Item Recommendations

Selected Response

Contain a set of options from which to select correct response(s)

Checklist:

Does the item assess an important aspect of the standard?

Does the stem ask a direct question or set of specific problem?

Is the item based on a paraphrase rather than words lifted directly from a textbook?

Are the vocabulary and sentence structure at a relatively low and nontechnical level?[1]

Is each alternative (stem) plausible so that a student who lacks of knowledge of the correct answer cannot view it as absurd or silly?

If possible, is every incorrect alternatives based on a common student error or misconception?

Is the correct answer of the item independent of the correct answers of the other items?

Is there only one correct or best answer to the item?

To test the clarity of your item, consider: Would a student who know the content be able to answer the question before reading the options?

Selected Response: Multiple Choice, Matching, True-False
Advantages / Disadvantages
Ease and objectivity in scoring
Can assess a number of learning targets
Focus on reading and thinking
Less chance of randomly guessing answers than in T/F items
Incorrect response(s) may indicate misconceptions
Gives students practice for standardized tests / May only assess lower-level thinking, if poorly written; easier to assess lower-level thinking
Harder to measure complex learning outcomes
Cannot easily credit creativity, reasoning, expressive understandings
Difficult to construct distinct and meaningful incorrect responses
Student may earn correct response through guessing, testwiseness, and reading ability differences

Dos and Don’ts:

  • Write the question or task clearly by focusing it on specific learning target(s)
  • Write the correct answer along with concise and unambiguous incorrect responses
  • Write plausible incorrect responses (i.e. not obviously wrong responses)
  • Avoid using “all/none of the above” or a combination of correct answers as alternatives
  • Avoid using negative or double negative statements
  • Vary the position of the correct answer in the list of answer choices

ELA example 1

Poor

Which of the following is least dissimilar in meaning to “concur”? (Double negatives)

  1. misalign
  2. assent
  3. withdraw
  4. sanitize

Better

Which of the following is most similar in meaning to “concur”?

  1. misalign
  2. assent
  3. withdraw
  4. sanitize

ELA example 2

Read this sentence from the article:

Rainfall data from ancient cypress trees shows that the region's worst drought in 800 years peaked in 1587, the year the 120 men,women and children of the Roanoke colony were last seen by Europeans.

What does peaked mean in this sentence?

Math example 1

Poor

John runs 3 miles most mornings. Which could not be the number of miles that John has not run after several days? (Double negatives)

  1. 2
  2. 5
  3. 9
  4. 10

Better

John runs 3 miles most mornings. Which could be the number of miles that John has run after several days?

  1. 2
  2. 5
  3. 9
  4. 10

Example 2

Mia has bought 4 gallons of apple juice to share with her class at school. If she plans to save 1/4 gallon for her sister at home, how many 8-ounce cups of juice can she serve?

Answer: Total juice to share: (3.25x128)/8=52


Constructed Response

Require student to generate a response in abrief phrase, or single word or single number.

Checklist:

Does the item assess an important aspect of the standard?

Is the item based on a paraphrase or rather than sentence copied from a book?

Is the item worded clearly so that the correct answer is a brief phrase, single word or single number?

Is the blank or answer space toward the end of the sentence? Are there only one or two blanks?

If the item is in the completion format, is the omitted word an important word rather than a trivial word?

If appropriate, does the item (or the directions) inform the appropriate degree of detail, specificity, precision, or units that the answer should have?

Does the item avoid grammatical (and other irrelevant) clues to the correct answer?

Constructed Response:Short Answer, Fill in the Blank, Completion
Advantages / Disadvantages
Easy construction of question
Ease and objectivity in scoring
Can measure complex learning skills
Minimizes guessing / May not be able to anticipate all possible answers
Easier to assess lower-level thinking
Harder to measure complex learning outcomes
May emphasize memorization if poorly constructed
Susceptible to writing ability differences

Dos and Don’ts

  • Carefully choose correct wordings of question so that the required answer is both brief and specific
  • Do not form a question based on a direct copy of statements from textbook with single word or phrase deleted
  • Phrase the question so that it is clear what the student must do to earn full credit

ELA example 1

The Greek mythical hero Hercules was given twelve great tasks to complete as penance. One such task was the cleaning of the enormous royal Aegean stables in a single day, which Hercules was able to complete in part due to his great strength.

Poor

Explain “herculean task” (Unclear wording)

Better

The modern phrase “herculean task” comes from this myth – explain, in everyday language, what it means and how it is related to the myth.

Math example 1

Poor

Milani wants to build a fence around her rectangular garden. If her garden is 7 feet by 6 feet square feet and she has 45 feet of wire fence, then ______wire fence will be left over.(Unclear wording)

Better

Milani wants to build a fence around her rectangular garden. If her garden is 7 feet by 6 feet square feet and she has 45 feet of wire fence,

  1. she will need ____ feet of wire fence to surround her garden.
  2. there will be ____ feet of wire fence left over.

Math example 2

Poor

Don runs 4 miles every morning in a soccer field near his house. After 5 days, he stops running because he moves to another city. What is the total miles he has run?

(Too wordy, unnecessary information)

Better

Don runs 4 miles every morning. After 5 days, he has run for ____ miles in total.

Extended Response

Require student to provide more elaborate answers and explanations of reasoning

Checklist:

Does the item assess an important aspect of one or a set of standards?

How does the item tap into the level of depth of knowledge as defined by the taxonomy?

Does the item require students to apply their knowledge to a new or novel situation?

Does the item define the tasks with specific directions and focus?

Is the prompt worded in a way that students can interpret the intended task?

Does the prompt give clear information on the length of answers/writing, purpose, time needed, and basis on which the answers will be scored?

If the item is on a controversial matter, does the prompt make it clear that the assessment will be based on the logic and evidence supporting the argument, rather than on the actual position taken?

Extended Response, including Essay

Advantages / Disadvantages
Easy construction of question
Can measure complex learning skills
Assess and promote high-order thinking
Can positively influence students’ studying strategies
Minimizes guessing / Time-consuming and error in scoring
Unlimited sampling of content
Possible multiple answers  unreliable
Susceptible to writing ability differences

Dos and Don’ts

•Construct questions that can assess behavior specified in the learning outcomes

•Phrase the question so that it is clear what the student must do to earn full credit

•Indicate an approximate word expectation/length for each question

•Require students to provide evidence for claims and assertions

•Allow students appropriate time to complete the task

ELA example 1

Poor(Vocabulary is unnecessarily complicated)

Sisyphus was the son of King Aeolus of Thessaly, and was avaricious, deceitful, and murderous. In life, Sisyphus believed himself more clever than the gods. In some versions of the myth, after his death he was sent to Tartarus (a deep abyss of torment, as far below Hades as the earth is below the heavens). Once there, Sisyphus deceived Thanatos, the personification of death, into chaining himself and escaped. While Thanatos was trapped in Tartarus, no human could die. As punishment for his trickery and hubris, Sisyphus was made to endlessly roll a huge boulder up a steep hill. Each time Sisyphus neared the top of the hill, the boulder would roll back to the bottom, and he would have to begin again.

In plain words, what is a Sisyphean task? How is it different from a herculean task? In common usage, what aspect of the story of Sisyphus is most important for how the term “sisyphean task” is used commonly today?

Better

Sisyphus was the son of King Aeolus of Thessaly. He was greedy, dishonest, and murderous. He thought he was more clever than the gods. After his death he was sent to Tartarus (a deep abyss of torment, worse than Hades). Once there, Sisyphus deceived Thanatos, the personification of death, into chaining himself, and escaped. As punishment for his trickery and arrogance, Sisyphus was forced to roll a huge boulder up a steep hill, forever. Each time Sisyphus neared the top of the hill, the boulder would roll back to the bottom, and he would have to begin again.

Based on this story, what does it mean when something is described as a sisyphean task? How is it different from a herculean task? What aspect of the story of Sisyphus is most important for how the term “sisyphean task” is used today?

Math example1

Poor

By looking at the data in the table on the next page, do students who have high Biology scores also have high Math scores? (Doesn’t provide enough instruction for students)

Better

  1. Construct a scatterplot from the the table on the next page, using the graph paper provided.
  2. Determine if there is a linear association between the two types of scores.
  3. Explain the direction of the association.
  4. Define what an outlier is, and determine from the scatterplot if there is such an outlier in the given data.

Item Guideby the Oregon Department of Education and Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research Center is licensed under a CC BY 4.0.