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Writing Meaningful Test Questions

Learn how to craft meaningful test questions that align with learning objectives, test application skills, and avoid common flaws such as logical cues, grammatical errors, and word repetition.

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Writing Meaningful Test Questions

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  1. Writing Meaningful Test Questions Kurt Gilliland, Ph.D. Dept. of Cell Biology and Physiology Ryan Madanick, M.D. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Dept. of Medicine

  2. Writing Meaningful Test Questions • Format of stems, lead-ins, and options • What are common flaws to avoid? • Content of stems, lead-ins, and options • How can your items reflect learning objectives? • How can you develop items that test application instead of recall?

  3. 1. The primary purpose of the stam is to remove which of the following? A. CarmB. DentonC. MeniceD. Stam bar

  4. 1. The primary purpose of the stam is to remove which of the following? A. CarmB. DentonC. MeniceD. Stam bar Item Flaw ✔ Word repeat: A word or phrase is included in the stem and in the correct answer.

  5. 2. Which of the following pairs has won the greatest number of Abby awards?A. Jones and SmithB. Smith and TaylorC. Smith and WhiteD. White and Allen

  6. 2. Which of the following pairs has won the greatest number of Abby awards?A. Jones and SmithB. Smith and TaylorC. Smith and WhiteD. White and Allen Item Flaw ✔ Convergence strategy: The correct answer included the most elements in common with other options.

  7. 3. How many pounds of pressure are exerted by a callam?A. 260B. 150C. 2.6D. 2600

  8. 3. How many pounds of pressure are exerted by a callam?A. 260B. 150C. 2.6D. 2600 Item Flaws ✔ Logical cues: A subset of the options are collectively exhaustible. Often, the correct answer is in the middle of the range. Language in the options is not parallel: Options are in an illogical order, in this case.

  9. 4. The stanon is aided by aA. anstelB. immonC. octalD. port

  10. 4. The stanon is aided by aA. anstelB. immonC. octalD. port Item Flaw ✔ Grammatical cues: One or more distractors don’t follow grammatically from the stem.

  11. 5. Why does the stanon frequently overheat?A. All grestels are belious.B. No immons are directly fectitious.C. Octals are usually casable.D. Ports are always actial.

  12. 5. Why does the stanon frequently overheat?A. All grestels are belious.B. No immons are directly fectitious.C. Octals are usually casable.D. Ports are always actial. Item Flaws ✔ Frequency terms in the topics are vague: Terms such as “rarely” or “usually” not consistently defined or interpreted, even by experts. Absolute terms: Terms such as “always” or “never” are used in options.

  13. 6. Stamation normally occurs when the…A. anstels rupture.B. immon falls and the denton is in place.C. octal rotates easily.D. ports pass over the carm.

  14. 6. Stamation normally occurs when the…A. anstels rupture.B. immon falls and the denton is in place.C. octal rotates easily.D. ports pass over the carm. Item Flaw ✔ Long correct answer: Correct answer is longer, more specific, or more complete than other options.

  15. BONUS. Find 4 flaws. Regarding syphilis, all are true except…A. The skin rash of secondary syphilis may be macular or papular and spirochetes may be visualized by the Warthin-Starry stain.B. Nontreponemal serologic tests for syphilis include the FTA and MHA tests; these are positive early in T. pallidum infections but become negative in tertiary syphilis.C. Gummas are granulomatous lesions of tertiary syphilis and show necrotic centers and a surrounding rim of plasma cells.D. Cardiovascular tertiary syphylis is seen in the ascending and or thoracic aorta with aortitis and aneurysm.E. None of the above

  16. Item Flaws BONUS. Find 4 flaws. Regarding syphilis, all are true except…A. The skin rash of secondary syphilis may be macular or papular and spirochetes may be visualized by the Warthin-Starry stain.B. Nontreponemal serologic tests for syphilis include the FTA and MHA tests; these are positive early in T. pallidum infections but become negative in tertiary syphilis.C. Gummas are granulomatous lesions of tertiary syphilis and show necrotic centers and a surrounding rim of plasma cells.D. Cardiovascular tertiary syphylis is seen in the ascending and or thoracic aorta with aortitis and aneurysm.E. None of the above 1. Short stem but long, heterogeneous options. 2. A negative term in the stem. 3. Unfocused stem. 4. Use of “none of the above” as option.

  17. Frequency Terms What do terms like “usually” or “frequently” mean to you?

  18. Frequency Terms

  19. Name That Exam Flaw

  20. The most important prognostic factor in AIDS is…A. CD4:CD8 ratioB. presence of Kaposi’s sarcomaC. absolute leukocyte countD. absolute CD4 countE. level of GP120 antibody

  21. The most important prognostic factor in AIDS is…A. CD4:CD8 ratioB. presence of Kaposi’s sarcomaC. absolute leukocyte countD. absolute CD4 countE. level of GP120 antibody Unfocused stem Use of absolute terms such as “most”

  22. What is the cause of muscle soreness that is present the day or two after exercise?A. Accumulation of lactic acidB. Microscopic muscle damage leading to an inflammatory response including the release of bradykinin, PGE2, and histamine which sensitive nerve endingsC. Muscle stiffnessD. Use of anabolic steroids

  23. What is the cause of muscle soreness that is present the day or two after exercise?A. Accumulation of lactic acidB. Microscopic muscle damage leading to an inflammatory response including the release of bradykinin, PGE2, and histamine which sensitive nerve endingsC. Muscle stiffnessD. Use of anabolic steroids Long distractor Heterogeneous distractors

  24. The tophi of gouty arthritis:A. are a form of erythema nodosumB. have a fibrinoid center surrounded by peripheral histiocytesC. are composed of prominent osteophytes at the DIP joints of fingersD. none of the above

  25. The tophi of gouty arthritis:A. are a form of erythema nodosumB. have a fibrinoid center surrounded by peripheral histiocytesC. are composed of prominent osteophytes at the DIP joints of fingersD. none of the above Unfocused stem Short stem, long distractors “None of the above”

  26. Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams was published in what year?A. 1911B. 1912C. 1913D. 1914E. 1915

  27. Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams was published in what year?A. 1911B. 1912C. 1913D. 1914E. 1915 Correct answer (1913) in middle of range Question is recall of minutia and not application

  28. Aspirin should NOT be prescribed when the patient has which of the following conditions?A. Peptic ulcers B. HeadacheC. FeverD. PainE. Inflammation

  29. Aspirin should NOT be prescribed when the patient has which of the following conditions?A. Peptic ulcers B. HeadacheC. FeverD. PainE. Inflammation Use of “not” is acceptable in this case since the teaching point was in fact a contraindication.

  30. Which of the following is true regarding lysosomal storage disease?A.会意字 / 會意字B. ربي/عربىC.日本語D. में जन्मजात स्वतन्त्रता और

  31. Which of the following is true regarding lysosomal storage disease?A.会意字 / 會意字B. ربي/عربىC.日本語D. में जन्मजात स्वतन्त्रता और Unfocused stem

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