University,

Swabi Campus

Assignment Title:

Guide Lines of Item Writing

Subject: Psychological Testing 1

Submitted By: Naybab
Semester: 5th
Reg #: PC-13(SW)-01
Submitted To:

Madam Maria

Submission date: 11 - 1 2016

Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (Swabi

campus)

Items (or Question) Components

STEM:
The portion of a "question" or "item" that presents the problem to be solved,
It may be constructed as a question, or as an incomplete (lead-on) sentence.
OPTIONS:
The alternatives or response choices from which to choose the correct
answer to the examination item.
DISTRACTOR(s):
Options which are INCORRECT choices. In a four-option format, there will be
three distractor(s) to each item.
Item Writing Guidelines

STEM/STIMULUS ATTRIBUTES

OPTIONS/RESPONSE ATTRIBUTES

All STEMS must:

All OPTIONS must:

A. include wording that is CLEAR,

A. Have ONLY ONE KEY [e.g., the

CONCISE, AND UNOBSCURE.

ONLY correct and clearly BEST

B. Be WITHOUT CLUES to the correct

answer.]

response.

B. Have three options that are

C. Include all NECESSARY

DISTRACTOR(S) [e.g., incorrect

INFORMATION.

choices.]

D. Be worded as positive statements.

C. Include wording that is CLEAR,

Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (Swabi

campus)

E. Be worded as positive elements.

accurate and un obscure.

[Avoid as much as possible

D. Have PLAUSIBLE distracters/FOILS

negatives, e.g., except no, or

[e.g., represent common errors.]

not, and avoid ABSOLUTES, e.g.,

E. Have alternative responses that

always, only, all, never. If

are all PARALLEL IN STRUCTURE [e.g.,

used they should be written with all

all are the same part of speech], and

CAPITAL LETTERS.]

all agreeing grammatically and

F. SPELL OUT names of departments

conceptually.

or statutes in full. [Abbreviations

F. Have distracters that are NOT

common to the profession may be

PARTIALLY CORRECT.

used.]

G. AVOID the use of NONE OF THE

G. Include information that is at the

ABOVE OR ALL OF THE ABOVE.

candidates READING LEVEL [8th

H. Avoid the use of clues in the option

grade level].

that may connect it to the stem

H. AVOID the use of the phrase of

{stem/key association].

the following.

I. Avoid REPETITIVE WORDS OR

I. Usually be worded as questions,

PHRASES that can be better placed in

have question marks, necessary

the stem.

articles, and be complete sentences.

J. NOT capitalize one word option that

[If incomplete sentence, the stem

are common nouns.

should be treated as a lead on

K. NOT show capitals for

sentence NOT have punctuation, e.g., phrase/options that finish a sentence,

NO COLONS.]

yet end with the APPROPRIATE

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campus)

J. Be brief, complete, pertinent and

PUNCTUATON to complete sentences.

unambiguous.

L. Use CAPITALS and end with the

K. Contain ALL NECESSARY scenarios,

appropriate punctuation if the

exhibits, situations, case studies,

options are complete sentences.

diagrams, displays, or problem

M. use capitals for PROPER NOUNS

statements with the exam item.

[names].

L. Contain up-to-date and ACCURATE

N. Have options that AGREE with the

information.

stem GRAMMATICALLY.

M. cover areas that are relevant to

O. Have options that are

the profession AS PRACTICED IN THE

approximately the same length.

STATE OF FLORIDA.

P. Have options that are

N. Cover areas that are FREQUENTLY

CONCEPTUALLY PARALLEL [e.g., have

USED in the profession.

the same type of content].

Q. Avoid VERBAL ASSOCIATIONS that
point back to the stem.
R. have the FOUR-OPTION FORMAT
arranged in logical order [e.g.,
ALPHABETICAL, CHRONOLOGICAL, or
NUMERICAL.]
S. Avoid two distracters that are
similar in meaning and, thus, easy as
potential to eliminate answers.

Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (Swabi

campus)

Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (Swabi

campus)