Chapter Four cont MultipleChoice Items Components of an
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Chapter Four (cont. ) • Multiple-Choice Items
Components of an M-C I • 1. stem: This is the initial part of the item which may be in the form of a question or an incomplete statement. • 2. Options: These are the choices or answers (usually four or five in number). Only one of the options is the correct answer and it is called the key. The remaining incorrect answers are called the distractors.
Advantages of M-C Is • 1. They can be answered in a short time and the test can have a wide coverage. • 2. A large number of learners can be tested in a short time. • 3. this type of test is easy to score and scoring is objective. • 4. this test has content validity and high reliability.
Advantages of M-C Is (cont. ) • 5. They can be set for any level of difficulty. • 6. This test is usually free from ambiguity as it • Restricts the learners’ responses to a specific area.
Disadvantages of M-C Is • 1. Writing a technically sound item is not easy. • 2. It is time-consuming. • 3. The test results can be distorted by the learners’ guessing the answers and their cheating by copying others’ answers. • 4. Only recognition and recall are expected from the examinees.
Disadvantages of M-C Is (cont. ) • 5. It can have a negative influence on class work and learning methods. Learners may see no need to practise writing and they may look for facts rather than seek a deeper understanding. • 6. This type of test has the difficulty of finding a sufficient number of incorrect but plausible distractors.
