Bài giảng Phương pháp kiểm tra và đánh giá học tập - Chapter 3: Objective testing

Chapter 3:
Objective testing
I. Subjective & Objective testing
II. Objective tests
III. General principles of multiple choice items
IV. Important guidelines of multiple choice items
V. Components of multiple choice items
I. Subjective & Objective testing
 Subjective & Objective terms the scoring 
methods
 All tests subjectively constructed by the 
test writer
 Objective tests: only one correct answer.
+ scored mechanically by computer
+ responsible for testing a large number 
of candidates 
 Reading, vocabulary & grammar objective 
methods
 Writing & speaking subjective methods
 Objective tests requiring more careful 
preparation
 Pro. Duong Thieu Tong:
+ reliability of obj. tests: test writers
+ reliability of subj. tests: test markers
Some criticism
(1) Obj. tests: simpler to answer than subj. tests
+ the degree of difficulty determined by the test 
constructors 
+ no indication that all objective tests - easy
+ carefully selected and constructed & rewritten
where necessary 
+ setting the pass-mark or the cutting - off point 
depending on the tester’s subjective judgment 
or on a particular external situation
+ pre-tested before being administrated on a
wider basis 
(2) the multiple choice type encourages 
guessing
+ four or five alternatives for each item 
sufficient to reduce the possibility of guessing
+ In reality, candidates rarely make wild guess; 
most base their guessing on partial knowledge
Prof. Duong Thieu Tong
 If Sts don’t prepare well for the test & the tests 
are difficult unable to make guess 
 long tests unable to guess correctly
 reliability: 0 candidates guess easily
 reliability: high Sts’ guessing (+ score)
 educational experts in the modern time: 
prevention of guessing & correction for 
guessing 
 Obj. tests: gram., voc.& phonology
 A poor objective test: poor written items, 
irrelevant areas or skills (as they are 
testable), not communicative skills
 Objective tests cannot
- test students’ ability to communicate
- evaluate their actual performance
 A good classroom test: objective & 
subjective items
III. General principles of 
multiple choice items
 One of the most widely useful types of items
 The most time-consuming item to construct
 Not testing language as communication
 A useful means of teaching & testing various 
learning situation (esp. gram & vocabulary 
not ability to use the language)
 Measuring Sts’ ability to recognize correct 
grammatical forms helping both T &Ss to 
identify areas of difficulty 
The number of options
- public tests: 5 options
- classroom tests (esp. grammar) : 4 options
- vocabulary & reading : 5 options
The number of options varying
- the level of difficulty
- the language areas being tested
- the purpose of the test
Multiple choice items
- long enough reliable assessment 
- short enough practicable
IV. Important guidelines 
of multiple choice items
(1) Each item: only one absolutely correct 
answer
(2) Only one feature at a time: being tested
(3) Each option: grammatically correct when 
placed in the stem.
(4) a grammar item not contain other 
grammatical features as difficult as the 
area being tested, and a vocabulary 
item not contain more difficult semantic 
features in the stem than the area being 
tested.
(5) Items: as brief and as clear as 
possible
(6) Items: arranged in rough order of 
increasing difficulty
V. Components of multiple choice items
1. The stem
2. The correct option
3. The distractors
1. The stem
 the primary purpose: to present the problem clearly 
and concisely 
 The forms (i) incomplete sentence, (ii) a complete 
statement; & (iii) a question.
 the stem: those words or phrases which would 
have otherwise to be repeated in each option
 the stem allowing the number of choices
2. The correct option
(a) avoid confusing students by having a different 
number of correct options for each item
(b) the correct option: approximately the same 
length as the distractors
3. The distractors
 Each distractor must be:
- attractive & plausible
- grammatically correct when standing by itself
 Plausible distractors best based on: 
(a) mistakes in the students’ own written work; 
(b) their answers in previous tests; 
(c) teacher’s experience; &
(d) a contrastive analysis between L1 & L2