accept only
oversimplified statements of truth and factual details Thus, true-false item is the item type which contains a single
written statement and then it must be decided by students whether it is true or false. It is constructed to check and measure whether a
simple particular point has been comprehended or not.
3. Matching
“The matching item consists of two paralell coloumns with each word, number, or symbol in one coloumn being matched
to a word, sentence, or phrase in the other coloumn. The items in the coloumn for which a match is sought are called premises
and the items in the coloumn from which the selection is made are called responses. They are useful in measuring students
ability to make associations, discern relationship, make
interpretations or measure knowledge of a series of facts.”
59
In other words, this item type presents students with two coloumn of information in which they have to match the correct
option or response to premise. It is typically used to measure factual information or knowledge based on simple relationship.
Therefore, when learning outcomes concern on the ability to identify the relationship between two things, matching item should
be the most appropriate. For example: Match the following words on the left with their synonyms on the
right 1.
Receive a. Carry
2. Achieve
b. Emerge 3.
Bring c. Increase
59
Wilmar Tinambunan, Evaluation of Students ..., p. 64-65.
4. Appear
d. Accept 5.
Improve e. Accomplish
Furthermore, James Dean Brown formulates three guidelines that teachers should apply in constructing matching items:
60
a. More responses should be supplied than premises so that
students cannot narrow down the choices as they go along by simply keeping track of the options that they have
already used.
b. The responses should usually be shorter than the premises
because most students will read a premise and then search through the options for then correct match.
c. The premises and responses should be logically related to
one central theme that is obvious to the students. Moreover, matching item has some advantages to be carried
out in testing. The first advantage is “its compat form, which makes it possible to measure a large amount of related factual
material in a relatively short time.”
61
Secondly, “the effects of guessing is reduced since the student will have one chance out of a
number of responses available of guessing correctly.”
62
At last, it has ease of construction.
4. Rearrangement
“Rearrangement items require the pupil to put into some specified order a series of randomly presented material.”
63
In the book, Measurement and Evaluation in the Schools, Louis J.
Karmel states that any kind of specified order may be called for, such as chronology, order of difficulty, order of importance,
length, weight, logic, and so on.
64
60
James Dean Brown, Testing in Language ..., p. 57.
61
Norman E. Gronlund and Robert L. Linn, Measurement and Evaluation ..., p. 159.
62
Wilmar Tinambunan, Evaluation of Students ..., p. 65.
63
H. H. Remmers, et. al., A Practical Introduction ..., p. 243.
64
Louis J. Karmel, Measurement and Evaluation in the Schools, London: The Macmillan Company, 1970, p. 382.
