![]() Multiple-choice, true-false and matching items can be correctly answered through blind guessing, yet essay items can be responded to satisfactorily through well written bluffing.ĭue to the extent of time required by the student to respond to an essay question, only a few essay questions can be included on a classroom exam. ![]() While impossible to eliminate, scoring influences or biases can be minimized through procedures discussed later in this guide.īoth item types encourage some form of guessing. Different readers can rate identical responses differently, the same reader can rate the same paper differently over time, the handwriting, neatness or punctuation can unintentionally affect a paper's grade and the lack of anonymity can affect the grading process. Constant use of essay tests may encourage the knowledgeable but poor writing student to improve his/her writing ability in order to improve performance.Įssays are more subjective in nature due to their susceptibility to scoring influences. Consequently, students with good writing skills have an advantage over students who have difficulty expressing themselves through writing.Įssays do not teach a student how to write but they can emphasize the importance of being able to communicate through writing. Writing skills do affect a student's ability to communicate the correct "factual" information through an essay response. For example, a professional item writer produces only 9-10 good multiple-choice items in a day's time.Īccording to research findings it is still undetermined whether or not essay tests require or facilitate more thorough (or even different) student study preparation. Technically correct and content appropriate multiple-choice and true-false test items require an extensive amount of time to write and revise. Essay and objective exams are both good ways to evaluate a student's level of knowledge.Įssay items are generally easier and less time consuming to construct than are most objective test items. Essay and objective exams can be used to measure the same content or ability.ĩ. ![]() Essay exams limit the extent of content covered.Ĩ. Objective exams encourage guessing more so than essay exams.ħ. Essay exams are more subjective in nature than are objective exams.Ħ. Essay exams teach a person how to write.ĥ. Essay exams require writing skills where objective exams do not.Ĥ. Essay exams require more thorough student preparation and study time than objective exams.ģ. Essay exams are easier to construct than objective exams.Ģ. To begin out discussion of the relative merits of each type of test item, test your knowledge of these two item types by answering the following questions. For some instructional purposes one or the other item types may prove more efficient and appropriate. Objective items include multiple-choice, true-false, matching and completion, while subjective items include short-answer essay, extended-response essay, problem solving and performance test items. There are two general categories of test items: (1) objective items which require students to select the correct response from several alternatives or to supply a word or short phrase to answer a question or complete a statement and (2) subjective or essay items which permit the student to organize and present an original answer. Choosing Between Objective and Subjective Test Items ![]()
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