Three tips to writing better tests

As teachers, we have heard that multiple-choice tests are deemed from the educational dark-ages and limit accurate student assessment.  But, at the same time, teachers know that multiple-choice tests are efficient methods of assessing students' learning.  What to do???

So, how can we make a quick tool much better?  Here are some tips.

• 1) Size matters.  Yes, it does when talking about distractors.  When writing your distractors, attempt to make them nearly all equal in length.  There is no better way to give a student a hint than to include a distractor (or the answer) that is exceptionally shorter or longer than others.  Here is what I mean:

How did the victory of the Battle of New Orleans change Andrew Jackson's life?
a) None
b)The victory made Andrew Jackson a national hero and nearly all Americans knew who he was.  This helped him when he ran for president.
c) He received a promotion in the Army.
d) He received cash awards from Congress.

Even if you know nothing about Jackson, you can see how b looks different from the others because of the length and details in it.

• 2) Attempt to write questions so there is not an absolute answer.  If you can help it, do not include words such as "always" or"never".  This is a dead give away. In this example, I asked the students for the BEST description.  As some of the detractors contain the eliments of correct information, the also contain false information.  Also, this forces the student to think critically about ALL the choices - which one answers the question the BEST.

Which best describes how John Brown?

a)An abolitionist leader who moved to different areas of the nation to encourage the spread of the anti-slavery cause.  He justified the end of slavery with the Bible and believed in non-violent uses to end slavery.

b) An abolitionist leader with wide support of anti-slavery people for his cause.  He believed in the use of violence to end slavery. Even though his efforts fell short, he lived to see the end of the Civil War and the end of slavery.

c) An anti-slavery leader who started slaver uprisings, and believed God supported his causes.  He and his sons killed slave owners but were forced to leave the nation when threatened with going to jail for their crimes. 

d) An anti-slavery leader who attempted to start a slave uprising, but was unsuccessful.  He also believed he was doing God's work seeking to end slavery and was willing to kill slaveholders and their families to end slavery.

The correct answer is D, which includes all the correct information in the answer.  But with the distractors, they include parts of correct information, but also, some incorrect information...Which goes back to the question, "...best describes..."  Also, note that all the choices are nearly the same length.

• 3) Write answers like a correct answer to a short answer question.  This strategy makes multiple test questions more creditable. Both the distractors and the correct answers require students to read carefully and to think critically about their choices. Here an example:

Which best describes the connection between Western Expansion and Levi Jeans?

a) Jeans were worn by most people who traveled to the West.  So, therefore, Levi Jeans Company became a very prosperous company because so many miners purchased their jeans.

b) The jean company was started by a German immigrant who traveled to California as part of the many gold seekers.  But the immigrant made his fortune by creating a durable jean with rivets in the seems for the miners during the California Gold Rush. 

c) This jean company discovered a blue dye after railroad workers blew up a mountainside.  This new mineral was unique because it did not fade over time when added to cotton jeans.

d) This company was founded by an African American who traveled to the West to start a new life.  With hard work, some luck and determination, his small company became a huge American clothing company based in Oregon.

I hope this helps with your test writing.  Also, if you need some other great lessons or activities, please visit the Social Studies SUPER Store.  It's a great place to spice up your lessons!