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Testing with tests and creating test questions is already a common practice among specialists in training departments. It is very important to use test questions without inaccuracies and ambiguity. Creating relevant answers from which the learner can choose is often not an easy task. In this article we will provide some of the most commonly used types of test questions in distance learning systems, as well as some tips for creating tests in distance learning platforms.
7 of the Most Common Types of Test Questions in Online Learning Platforms
The types of test questions are:
1) Multiple-choice test question;
2) True/false test question;
3) Matching test question;
4) Completion test question;
5) Essay;
6) Oral question;
7) Calculation question.
Remember that tests can be conducted in a secure online environment in a computer lab, or given in paper or computer form, which can also be completed at home.
Multiple-choice test question
This type of question consists of one question and several possible answers, among which there is one correct answer (the stem) and several wrong ones (the alternatives). Usually students choose the correct answer by circling the corresponding number or letter, or by filling in the corresponding field.
Example: What is the capital of Portugal?
A) Madrid
B) Lisbon
C) Lima
Answer: B
Students answer this type of question quite quickly. As a result, these questions are used to test a wide range of knowledge. Creating them can take time, because sometimes it is hard to come up with several wrong answers that sound plausible, in order to confuse. The positive side of this type of question is that they are quite quick to grade manually.
Tips for creating good multiple-choice questions:
| Avoid | Use |
| In the correct answer (the stem): Long/complex sentences. Trivial phrases. Negations and double negatives. Ambiguous or undefined terms, absolute expressions, or generalizations. Characteristics that may lead to misunderstanding the answer. In the wrong answers (the alternatives): Statements that are too close to the correct answer. Completely unacceptable answers. „All of the above”, „None of the above”. Overlapping answers, for example, „if A is true…”. |
In the correct answer (the stem): Your own words – not statements taken directly from the book or textbook. Clearly formulated answers. Correct answers evenly distributed among A, B, and C. In the wrong answers (the alternatives): Plausible-sounding statements. Answers based on common misconceptions. True statements that do not answer the question. Short options - all of equal length. At least 3 alternatives. |
Suggestion: Write down two or three multiple-choice questions after each lesson, based on the material covered. If you regularly spend a few minutes creating questions whenever you need them, you will have a wide range of already created questions that you can use for a test or exam.
True/false test question
This type of question consists of only one statement. Students answer by marking whether the statement is true or false, which is where the name of the question comes from.
For example:
George Washington is the first president of the USA.
Answer: True
True/false questions are similar to multiple-choice questions in that they:
- Are most often used to assess knowledge related to the learning material or to check popular (mis)conceptions.
- Allow students to answer quickly and are used to test a wide range of knowledge.
- Are easy to grade, but difficult to create.
True/false questions give students a 50% chance of guessing the correct answer, which is why multiple-choice questions are used more often.
Tips for creating good true/false questions:
| Avoid | Use |
|
Long/complex sentences. |
Your own words. One main idea in each statement. An equal number of false and true statements (50/50) or slightly more false statements (60/40) - students tend to answer more often with „true”. |
Suggestion: You can increase the usefulness of this type of question by having students correct the false statements.
Matching test question
Students answer this type of question by matching pairs (words, phrases) from 2 different groups that have a semantic connection. In general, these questions are easy to create and grade, but take more time to solve than the previous two types of questions.
For example:
Match the literary titles with their authors:
To Chicago and Back – Aleko Konstantinov
The Shipka Volunteers – Ivan Vazov
At Harvest Time – Elin Pelin
Tips for creating good matching questions:
| Avoid | Use |
|
Long phrases. |
Short answers. |
Suggestion: You can use some alternatives more than once, thereby reducing the likelihood of random guessing.
Completion question
This type of question contains a statement that предполагаes as an answer a short word that the student must fill in. They are usually used to test basic knowledge, facts, and terms.
For example:
Water has ……… states of matter. It boils at ……. degrees Celsius.
Completion questions have many advantages. Many question creators claim that they are easier to create than multiple-choice questions. Unlike the other types of questions presented to you so far, completion questions make it harder for students who try to guess the correct answer. This, on the other hand, makes grading more difficult, since in some cases it makes it more subjective.
Tips for creating good completion questions:
| Avoid | Use |
|
Banality. |
Your own words |
Essay question
An essay is a complex question requiring a written answer whose length varies from a few sentences to several pages. They allow students to express their opinion and understanding of a given issue, as well as to show creativity, while at the same time making it difficult to arrive at an acceptable answer without prior preparation. Creating such questions is a relatively quick process, but checking and grading take considerably more time and involve a great deal of subjectivity.
Essay questions differ from completion questions in that they are not as structured. They are a more open type of question and allow students to demonstrate the ability to work with the learning material and present it in a creative way. As a result, essay questions are used to test higher levels of knowledge, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
It is interesting that students usually need more time to structure 1 answer of 5 paragraphs than 5 answers of 1 paragraph each. Most students need more time to answer questions. During an exam, to avoid the element of panic, you can offer your students a choice between 2 or more essay questions.
Tips for creating good essay questions:
| Avoid | Use |
|
Complex, ambiguous wording of the questions. |
Own words. |
Suggestion: Share the possible essay questions before the exam, as well as the grading criteria. This way students will have equal chances to prepare and their answers will be better.
Oral question
Oral questions allow students to answer the examiner's questions directly, or to defend an already developed written answer. This type of exam is extremely popular for language courses, which „require” speaking, but it can be used to check understanding in almost any course.
One of the advantages of this type of question is that it allows students to know their results almost immediately after the end of the exam and helps them learn new things while being examined.
Oral questions have two disadvantages: they take more time and teachers have difficulty taking notes. Oral exams usually take about 10-15 minutes per student. As a result, they are most often used for small classes. In addition, unlike written exams, oral exams do not leave written evidence of the student's knowledge. Therefore, examiners should take notes during the exam and then provide copies to their students.
Calculation test question
A calculation question requires students to perform certain calculations in order to find the correct answer. This type of question can be used to test students' memory in solving problems and their ability to apply calculation techniques. Most often, they are required to combine already familiar techniques in new ways.
Good calculation questions should:
- Be solved through the use of key concepts and techniques. Before the exam itself, examiners should solve the questions themselves or ask their assistants to do so.
- Include a breakdown of the grading system so that students are prepared for the results.
To prepare students for this type of exam, you should set aside enough time for practice.
Suggestions: Have students divide the sheet into two columns. In one, they fill in the calculations, and in the other - the assumptions and defense of the answer. This way the professor will be able to easily distinguish a mathematical error from a conceptual one and give the appropriate feedback.
Tips for Creating Tests and Test Questions
When creating your next e-learning course, you can use the tips below. They will help you improve the effectiveness of your tests.
Tip 1: Questions should be directly related to the stated learning objectives and course content.
Tip 2: All questions should include feedback that guides the learner to the correct answer.
Tip 3: Questions should not contain analogies, cultural references, or humor.
Tip 4: Questions should not consist of complex sentences, ambiguous phrases, or jargon.
Tip 5: Questions should not be misleading – this includes questions with more than one correct answer, ambiguous or abstract possible answers.
Tip 6: If possible, avoid true/false questions.
Tip 7: Possible answers should begin with the same word – if you make an exception, the word you chose to start one of the answers must be present in the question.
Tip 8: All questions should contain the same number of possible answers.
Tip 9: Questions should have at least 3-4 possible answers (only one correct).
Tip 10: It is not recommended for questions to contain possible answers such as „all of the above” or „none of the above”.
Tip 11: All possible answers should be realistic and credible.
Tip 12: All possible answers should be in correct syntax and correspond to the question.
Tip 13: All possible answers should be approximately the same length.
Tip 14: All possible answers should be equally detailed.
Tip 15: Possible answers should not overlap or be too close to each other.
Tip 16: Questions should not contain negative wording – „Which of the listed terms is NOT...”. If you cannot avoid it, the negative wording should be written in capital letters.
Tip 17: All correct possible answers must be contained in the learning material.
Tip 18: Check your questions and answers several times for spelling, grammatical, and other errors.
Tip 19: It is not recommended for questions and possible answers to contain absolute terms such as „always” and „only”.
Services
NIT - New Internet Technologies Ltd. offers the development of tests in electronic format. Depending on your needs and preferences, they can have different designs - from a classic test look to modern interactivity.
If you are interested in our services or have additional questions, you can contact us at tel.: +359 878 685 304, e-mail: office@nitbg.com or by filling out the contact form below.
