REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY GENERAL SANTOS CITY

Presented by: Jamora Maria II J. Duhinog Presented to: Dr. Ava Claire Marie O. Robles MODULE 4: DEVELOPMENT OF ASSESSMENT TOOLS Lesson 1: Multiple Choice Test (MCT)

ED104 -W- (9:00-12:00) December 19, 2012

Multiple Choice Tests (MCT) The multiple choice type of test is a form of assessment in which students are asked to select the correct or best answer out of the choices from a list. In this kind of test, an item consists of two parts: the stem and a set of options or alternatives. It requires the students to select from the options that will make the stem complete and correct. All incorrect or less appropriate responses are called distracters or foils. The stem - is the beginning part of the item that presents the item as a problem to be solved, a question asked of the students, or an incomplete statement to be completed. It can be presented in three ways: 1. A direct question, 2. An incomplete statement, or 3. A mathematical equation The given options - are the possible answers that the examinees can choose from, with the correct answer called key. The minimum number of options is three while the maximum five. a. Advantages/ Disadvantages of Multiple Choice Test Advantages of the Multiple-Choice Test 1. It has great versatility in measuring objectives from the level of rote memorization to the most complex level. 2. It often requires less time to administer. 3. Test-takers are graded purely on the selection, thus creating a lower likelihood of teacher bias in the result. 4. The teacher can cover a substantial amount of course material in a relatively short time. 5. Scoring is objective since only little interpretation is needed to count the number of correct responses. 6. Teachers can construct options that require student to discriminate among them. 7. The effects of guessing are largely reduced since there are more options. 8. Items are more amenable to item analysis Disadvantages of the Multiple-Choice Test 1. This type of test is more time consuming in terms of looking for options that are plausible.

2. Multiple-choice tests are ambiguous. 3. In a multiple choice test, a student who is incapable of answering a particular question can simply select a random answer and still have a chance of receiving a mark for it. 4. Test-nave students complain of more than one defensible correct answer. b. Suggestions for Writing Multiple-Choice Tests 1. The stem should introduce what is expected of the examinee. 2. Avoid repetition of words in the options. 3. When the incomplete statement format is used, the options should come at the end of the statement. All test items should present the problem to the student as early and clearly as possible. 4. Avoid specific determiners. 5. Use vocabulary suited to the maturity of the students. 6. Stems and options should be stated positively whenever possible. 7. Options should be plausible and homogeneous. 8. Items should have a defensible corrector best option. 9. Avoid items that measure opinions. All opinions are equally defensible. 10. Vary the placement of correct options 11. Avoid overlapping options.

References:

Reganit, Arnulfo Aaron R., Ed.D., Ellcay, Ronaldo SP., Ph.D., and Laguerta, Cresencia C., M.S. Assessment of Student Learning 1 (Cognitive Learning). 839 EDSA, South Triangle, Quezon City. C & E Publishing, Inc. 2010 Santos, Rosita De Guzman. Assessment of Learning 1. 776 Aurora Boulevard, cor. Boston St., Cubao, Quezon City. Lorimar Publishing, Inc. 2007 (Rutter, Vanessa) 2010, Foundations of Education and Instructional Assessment/Assessment Strategies/Test Types. Retrieved on December 07, 2012 from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_of_ Education_and_Instructional_Assessment/Assessment_Strategies/Test_Types

(Nitco, A.J) 2001, Educational Assessment of Students. Retrieved on December 07, 2012. http://vig.prenhall.com/catalog/academic/product (Sage Publications) 2012, Multiple Choice Items. Retrieved on December 07, 2012, http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/45668_8.pdf