Item Writing Vexation
This is the number of distractors we use in a multiple-choice item.
What is three?
A symmetric graph that peaks in the middle and slopes evenly downward on both sides.
What is a normal distribution?
If an item cannot be traced back to one of these, it probably shouldn’t be on the test.
What are objectives?
‘I’m Slim Shady, yes I’m the real Shady…’
Who is Eminem?
Items should be written in this tense.
What is present tense?
On many well-constructed exams, the ideal item difficulty index falls in this range.
What is .6 to .8?
When an item tests three different skills at once, the item writer probably forgot this principle.
What is one objective per item?
‘Exit light, enter night, take my hand…’
Who is Metallica?
Items should be written in this type of voice.
What is active voice?
In item analysis, this warning sign occurs when low-scoring examinees answer an item correctly more often than high-scoring examinees.
What is negative discrimination?
When every objective uses verbs like ‘identify’ or ‘define,’ the entire exam may unintentionally live at this lowest Bloom’s level.
What is remember?
‘In the days of my youth, I was told what it means to be a man…’
Who is Led Zeppelin?
When one answer option is twice as long and much more detailed than the others, it often turns out to be this.
What is the correct answer?
When incorrect answer options attract no examinees, they are described this way.
What are non-functioning distractors?
When a question asks examinees to choose the best action in a scenario, it’s usually measuring this Bloom’s level.
What is apply?
‘Hey Jude, don’t make it bad, take a sad song and make it better…’
Who are The Beatles?
This stem begins with ‘Which of the following is NOT…,’ forcing examinees to mentally reverse the question before answering.
What is a negative stem?
When 99% of candidates answer an item correctly, the data is politely telling you this.
What is the item is too easy?
This Bloom’s level requires candidates to break information into parts and examine relationships between them.
What is analyze?
‘Wise men say, only fools rush in…’
Who is Elvis?