TYPE OF TEST ITEMS

A written test composed of a number of test items.  Items differ on the basis of the type of responses they involve.  There are items in which responses are free.  They are called free response type test items. Here respondents have freedom to respond in his own way.  In fixed response type test items he does not have this freedom.  There are different types of test items coming under these two categories.  Generally there are three types of test items viz. objective type items, short answer type items and essay type items.

1.  Objective Type items

            An objective type test item is one in which the response and hence the scoring will be objective.  In order to ensure such objectivity, the responses are made fixed whereby the freedom of the respondent to deviate subjectively is restricted.  Objective type test items can be broadly classified into

                                 i.        Supply type (Recall type)

                               ii.        Selection type (Recognition type)

For supply type test items the respondents have to supply the response where as for selection type they have to select the responses among the given responses.  The generally used objective type items are true-false items, multiple choice items, matching type and completion type.  Of these completion type items are supply type while the remaining belongs to selection type.

a)  True-false items: In this form, the respondent is asked to read a statement and indicate in some specific manner suggested, whether it is true or false. When a number of such items are included in a test, some of them may be true and the remaining ones are false, arranged in random order.

It is advisable that avoid ambiguity in the statement as much as possible. For this avoid words like all, never, always, frequently, in most cases, etc. Another point should be kept in mind that uses positive statements as far as possible. It is also desirable to make the given statements in a set of true-false items almost equal in length. Likewise, the number of true items and false items should be balanced.

The greatest drawback of true-false items is that the examinee guesses and even when one does not possess the knowledge about the subject matter. He gets ½possibiolity to get it right.

b) Multiple Choice items: Multiple choice item has been designed t reduce the limitation of true-false item to the minimum.  In this type, a question had to be answered by the respondent by selecting the correct response out of the alternative responses provided for.  If carefully prepared, such items can be used to appraise even the most complex behavoural changes associated with instructional objectives.

            A multiple choice item has two parts- the stem and the options.  The stem presented in the form of an incomplete sentence or an interrogative sentence. The number of options may be generally four or five, out of which one is the correct answer and hence it is called keyed response and the all other options are called distractors.

            The point should be kept in mind that the distractors should be meaningfully connected in the sense that they really distract the thoughts and mode of reasoning of the respondent. Another point is that the stem should be short and at the same time, reflect the real problem in precise manner.  Avoid unnecessary adjectives and complications that might confuse the examinee.  It is advisable to avoid negative statement, as far as possible, as stems.

c) Matching type items: This is a modified form of multiple choice items.  In fact matching type comprises an economical from of combining a number of multiple choice items in the same question.  This is more appropriate where the options for a number of stems are mutually related and sometimes repeating.  In this type the student has to associate a word or a phrase given in another column containing options.

d) Completion type items: A test item which requires the examinee to fill-in the blank is called a completion test item.  He has to supply the word or phrase omitted. Care should be taken to avoid ambiguous statements.  The answer should be only a key word rather than unimportant details.

Advantages of Objective Type Items

1. It will ensure the objectivity of the test.
2. It will ensure the coverage of the content area.
3. It will reduce the language expertise, speed in writing good handwriting, neatness, etc. of the learner.
4. It promotes economy of time, and ensures the practicability of the test.
5. It will ensure the reliability of the test.
6. It will ensure the validity of the test.
7. A well prepared objective type item will be able to evaluate the higher order objectives also.

Limitations of Objective Type Items

1. It is very much difficult to prepare a good objective type test item. It demands very much time, talent and imagination of the examiner.
2. It creates a problem of guessing. 
3. It creates an opportunity to cheating (copy answers from other scripts).
4. This type of test item is not able to check the depth of the knowledge of the learner.
5. It is very much difficult to test complicated skills of the examiner with objective type items.
6. It demands high printing cost.

2. Short Answer type items

            A question having two or three value points at the most may be regarded as a short answer type test item.  The term value point indicate that a point to be given credit in the expected answer. 

Advantages

1. A relatively large proportion can be covered in a test.
2. It is easy to construct.
3. It provides little opportunity for guessing because the examinee demands to supply specific information.
4. If proper care gave at the time of preparing the items, objectivity can be ensured to a certain extend.

Limitations

1. It is more subjective than objective type test item.
2. Excessive use of this type test item may encourage the rote memorization of the learners.
3. Mechanical scoring is not possible.

3. Essay type items

            This is the conventional type of question calling for a rather long answer covering a number of pints and a variety of objectives.  This type test items will help in evaluating complex skills and other behavioural pattern.

Advantages

1. It is easy to prepare.
2. The method of administration of test item is rather simple.
3. It is useful to measure complex skills.
4. It is very much useful to evaluate the depth of knowledge of the examinee.
5. The possibility of guess work and spot copying can be reduced to the maximum.
6. Comprehensiveness of the subject matter is ensured.

Limitations

1. They are very much subjective in nature. Mark allotment will vary widely.
2. It is very difficult to ensure the comprehensiveness of the content area.  It is very difficult to prepare essay type items from every content area.
3. Linguistic ability, speed in writing, handwriting ability, neatness, etc. of the examinee will influence very much in this type of test items.
4. It is very difficult to administer every time.
5. Proper evaluation of the specific abilities is very difficult.
6. It is very difficult to ensure the reliability and validity of these type of test items.