Chapter 3: Objective testing doc
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Chapter 3:
Objective testing
I. Subjective & Objective testing
II. Objective tests
III. General principles of multiple choice items
IV. Important guidelines of multiple choice items
V. Components of multiple choice items
I. Subjective & Objective testing
Subjective & Objective terms the scoring
methods
All tests subjectively constructed by the
test writer
Objective tests: only one correct answer.
+ scored mechanically by computer
+ responsible for testing a large number
of candidates
Reading, vocabulary & grammar objective
methods
Writing & speaking subjective methods
Objective tests requiring more careful
preparation
Pro. Duong Thieu Tong:
+ reliability of obj. tests: test writers
+ reliability of subj. tests: test markers
Some criticism
(1) Obj. tests: simpler to answer than subj. tests
+ the degree of difficulty determined by the test
constructors
+ no indication that all objective tests - easy
+ carefully selected and constructed & rewritten
where necessary
+ setting the pass-mark or the cutting - off point
depending on the tester’s subjective judgment
or on a particular external situation
+ pre-tested before being administrated on a
wider basis
(2) the multiple choice type encourages
guessing
+ four or five alternatives for each item
sufficient to reduce the possibility of guessing
+ In reality, candidates rarely make wild guess;
most base their guessing on partial knowledge
Prof. Duong Thieu Tong
If Sts don’t prepare well for the test & the tests
are difficult unable to make guess
long tests unable to guess correctly
reliability: 0 candidates guess easily
reliability: high Sts’ guessing (+ score)
educational experts in the modern time:
prevention of guessing & correction for
guessing
Obj. tests: gram., voc.& phonology
A poor objective test: poor written items,
irrelevant areas or skills (as they are
testable), not communicative skills
Objective tests cannot
- test students’ ability to communicate
- evaluate their actual performance
A good classroom test: objective &
subjective items
III. General principles of
multiple choice items
One of the most widely useful types of items
The most time-consuming item to construct
Not testing language as communication
A useful means of teaching & testing various
learning situation (esp. gram & vocabulary
not ability to use the language)
Measuring Sts’ ability to recognize correct
grammatical forms helping both T &Ss to
identify areas of difficulty
The number of options
-
public tests: 5 options
-
classroom tests (esp. grammar) : 4 options
-
vocabulary & reading : 5 options
The number of options varying
- the level of difficulty
- the language areas being tested
-
the purpose of the test
Multiple choice items
- long enough reliable assessment
- short enough practicable
IV. Important guidelines
of multiple choice items
(1) Each item: only one absolutely correct
answer
(2) Only one feature at a time: being tested
(3) Each option: grammatically correct when
placed in the stem.
(4) a grammar item not contain other
grammatical features as difficult as the
area being tested, and a vocabulary
item not contain more difficult semantic
features in the stem than the area being
tested.
(5) Items: as brief and as clear as
possible
(6) Items: arranged in rough order of
increasing difficulty
V. Components of multiple choice items
1. The stem
2. The correct option
3. The distractors
1. The stem
the primary purpose: to present the problem clearly
and concisely
The forms (i) incomplete sentence, (ii) a complete
statement; & (iii) a question.
the stem: those words or phrases which would
have otherwise to be repeated in each option
the stem allowing the number of choices
2. The correct option
(a) avoid confusing students by having a different
number of correct options for each item
(b) the correct option: approximately the same
length as the distractors
3. The distractors
Each distractor must be:
- attractive & plausible
- grammatically correct when standing by itself
Plausible distractors best based on:
(a) mistakes in the students’ own written work;
(b) their answers in previous tests;
(c) teacher’s experience; &
(d) a contrastive analysis between L1 & L2
