Suggestions on Item Writing

Suggestions on Item Writing:

Here are a ew suggestions that the examiner should take into consideration when designing M / C items for testing reading comprehension , vocabulary or structures.

1. Make the item economical

Weak item
She went to the cinema __________.
a. in order to see a film .
b. in order to buy a dress .
c. in order to repair her watch .
d. in order to read a book .

Here , the words "in order to " which occur in the four options are redundant. To make the item economical we should delete the redundant words :

The item would then be as follows.
Improved item:

She went to cinema in order to __________ .
a. see a film.
b. Buy a dress .
c. Repair her watch .
d. Read a book .

2. All the alternatives should be on approximately the same level of difficulty.

Weak item
They need not __________ to the library today .
a. should have gone .
b. go .
c. had gone .
d. have been gone .

Here , the options, though belonging to the same verbal category , do not match in terms of difficulty. One way of improving the test item would be :


Improved item:
They need not __________ to the library today.
a. goes .
b. go .
c. going .
d. gone.

3. when possible , all choices should be related to the same general area or kind of activity

Weak item
They went to the baker’s to buy some __________ .
a. from .
b. sit.
c. bread.
d. apples.

Here , the choices do not relate to each other. One way of improving the item is to make the choices relate to one category.

Improved item:
They went to the baker’s to buy some __________ .
a. cheese.
b. meat.
c. bread.
d. apples.


4. The choices in each item should be of approximately the same length or paired by length

Weak item
Oliver was beaten and locked up in a __________ .
a. Fagan s dwelling place.
b. Cellar.
c. Noah Claypole’s house.
d. Kitchen of the workhouse.

Here , "b" comprise one word while the other choices comprise three to four words each . No single choice should attract attention merely because it looks unlike the others in the test.
Improved item:
Oliver was beaten and locked up in a __________ .
a. garden.
b. workhouse.
c. cellar.
d. library.




Best Regards
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