This second of a series of six lessons on general environmental health consists of 20 multiple choice questions dealing with legal aspect. (BB)

Discusses multiple choice questions and presents a statistical approach to post-test correction for guessing that can be used in spreadsheets to automate the correction and generate a grade. Topics include the relationship between the learning objectives and multiple-choice assessments; and guessing correction by negative marking. (LRW)

Describes a study of undergraduates that investigated the effects of providing access to a case library of related stories while solving ill-structured problems. Describes experimental, comparable, and control group treatments and discusses results of multiple-choice tests and short answer questions. (Author/LRW)

Multiple regression analysis shows that both a response-production component and an evaluation component are involved in answers to a free-response synonym task by 299 Belgian college students. Format differences between the multiple choice evaluation task and the synonym task are explained in terms of verbal abilities measured. (SLD)

Uses question-and-answer relationships (QARs) to help students identify the purposes of various multiple-choice questions. Shares how the authors taught fifth-grade students to use the QAR framework as they attacked charts, tables, figures, and other graphics. Details the sequence of their instruction and describes the success that they had using…

Discusses the generalizability of critical thinking and the disposition to think critically. Argues that verbal reports of examinees' thinking on multiple-choice tests can explain the reasoning behind their answers and, thus, can be used to assess the inability to make credibility judgments. (FMW)

An investigation analyzed difficulty and discrimination statistics for 91 multiple-choice tests written by 46 business administration instructors and administered to 7,511 students. A large percentage of the tests failed the difficulty and discrimination standards proposed by several testing experts, implying that teachers need more preparation in…

A taxonomy of 43 rules for writing multiple-choice test items is presented, based on a consensus of 46 textbooks. These guidelines are presented as complete and authoritative, with solid consensus apparent for 33 of the rules. Four rules lack consensus, and 5 rules were cited fewer than 10 times. (SLD)

Investigated measurement characteristics of both forms of Finding Embedded Figures Test (FEFT). College students (N=302) completed both forms of FEFT or one form of FEFT and Group Embedded Figures Test. Results suggest that FEFT forms provide reasonable reliable and valid data. (Author/NB)

Two investigations involving 700 candidates for medical specialty certification suggest that test items with only 4 options perform as well as the same items with 5 options. Results also suggest that five-option multiple-choice items can be reduced to four-option items by removing a nonfunctioning item. (SLD)

Accounting students (n=127) were randomly assigned one of two exams: one with multiple-choice items in an order corresponding to the sequence of class coverage of the topics, the other in random order. No differences appeared in test scores or time of completion. (SK)

The importance of the examinee's cognitive style in the multiple-choice answer-changing process testing was investigated in 2 studies with 125 and 84 undergraduates. Results suggest that examinees, especially high-scoring students, will usually benefit if they change answers, but cognitive styles did not appear to be a factor. (SLD)

Describes methodology for using verbal reports of thinking to develop and validate multiple-choice tests of critical thinking. Procedure includes devising normative models of thinking for each item; collecting verbal reports of thinking from samples of subjects; using normative models to rate quality of thinking; comparing quality of thinking to…

A meta-analysis of the difficulty and discrimination of the "none-of-the-above" (NOTA) test option was conducted with 12 articles (20 effect sizes) for difficulty and 7 studies (11 effect sizes) for discrimination. Findings indicate that using the NOTA option does not result in items of lesser quality. (SLD)

A survey of 190 first- and second-year university students investigated the relationship between student orientation to learning (deep, surface, or achieving), perceptions of the skills and abilities being assessed by multiple-choice tests, and study strategies they intended to use for upcoming examinations. (Author/MSE)