Multiple Choice Items
Developing Multiple
Choice Test Items
Ari Purnawan
Multiple Choice Items
1. Stem (presents a stimulus)
2. Options, usually 3 - 5 (give
alternatives to choose
from), one is the key, the
others are distractors
Multiple choice
• Is most suitable for assessing learning
outcomes at the recall and
comprehension levels
• does not allow test takers to
construct, organize, and present their
own answers.
• enables the test takes to arrive at a
correct answer simply by guessing.
Rules
• Design each item to measure a specific
objective. e.g. questions with wh-q
• State the stem and options as simple
and directly as possible.
• Be sure that there is only one correct
answer.
• Do not provide clues to the correct
answer.
Stems can be:
• 1. A complete statement (test takers
choose the best response)
• 2. A complete question with whquestions (tts choose the best
answer).
• 3. An incomplete sentence (tts
choose the correct form).
Options:
• Must be in an equal form and, if
possible, length.
• Must be correct by itself
• Must contain only one correct answer.
(It becomes `correct` only after it is
used in the stem or to respond to it.
• use uppercase A, B, C, D, E instead of
lowercase a, b, c, d
How?
• Start from an open-ended question.
Choose several wrong answer that
many of the tts wrote.
• make some adjustments to make all
look equal or similar
More things to consider
• Each item should measure a specific
aspect of language learning.
• Each must be independent.
• Do not provide an answer to an item
in a stem of another item.
Examples
1. According to the text above, a
figure that has eight sides is called
an:
A. pentagon
B. quadrilateral
C. octagon
D. ogive
2. As compared to autos of the 60s,
autos in the 80s ....
A. travelling slower
B. bigger interiors
C. to use less fuel
D. was less constructed in foreign
countries
E. contain more safety features
3. Switzerland ....
A. is located in Asia
B. produces large quantities of gold
C. has no direct access to the ocean
D. is a flat arid plain
References
• Brown, H.D. 2001. Teaching by Principles: An interactive approach to
•
•
•
•
•
language pedagogy (2nd ed). Language Assessment: Basic Concepts in Test
Development New York: Pearson Education Company.
Brown, H.D. 2004. Language assessment: Principles and classroom
practices. New York: Pearson Education Company.
Cohen, A.D. 1994. Assessing Language Ability in the Classroom (2nd ed).
Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.
Harmer, J. 2007. The Practice of English language Teaching (4th ed).
Harlow: Pearson.
Lado, R. 1977. Language Testing: The Construction and Use of Foreign
Language Tests. London: Longman.
Stanley, J.C. dan K.D. Hopkins. 1978. Educational and Psychological
Measurement and Evaluation. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall.
Choice Test Items
Ari Purnawan
Multiple Choice Items
1. Stem (presents a stimulus)
2. Options, usually 3 - 5 (give
alternatives to choose
from), one is the key, the
others are distractors
Multiple choice
• Is most suitable for assessing learning
outcomes at the recall and
comprehension levels
• does not allow test takers to
construct, organize, and present their
own answers.
• enables the test takes to arrive at a
correct answer simply by guessing.
Rules
• Design each item to measure a specific
objective. e.g. questions with wh-q
• State the stem and options as simple
and directly as possible.
• Be sure that there is only one correct
answer.
• Do not provide clues to the correct
answer.
Stems can be:
• 1. A complete statement (test takers
choose the best response)
• 2. A complete question with whquestions (tts choose the best
answer).
• 3. An incomplete sentence (tts
choose the correct form).
Options:
• Must be in an equal form and, if
possible, length.
• Must be correct by itself
• Must contain only one correct answer.
(It becomes `correct` only after it is
used in the stem or to respond to it.
• use uppercase A, B, C, D, E instead of
lowercase a, b, c, d
How?
• Start from an open-ended question.
Choose several wrong answer that
many of the tts wrote.
• make some adjustments to make all
look equal or similar
More things to consider
• Each item should measure a specific
aspect of language learning.
• Each must be independent.
• Do not provide an answer to an item
in a stem of another item.
Examples
1. According to the text above, a
figure that has eight sides is called
an:
A. pentagon
B. quadrilateral
C. octagon
D. ogive
2. As compared to autos of the 60s,
autos in the 80s ....
A. travelling slower
B. bigger interiors
C. to use less fuel
D. was less constructed in foreign
countries
E. contain more safety features
3. Switzerland ....
A. is located in Asia
B. produces large quantities of gold
C. has no direct access to the ocean
D. is a flat arid plain
References
• Brown, H.D. 2001. Teaching by Principles: An interactive approach to
•
•
•
•
•
language pedagogy (2nd ed). Language Assessment: Basic Concepts in Test
Development New York: Pearson Education Company.
Brown, H.D. 2004. Language assessment: Principles and classroom
practices. New York: Pearson Education Company.
Cohen, A.D. 1994. Assessing Language Ability in the Classroom (2nd ed).
Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.
Harmer, J. 2007. The Practice of English language Teaching (4th ed).
Harlow: Pearson.
Lado, R. 1977. Language Testing: The Construction and Use of Foreign
Language Tests. London: Longman.
Stanley, J.C. dan K.D. Hopkins. 1978. Educational and Psychological
Measurement and Evaluation. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall.