compare objective test and essay test

Essay Test vs Objective Test

An essay item is one in which the examinee relies upon his memory and past associations to answer the questions in a few words only. Since such items can be answered in whatever manner one likes and these items are also known as free answer items.

Essay items are most appropriate for measuring higher mental processes which involve the process of synthesis, analysis, evaluation, organization and criticism of the events of the past. Essay tests are thus suitable for measuring traits like critical thinking, originality and the ability to integrate synthesis or analyze different events.

Types of essay items

Essay items are of two types

• Short answer types
• Long answer type / Extended answer essay type

A short answer essay item is one where the examinee supplies the answer In one or two lines and is usually concerned with one central concept.

A long answer essay item is one where the examinee’s answer comprises several sentences. Such an item is usually concerned with more than one central concept.

Suggestions for Writing Good Essay Items

1 – An essay item must contain explicitly defined problems usually essay items are intended to measure the higher mental process as such its essential that they contain problems in clear cut and explicit terms so that every examinee interprets them in more or less the same way. Therefore, essay item is set to be not valid if its interpretation varies among examinees

2 – It must contain such problems whose answers are not very wide. In case a student is asked to answer a problem with a larger content area. He may start writing whatever he knows without making any discrimination in such a situation he may not write about the facts or information needed by the item, thus lowering the validity of the essay item.

3 – Essay items must have clear cut directions or instructions for the examinees the instruction should indicate the total time to be spent on any particular test item. What type of information is required and the likely weight age to be given to each item so that the examinee may pick up the relative importance of the essay questions and accordingly adjust the length of the answer.

4 – Sufficient time should be allowed in the construction of essay items such items measure the higher mental processes and in order that they actually measure what they intend to measure. It is essential that essay items are carefully worded and ordered so that all the items can be interrupted in the same way.

Difference between Essay tests and Objective Tests

1 – In essay items the examinee writes the answer in her/his own words whereas the in objective type of tests the examinee selects the correct answer from the among several given alternatives.

2 – Thinking and writing are important in essay tests whereas reading and thinking are important in objective type tests. In essay tests the examinee answers the questions in several lines. S/he critically thinks over the problems posed by the questions and arranges the idea in sequence and expresses them in writing. In objective type the examinee doesn’t have to write in many cases. He is simply asked to put a tick/mark. However, in order to make a correct choice he is required to read both the stem as well as the alternative answers very carefully and then critically think and decide.

3 – It is difficult to score objectivity and accurately in essay tests whereas in objective tests can be easily scored objectively and accurately.

4 – Essay tests are difficult to evaluate objectively and partially because the answers are not fixed like the answers of objective items because of the variability in the scorer judgment regarding the contents of the answers in the objective types of tests whether of the selection or supply type scoring can be done accurately because the answers are fixed in them. The scoring will also be objective because when the answers are fixed there will obviously be complete interpersonal agreement among the students.

5 – In objective type tests the quality of the item is dependent upon the skill of the test constructor but in essay test the quality of the item is dependent upon the scorer’s skill. Writing item for an objective type test is a relatively difficult task. Only a skilled test constructor can write good objective items. The quality of the test items are bound to suffer. If the test constructor lacks skill in writing items as well as limited knowledge regarding the subject matter items in essay tests are easy to construct. A test constructor is even with a minimum knowledge of writing items can prepare relatively good essay items.

6 – Objective test items no matter how well they are constructed permit and encourage guessing by the examinee whereas essay test items no matter how well they are constructed permit and encourage bluffing by examinees. In objective type test items the probability of guessing can’t be fully nullified. The effect of the guessing is the inflation of the actual score obtained on the test. Guessing is the most obvious when the length of the test is short and the two alternative objectives form is used or when difficult alternative responses are included in multiple choice items or matching items and the length of the test is short.

7 – Assignment of numerical scores in essay test items is entirely in the hands of the scorer whereas assignment of numerical scores in objective type test items is entirely determined by the scoring key of the manual.

Common Points between Essay Tests and Objective Tests

Despite of all these differences following are the common points or main similarities that lie in essay test or objective test.

• An element of subjectivity is involved in both objective type as well as essay tests. In objective tests subjectivity is involved in writing the test items in selecting particular criterion for validation of the test. In essay tests subjectivity is involved in writing and selecting the items. The most obvious effect of the subjectivity in essay test is seen in scoring of the essay items.
• In both essay tests as well as objective type tests, emphasize is placed upon the objectivity in the interpretation of the test scores. By objectivity is meant the score must mean nearly the same to all observers or graders who have assigned it. If this is not so it means that the scoring lacks objectivity thus reducing the usefulness of the score.
• Any educational achievement such as the ability to spell the English words, proficiency in grammar, and performance in history, geography, and educational psychology can be measured through both the essay test and objective type tests.

When the intention is to measure critical thinking, originality and the organizational ability essay tests are preferred but when the intention is to measure the piecemeal knowledge in any subject, objective type tests are preferred.

However, this line of demarcation is fast vanishing now because objective items have been used effectively for measuring achievement representing, critical thinking and originality of the examinees. Likewise, essay items particularly short answer essay items have been successfully used in measuring achievement representing piecemeal knowledge of any subject.

• Tags: Essay Test , Essay Test vs Objective Test , Essay Writing , Objective Test , Subjective Test , Writing Good Essay

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Cognitive Domain — Bloom’s Taxonomy

The cognitive domain involves knowledge and the development of intellectual skills (Bloom et.al, 1956). Six major categories of cognitive domain of Bloom’s taxonomy are Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation.

Psychomotor Domain — Simpson’s Taxonomy

The Simpson’s psychomotor domain (1972) includes physical movement, coordination, and use of the motor-skill areas. Simpson’s psychomotor domain focuses on utilizing motor skills and coordinating them.

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17.1: Should I give a multiple-choice test, an essay test, or something entirely different?

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• Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students
• Old Dominion University

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By Vanessa Rutter

- Benjamin Franklin

Learning Objectives

• The student will be able to understand the advantages and disadvantages of multiple-choice tests
• The student will be able to understand the advantages and disadvantages of essay tests
• The student will be able to provide an example of why multiple-choice or essay tests are used
• The student will be better informed of the results produced by multiple-choice, essay, and other tests

Introduction

Throughout school, teachers and other education officials use tests to assess how much information that the students have absorbed. This can be important in different ways depending on how the results will be used.

Figuring out what students have learned in the classroom is an important issue in the education field (Swartz, 2006). Teachers want to know that when they assess what their students have learned that the teachers are using an accurate assessment strategy that will mesh with their learning targets. In the following information, the focus will be on affects of using multiple-choice, essay, or other tests along with why they are used.

Advantages and disadvantages of multiple-choice tests

Multiple-choice testing became popular in the 1900's because of the efficiency that it provided (Swartz, 2006). According to Matzen and Hoyt, "Beginning in 1901, the SAT was a written exam, but as the influence of psychometricians grew in 1926, the SAT became a multiple-choice test" (2006). Until recently, multiple-choice have been favored especially for SAT and ACT testing. For many years now, the SAT test was used for mostly multiple-choice questions and has changed in the past few years so that it now includes an essay section.

Other advantages of multiple-choice tests include how quickly tests can be graded compared to others. There are machines that can quickly grade scantrons as well as bubble sheets that show right and wrong answers quickly for teachers when grading. It is much more cost efficient than having to read over written answers which take time and possibly training depending on who is employed to grade them (Holtzman, 2008).

Others may say that multiple-choice tests are hard. In college, students have said that multiple-choice question tests are long, filled with many words, and very complicated (Holtzman, 2008). Some argue that multiple-choice question tests are based on testing the level of knowledge only and do not show a student's level of comprehension and application of information (Holtzman, 2008). It is hard to judge on a multiple-choice test whether the student guesses the right answer or didn't get the answer right because they were confused and chose one of the other answers (Swartz, 2006).

Advantages and disadvantages of essay tests

Essay tests have started to become more dominant because of the results that come along with it. Essay format questions contain a level of information quality that exceeds that of multiple-choice (Swartz, 2006). According to Swartz (2006), "They provide the opportunity to assess more complex student attributes and higher levels of attribute achievement". Another advantage of an essay is that the teacher can clearly see what the student knows instead of being misconstrued with multiple-choice tests were students can guess the right answers. A student that doesn't do well with test taking may find writing an essay to much more efficient rather than testing knowledge through multiple-choice.

There are also problems associated with essay tests. Administering essay test can be harder and be less cost efficient. There is technology already available for grading multiple-choice tests that take up much less time then grading essay tests. Essays cannot be ran through a bubble sheet optical reader machine that quickly grades scantrons used for multiple choice questions tests. For a professor with over three hundred students, it is much more efficient to use multiple-choice tests than grade three hundred essays. Communication is an important factor as well. For a student that can not write well, they may feel at a disadvantage when being graded by writing an essay. This could be true for someone with a learning disability.

Other Factors to Consider

Bill Goodling, chair of House Education Committee

Multiple-choice and essay tests are not the only test out there. The recently modified SAT test states that if you put the wrong answer you will have points taken off in the multiple-choice section. This is an incentive to not fill in the circle unless the student knows the answer or is pretty sure of themselves. There are also short answer tests and fill in the blank, but the most popular are the ones mentioned before.

Other tests may show an excess of seven different multiple-choice answers to choose from. The first three would be regular answers (A, B, or C). The next three answers will be where a student can get half credit for the answer by choosing D ("A or B"), E ("B or C), or F ("A or C"). Then the student will not get full credit by choosing D, E, or F but half credit by being able to narrow the answer down to the two answers they are certain of. The last choice would be G (I don't know). There the student would get a one-third of the credit for being honest rather than no points for guessing a wrong answer (Swartz, 2006).

In conclusion there are many advantages and disadvantages to both multiple-choice and essay tests. The teacher should pick out what is more suitable according to the classroom. Factors that would favor multiple-choice may be large class size, large amount of knowledge, technology already available for scantrons, less time for grading, and students with low writing scores. Factors that would favor essay tests could include smaller class sizes, many student teacher aides to help grade, assessment of application and comprehension, and students with high writing scores. Other tests are also being developed to bring the most from assessing students comprehension of information.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

1. What is an advantage of using an essay test?

A) It costs less money

B) It contains a higher level of information quality

C) It takes a long time to grade

D) It can be graded with a bubble sheet optical reader

2. What is a disadvantage of using multiple-choice tests?

A) Students can guess the answers

B) Tests require scantrons

C) Tests are easier

D) Tests can be graded faster

3. If a teacher has a large group of students in their class, what kind of test would be less time consuming to grade?

A) Fill in the blank test

B) Essay test

C) Oral test

D) Multiple choice test

4. Multiple-choice tests assess mostly what type of cognitive information from students?

A) Evaluation

B) Application

C) Knowledge

D) Comprehension

Holtzman, M. (2008). Demystifying application-based multiple-choice questions. College Teaching , 56(2), 114-120. Retrieved on March 22, 2009 from EBSCOhost database: http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.odu.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=3&hid=105&sid=ff9aaa2c-b758-4f95-8d5c-8f5a3fcc36c5%40sessionmgr109

Matzen, R. N. Jr., & Hoyt, J. E. (2004). Basic writing placement with holistically scored essays: Research evidense. Journal of Developmental Education , 28(1), 2-4,6,8,20,23,34. Retrieved on March 21, 2009 from EBSCOhost database: http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.odu.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=4&hid=105&sid=ff9aaa2c-b758-4f95-8d5c-8f5a3fcc36c5%40sessionmgr109

Swartz, S. M. (2006). Acceptance and accuracy of multiple choice, confidence-level, and essay question formats for graduate students. Journal of Education for Business , 81(4), 215-220. Retrieved on March 21, 2009 from EBSCOhost database: http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.odu.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=3&hid=105&sid=ff9aaa2c-b758-4f95-8d5c-8f5a3fcc36c5%40sessionmgr109

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Objective vs. Subjective Test: Choosing the Right Assessment Method for Your Needs

Tests are a key tool in education for assessing students’ learning progress and knowledge acquisition. Teachers can employ several types of tests to measure students’ understanding of a topic or subject, ranging from multiple-choice exams to essay questions. One of the most important concerns in education is whether objective or subjective tests are more appropriate for this goal. Objective tests often feature questions with a single correct answer, while subjective assessments encourage students to demonstrate their understanding in their own words. So, Objective vs. Subjective Test, which is the right choice?

In this post, we will look at the strength and limitations of these objective and subjective types of examinations and their impact on teaching and learning.

Let’s look at what they are first:

Objective tests are the most basic assessment methods that feature questions with a single correct response to evaluate foundation and knowledge of the learners.

Objective tests aim to evaluate areas of student achievement that are complex and qualitative, using questions that may have one or more correct answers and may have more than one way of expressing it.

These assessments (either objective or subjective) are often categorized as summative (this form of assessment aims to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark) or formative (It monitors student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning.)

Which is better, Objective or Subjective tests?

Objective Tests

An objective test is a method of evaluation in which questions asked have a single correct answer. Objective questions typically include true/false, multiple choice, and matching questions. Objective assessment is crucial as it can effectively measure each level of a student’s ability, from basic recall to complex synthesis.

It is far more precise, leaving less room for the pupils to interpret hypotheses or concepts. Objective assessment is a method of examination where each question has a single right answer. Subjects that rely largely on objective tests include geography, mathematics, physics, engineering, and computer science.

Types of Objective Tests

• Multiple-Choice
• Fill in the Blank
• Assertion and Reason

Features of Objectives Tests

Objective testing lends itself to specific tasks since these questions are designed to be answered fast; they also allow teachers to test students on various topics. Furthermore, statistical student, cohort, and question performance analysis are possible.

The ability of objective tests to assess a wide variety of learning is often underestimated. Objective tests examine fact-finding, knowledge, application of terms, and questions requiring short or numerical answers.

One common concern is that objective tests cannot measure learning beyond basic understanding.

However, questions built with imagination can challenge students and test higher levels of learning. For example, students can receive case studies or data collection and be invited to provide analysis by responding to questions.

Problem-solving can also be evaluated with the proper type of questions.

Another concern is that objective tests translate into inflated scores because of conjecture. However, the effects of guessing may be eliminated by a combination of question design and rating techniques. It becomes irrelevant mainly with the right amount of questions and distractions. If not, there is an opportunity to encourage and measure the value of this skill.

There are, however, limitations in what objective tests can assess. They cannot test the ability to communicate, the ability to build arguments, or the ability to give initial responses. Tests must be carefully constructed to avoid the decontextualization of knowledge (Paxton 1998). It is always wise to use objective testing as only one of a variety of assessment methods within a module. However, in times of increasing student numbers and declining resources, objective tests can complement the assessments available to teachers or lecturers.

Strengths of Objective Tests

Reliability: Objective tests are more trustworthy than subjective tests since they do not allow for human bias or interpretation.

Efficiency: Machines can swiftly and efficiently evaluate objective assessments, saving instructors time and effort.

Objectivity: Objective tests provide an accurate and objective assessment of a student’s performance and knowledge.

Validity: When well-designed, objective examinations can accurately evaluate specific knowledge or skills. Objective examinations can be standardized, which means that all students are given the same questions with the same answer alternatives, ensuring fairness and equity in the evaluation process.

Flexibility: Objective assessments can evaluate various information and skills, from basic recall to higher-order thinking abilities.

Limitations of Objective Tests

The higher-order thinking skills evaluation is limited: Objective exams could be more effective in measuring higher-order thinking skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. These abilities necessitate complicated responses that subjective inquiries cannot convey.

Content coverage is limited: Objective tests are only helpful in assessing knowledge that can be quantified and examined objectively. This limits their ability to examine more comprehensive concepts that require interpretation and analysis.

Student attitudes and values are not assessed objectively: Objective tests do not examine attitudes and values, which are vital components of a student’s overall development. They can only assess what pupils know, not how they feel about what they know.

Potential for guessing: Objective examinations are prone to guessing because students can occasionally predict the correct answer by eliminating possibilities or making an educated guess. This can have an impact on the validity of the test results.

Limited Feedback: Objective assessments provide students with limited feedback because they objective assessment reprocess do not let students provide information about the reasons behind the correct answer or how to improve. As a result, pupils may not fully comprehend the material and may be unable to enhance their performance.

Subjective Tests

EnglishPost.org defines “Subjective tests aim to assess areas of students’ performance that are complex and qualitative, using questions which may have more than one correct answer or more ways to express it.” Subjective assessments are popular because they typically take less time for teachers to develop and allow students to be creative or critical in constructing their answers.

Simply put, a subjective test is one in which the answer is not customarily predefined. A subjective test is assessed via an opinion. Also, students must assess their intended audience when preparing to write subjectively.

Types of Subjective Tests

• Short Answer Type
• Long Answer Type
• Conversation or Problem-Solving

Features of Subjective Tests

This assessment is excellent for writing, reading, art/art history, philosophy, political science, or literature. Specifically, subjects encouraging critical thinking, debate, and applying thorough knowledge to real-world scenarios are most suited for interpreting art forms.

Strengths of Subjective Tests

Flexibility: In terms of the types of responses allowed, subjective tests tend to be more versatile than objective tests. They can measure various abilities and characteristics, such as creativity, problem-solving, communication skills, and critical thinking.

Insight: Subjective tests can provide useful information about how people approach and solve challenges. Subjective exams can provide a more complete and nuanced view of an individual’s talents by studying the mental processes and rationale behind their responses.

Real-world relevance: Many subjective exams are meant to imitate real-world events, making them more relevant to the skills and talents required in specific jobs or situations.

Personalization: Subjective exams can be customized to the individual, making it easier to identify areas of strength and weakness. This personalization can also motivate students to participate in the testing procedure.

Subjective assessments frequently allow for open-ended responses, which can provide a more thorough view of an individual’s abilities and mental processes. This is especially beneficial for measuring sophisticated or subtle skills.

Limitations of Subjective Tests

Potential for bias: Because subjective tests rely on a person’s judgement or a group of individuals, bias approach can impact the outcomes. This bias can be caused by personal opinions, preferences, or other variables unrelated to the skills or talents being examined.

Limited objectivity: Unlike objective examinations, which rely on specific, measurable criteria, subjective assessments are frequently more susceptible to interpretation. This can make it difficult to compare results across individuals or groups or to assess the testing method’s dependability.

Time-consuming: Subjective assessments can take longer to conduct and evaluate than objective tests, especially if they entail open-ended responses or require individualized assessment.

Lack of standardization: Because subjective tests rely on one’s judgement, there is frequently a need for more standardization in terms of testing techniques and criteria utilized. This can make it challenging to assure consistency and reliability across multiple testing scenarios.

Difficulty in generalizing results: Subjective assessments frequently focus on specific, context-dependent skills or talents, making it difficult to generalize results to different contexts or circumstances.

Effects of objective tests and subjective on the teaching and learning process:

As explained in Englishpost.org , the washback or backwash effect refers to the effect testing has on teaching and learning processes, which can be good or negative. However, the testing system’s legality can impact the course material and how it is communicated to administrators, teachers, students, and parents, either favourably or unfavourably.

The washback effect becomes negative when a mismatch between abilities or content is taught and tested. A multiple-choice examination, for example, hinders attempts to teach valuable skills such as speaking and writing in the classroom. On the flip side, the washback effect has a beneficial influence on students’ and teachers’ attitudes towards practising productive skills in the classroom if the accomplishment test contains both spoken and written portions.

Subjective tests are far more complicated and costly to plan, administer, and analyze properly, but they can be more valid. Writing aptitude exams are often subjective because they ask a reviewer to rate the level of writing, which involves subjective assessment. For example, when students are required to generate a comprehensive paragraph, such as a complaint letter, they must consider their target audience and make decisions about the content, register, and format. Teachers can assist students by emphasizing the significance of analyzing the problem and pinpointing crucial elements in the content, register, and format.

Objective tests provide answers that are either correct or incorrect and can be scored objectively. In contrast, subjective tests are evaluated using predetermined criteria and involve a certain degree of judgement on the part of the evaluator. Objective tests can include text-based true/false questions, multiple-choice questions, and fill-in-the-blank questions.

Marking objective tests together in the classroom is an effective strategy to enhance their use. This strategy allows students to discuss answers, justify their decisions, and assist one another in understanding the material.

Here’s a short yet easily understandable and well-elaborated difference by Byju’s:

To summarise, while objective and subjective assessments have advantages, it is critical to assess their relative strengths and weaknesses in the context of the learning goals and objectives. Subjective tests provide a broader view of a student’s learning abilities and can help to build critical thinking and writing skills, but objective tests are useful for measuring knowledge of facts and can be administered and graded swiftly. Ultimately, the test format should be determined by the unique learning objectives and the desired outcomes.

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• 2015 International Baccalaureate (IB) Program
• 2015 Advanced Level Exams
• 2014 Cutoff Scores Math
• 2014 Cutoff Scores Chemistry
• 2014 Cutoff Scores Physics
• 2014 Cutoff Scores Rhetoric
• 2014 Cutoff Scores ESL
• 2014 Cutoff Scores French
• 2014 Cutoff Scores German
• 2014 Cutoff Scores Latin
• 2014 Cutoff Scores Spanish
• 2014 Advanced Placement (AP) Program
• 2014 International Baccalaureate (IB) Program
• 2014 Advanced Level Examinations (A Levels)
• 2013 Cutoff Scores Math
• 2013 Cutoff Scores Chemistry
• 2013 Cutoff Scores Physics
• 2013 Cutoff Scores Rhetoric
• 2013 Cutoff Scores ESL
• 2013 Cutoff Scores French
• 2013 Cutoff Scores German
• 2013 Cutoff Scores Latin
• 2013 Cutoff Scores Spanish
• 2013 Advanced Placement (AP) Program
• 2013 International Baccalaureate (IB) Program
• 2013 Advanced Level Exams (A Levels)
• 2012 Cutoff Scores Math
• 2012 Cutoff Scores Chemistry
• 2012 Cutoff Scores Physics
• 2012 Cutoff Scores Rhetoric
• 2012 Cutoff Scores ESL
• 2012 Cutoff Scores French
• 2012 Cutoff Scores German
• 2012 Cutoff Scores Latin
• 2012 Cutoff Scores Spanish
• 2012 Advanced Placement (AP) Program
• 2012 International Baccalaureate (IB) Program
• 2012 Advanced Level Exams (A Levels)
• 2011 Cutoff Scores Math
• 2011 Cutoff Scores Chemistry
• 2011 Cutoff Scores Physics
• 2011 Cutoff Scores Rhetoric
• 2011 Cutoff Scores French
• 2011 Cutoff Scores German
• 2011 Cutoff Scores Latin
• 2011 Cutoff Scores Spanish
• 2011 Advanced Placement (AP) Program
• 2011 International Baccalaureate (IB) Program
• 2010 Cutoff Scores Math
• 2010 Cutoff Scores Chemistry
• 2010 Cutoff Scores Rhetoric
• 2010 Cutoff Scores French
• 2010 Cutoff Scores German
• 2010 Cutoff Scores Latin
• 2010 Cutoff Scores Spanish
• 2010 Advanced Placement (AP) Program
• 2010 International Baccalaureate (IB) Program
• 2009 Cutoff Scores Math
• 2009 Cutoff Scores Chemistry
• 2009 Cutoff Scores Rhetoric
• 2009 Cutoff Scores French
• 2009 Cutoff Scores German
• 2009 Cutoff Scores Latin
• 2009 Cutoff Scores Spanish
• 2009 Advanced Placement (AP) Program
• 2009 International Baccalaureate (IB) Program
• 2008 Cutoff Scores Math
• 2008 Cutoff Scores Chemistry
• 2008 Cutoff Scores Rhetoric
• 2008 Cutoff Scores French
• 2008 Cutoff Scores German
• 2008 Cutoff Scores Latin
• 2008 Cutoff Scores Spanish
• 2008 Advanced Placement (AP) Program
• 2008 International Baccalaureate (IB) Program
• Log in & Interpret Student Profiles
• Mobius View
• Classroom Test Analysis: The Total Report
• Item Analysis
• Error Report
• Omitted or Multiple Correct Answers
• QUEST Analysis
• Assigning Course Grades

Improving Your Test Questions

• ICES Online
• Myths & Misperceptions
• Longitudinal Profiles
• List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students
• Focus Groups
• IEF Question Bank

For questions or information:

• Choosing between Objective and Subjective Test Items

Multiple-Choice Test Items

True-false test items, matching test items, completion test items, essay test items, problem solving test items, performance test items.

• Two Methods for Assessing Test Item Quality
• Assistance Offered by The Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL)
• References for Further Reading

I. Choosing Between Objective and Subjective Test Items

There are two general categories of test items: (1) objective items which require students to select the correct response from several alternatives or to supply a word or short phrase to answer a question or complete a statement; and (2) subjective or essay items which permit the student to organize and present an original answer. Objective items include multiple-choice, true-false, matching and completion, while subjective items include short-answer essay, extended-response essay, problem solving and performance test items. For some instructional purposes one or the other item types may prove more efficient and appropriate. To begin out discussion of the relative merits of each type of test item, test your knowledge of these two item types by answering the following questions.

Quiz Answers

1 Sax, G., & Collet, L. S. (1968). An empirical comparison of the effects of recall and multiple-choice tests on student achievement. J ournal of Educational Measurement, 5 (2), 169–173. doi:10.1111/j.1745-3984.1968.tb00622.x

Paterson, D. G. (1926). Do new and old type examinations measure different mental functions? School and Society, 24 , 246–248.

When to Use Essay or Objective Tests

Essay tests are especially appropriate when:

• the group to be tested is small and the test is not to be reused.
• you wish to encourage and reward the development of student skill in writing.
• you are more interested in exploring the student's attitudes than in measuring his/her achievement.
• you are more confident of your ability as a critical and fair reader than as an imaginative writer of good objective test items.

Objective tests are especially appropriate when:

• the group to be tested is large and the test may be reused.
• highly reliable test scores must be obtained as efficiently as possible.
• impartiality of evaluation, absolute fairness, and freedom from possible test scoring influences (e.g., fatigue, lack of anonymity) are essential.
• you are more confident of your ability to express objective test items clearly than of your ability to judge essay test answers correctly.
• there is more pressure for speedy reporting of scores than for speedy test preparation.

Either essay or objective tests can be used to:

• measure almost any important educational achievement a written test can measure.
• test understanding and ability to apply principles.
• test ability to think critically.
• test ability to solve problems.
• test ability to select relevant facts and principles and to integrate them toward the solution of complex problems. 

In addition to the preceding suggestions, it is important to realize that certain item types are  better suited  than others for measuring particular learning objectives. For example, learning objectives requiring the student  to demonstrate  or  to show , may be better measured by performance test items, whereas objectives requiring the student  to explain  or  to describe  may be better measured by essay test items. The matching of learning objective expectations with certain item types can help you select an appropriate kind of test item for your classroom exam as well as provide a higher degree of test validity (i.e., testing what is supposed to be tested). To further illustrate, several sample learning objectives and appropriate test items are provided on the following page.

After you have decided to use either an objective, essay or both objective and essay exam, the next step is to select the kind(s) of objective or essay item that you wish to include on the exam. To help you make such a choice, the different kinds of objective and essay items are presented in the following section. The various kinds of items are briefly described and compared to one another in terms of their advantages and limitations for use. Also presented is a set of general suggestions for the construction of each item variation. 

II. Suggestions for Using and Writing Test Items

The multiple-choice item consists of two parts: (a) the stem, which identifies the question or problem and (b) the response alternatives. Students are asked to select the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. For example:

Sample Multiple-Choice Item

*correct response

Advantages in Using Multiple-Choice Items

Multiple-choice items can provide...

• versatility in measuring all levels of cognitive ability.
• highly reliable test scores.
• scoring efficiency and accuracy.
• objective measurement of student achievement or ability.
• a wide sampling of content or objectives.
• a reduced guessing factor when compared to true-false items.
• different response alternatives which can provide diagnostic feedback.

Limitations in Using Multiple-Choice Items

Multiple-choice items...

• are difficult and time consuming to construct.
• lead an instructor to favor simple recall of facts.
• place a high degree of dependence on the student's reading ability and instructor's writing ability.

Suggestions For Writing Multiple-Choice Test Items

Item alternatives.

13. Use at least four alternatives for each item to lower the probability of getting the item correct by guessing.

14. Randomly distribute the correct response among the alternative positions throughout the test having approximately the same proportion of alternatives a, b, c, d and e as the correct response.

15. Use the alternatives "none of the above" and "all of the above" sparingly. When used, such alternatives should occasionally be used as the correct response.

A true-false item can be written in one of three forms: simple, complex, or compound. Answers can consist of only two choices (simple), more than two choices (complex), or two choices plus a conditional completion response (compound). An example of each type of true-false item follows:

Sample True-False Item: Simple

Sample true-false item: complex, sample true-false item: compound, advantages in using true-false items.

True-False items can provide...

• the widest sampling of content or objectives per unit of testing time.
• an objective measurement of student achievement or ability.

Limitations In Using True-False Items

True-false items...

• incorporate an extremely high guessing factor. For simple true-false items, each student has a 50/50 chance of correctly answering the item without any knowledge of the item's content.
• can often lead an instructor to write ambiguous statements due to the difficulty of writing statements which are unequivocally true or false.
• do not discriminate between students of varying ability as well as other item types.
• can often include more irrelevant clues than do other item types.
• can often lead an instructor to favor testing of trivial knowledge.

Suggestions For Writing True-False Test Items

In general, matching items consist of a column of stimuli presented on the left side of the exam page and a column of responses placed on the right side of the page. Students are required to match the response associated with a given stimulus. For example:

Sample Matching Test Item

Advantages in using matching items.

Matching items...

• require short periods of reading and response time, allowing you to cover more content.
• provide objective measurement of student achievement or ability.
• provide highly reliable test scores.
• provide scoring efficiency and accuracy.

Limitations in Using Matching Items

• have difficulty measuring learning objectives requiring more than simple recall of information.
• are difficult to construct due to the problem of selecting a common set of stimuli and responses.

Suggestions for Writing Matching Test Items

5.  Keep matching items brief, limiting the list of stimuli to under 10.

6.  Include more responses than stimuli to help prevent answering through the process of elimination.

7.  When possible, reduce the amount of reading time by including only short phrases or single words in the response list.

The completion item requires the student to answer a question or to finish an incomplete statement by filling in a blank with the correct word or phrase. For example,

Sample Completion Item

According to Freud, personality is made up of three major systems, the _________, the ________ and the ________.

Advantages in Using Completion Items

Completion items...

• can provide a wide sampling of content.
• can efficiently measure lower levels of cognitive ability.
• can minimize guessing as compared to multiple-choice or true-false items.
• can usually provide an objective measure of student achievement or ability.

Limitations of Using Completion Items

• are difficult to construct so that the desired response is clearly indicated.
• are more time consuming to score when compared to multiple-choice or true-false items.
• are more difficult to score since more than one answer may have to be considered correct if the item was not properly prepared.

Suggestions for Writing Completion Test Items

7.  Avoid lifting statements directly from the text, lecture or other sources.

8.  Limit the required response to a single word or phrase.

The essay test is probably the most popular of all types of teacher-made tests. In general, a classroom essay test consists of a small number of questions to which the student is expected to demonstrate his/her ability to (a) recall factual knowledge, (b) organize this knowledge and (c) present the knowledge in a logical, integrated answer to the question. An essay test item can be classified as either an extended-response essay item or a short-answer essay item. The latter calls for a more restricted or limited answer in terms of form or scope. An example of each type of essay item follows.

Sample Extended-Response Essay Item

Explain the difference between the S-R (Stimulus-Response) and the S-O-R (Stimulus-Organism-Response) theories of personality. Include in your answer (a) brief descriptions of both theories, (b) supporters of both theories and (c) research methods used to study each of the two theories. (10 pts.  20 minutes)

Sample Short-Answer Essay Item

Identify research methods used to study the S-R (Stimulus-Response) and S-O-R (Stimulus-Organism-Response) theories of personality. (5 pts.  10 minutes)

Advantages In Using Essay Items

Essay items...

• are easier and less time consuming to construct than are most other item types.
• provide a means for testing student's ability to compose an answer and present it in a logical manner.
• can efficiently measure higher order cognitive objectives (e.g., analysis, synthesis, evaluation).

Limitations In Using Essay Items

• cannot measure a large amount of content or objectives.
• generally provide low test and test scorer reliability.
• require an extensive amount of instructor's time to read and grade.
• generally do not provide an objective measure of student achievement or ability (subject to bias on the part of the grader).

Suggestions for Writing Essay Test Items

4.  Ask questions that will elicit responses on which experts could agree that one answer is better than another.

5.  Avoid giving the student a choice among optional items as this greatly reduces the reliability of the test.

6.  It is generally recommended for classroom examinations to administer several short-answer items rather than only one or two extended-response items.

Suggestions for Scoring Essay Items

Examples essay item and grading models.

"Americans are a mixed-up people with no sense of ethical values. Everyone knows that baseball is far less necessary than food and steel, yet they pay ball players a lot more than farmers and steelworkers."

WHY? Use 3-4 sentences to indicate how an economist would explain the above situation.

Analytical Scoring

Global quality.

Assign scores or grades on the overall quality of the written response as compared to an ideal answer. Or, compare the overall quality of a response to other student responses by sorting the papers into three stacks:

Read and sort each stack again divide into three more stacks

In total, nine discriminations can be used to assign test grades in this manner. The number of stacks or discriminations can vary to meet your needs.

• Try not to allow factors which are irrelevant to the learning outcomes being measured affect your grading (i.e., handwriting, spelling, neatness).
• Read and grade all class answers to one item before going on to the next item.
• Read and grade the answers without looking at the students' names to avoid possible preferential treatment.
• Occasionally shuffle papers during the reading of answers to help avoid any systematic order effects (i.e., Sally's "B" work always followed Jim's "A" work thus it looked more like "C" work).
• When possible, ask another instructor to read and grade your students' responses.

Another form of a subjective test item is the problem solving or computational exam question. Such items present the student with a problem situation or task and require a demonstration of work procedures and a correct solution, or just a correct solution. This kind of test item is classified as a subjective type of item due to the procedures used to score item responses. Instructors can assign full or partial credit to either correct or incorrect solutions depending on the quality and kind of work procedures presented. An example of a problem solving test item follows.

Example Problem Solving Test Item

It was calculated that 75 men could complete a strip on a new highway in 70 days. When work was scheduled to commence, it was found necessary to send 25 men on another road project. How many days longer will it take to complete the strip? Show your work for full or partial credit.

Advantages In Using Problem Solving Items

Problem solving items...

• minimize guessing by requiring the students to provide an original response rather than to select from several alternatives.
• are easier to construct than are multiple-choice or matching items.
• can most appropriately measure learning objectives which focus on the ability to apply skills or knowledge in the solution of problems.
• can measure an extensive amount of content or objectives.

Limitations in Using Problem Solving Items

• require an extensive amount of instructor time to read and grade.
• generally do not provide an objective measure of student achievement or ability (subject to bias on the part of the grader when partial credit is given).

Suggestions For Writing Problem Solving Test Items

6.  Ask questions that elicit responses on which experts could agree that one solution and one or more work procedures are better than others.

7.  Work through each problem before classroom administration to double-check accuracy.

A performance test item is designed to assess the ability of a student to perform correctly in a simulated situation (i.e., a situation in which the student will be ultimately expected to apply his/her learning). The concept of simulation is central in performance testing; a performance test will simulate to some degree a real life situation to accomplish the assessment. In theory, a performance test could be constructed for any skill and real life situation. In practice, most performance tests have been developed for the assessment of vocational, managerial, administrative, leadership, communication, interpersonal and physical education skills in various simulated situations. An illustrative example of a performance test item is provided below.

Sample Performance Test Item

Assume that some of the instructional objectives of an urban planning course include the development of the student's ability to effectively use the principles covered in the course in various "real life" situations common for an urban planning professional. A performance test item could measure this development by presenting the student with a specific situation which represents a "real life" situation. For example,

An urban planning board makes a last minute request for the professional to act as consultant and critique a written proposal which is to be considered in a board meeting that very evening. The professional arrives before the meeting and has one hour to analyze the written proposal and prepare his critique. The critique presentation is then made verbally during the board meeting; reactions of members of the board or the audience include requests for explanation of specific points or informed attacks on the positions taken by the professional.

The performance test designed to simulate this situation would require that the student to be tested role play the professional's part, while students or faculty act the other roles in the situation. Various aspects of the "professional's" performance would then be observed and rated by several judges with the necessary background. The ratings could then be used both to provide the student with a diagnosis of his/her strengths and weaknesses and to contribute to an overall summary evaluation of the student's abilities.

Advantages In Using Performance Test Items

Performance test items...

• can most appropriately measure learning objectives which focus on the ability of the students to apply skills or knowledge in real life situations.
• usually provide a degree of test validity not possible with standard paper and pencil test items.
• are useful for measuring learning objectives in the psychomotor domain.

Limitations In Using Performance Test Items

• are difficult and time consuming to construct.
• are primarily used for testing students individually and not for testing groups. Consequently, they are relatively costly, time consuming, and inconvenient forms of testing.
• generally do not provide an objective measure of student achievement or ability (subject to bias on the part of the observer/grader).

Suggestions For Writing Performance Test Items

• Prepare items that elicit the type of behavior you want to measure.
• Clearly identify and explain the simulated situation to the student.
• Make the simulated situation as "life-like" as possible.
• Provide directions which clearly inform the students of the type of response called for.
• When appropriate, clearly state time and activity limitations in the directions.
• Adequately train the observer(s)/scorer(s) to ensure that they are fair in scoring the appropriate behaviors.

III. TWO METHODS FOR ASSESSING TEST ITEM QUALITY

This section presents two methods for collecting feedback on the quality of your test items. The two methods include using self-review checklists and student evaluation of test item quality. You can use the information gathered from either method to identify strengths and weaknesses in your item writing. 

Checklist for Evaluating Test Items

EVALUATE YOUR TEST ITEMS BY CHECKING THE SUGGESTIONS WHICH YOU FEEL YOU HAVE FOLLOWED.  

Grading Essay Test Items

Student evaluation of test item quality , using ices questionnaire items to assess your test item quality .

The following set of ICES (Instructor and Course Evaluation System) questionnaire items can be used to assess the quality of your test items. The items are presented with their original ICES catalogue number. You are encouraged to include one or more of the items on the ICES evaluation form in order to collect student opinion of your item writing quality.

IV. ASSISTANCE OFFERED BY THE CENTER FOR INNOVATION IN TEACHING AND LEARNING (CITL)

The information on this page is intended for self-instruction. However, CITL staff members will consult with faculty who wish to analyze and improve their test item writing. The staff can also consult with faculty about other instructional problems. Instructors wishing to acquire CITL assistance can contact [email protected] . 

V. REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READING

Ebel, R. L. (1965). Measuring educational achievement . Prentice-Hall. Ebel, R. L. (1972). Essentials of educational measurement . Prentice-Hall. Gronlund, N. E. (1976). Measurement and evaluation in teaching (3rd ed.). Macmillan. Mehrens W. A. & Lehmann I. J. (1973). Measurement and evaluation in education and psychology . Holt, Rinehart & Winston. Nelson, C. H. (1970). Measurement and evaluation in the classroom . Macmillan. Payne, D. A. (1974).  The assessment of learning: Cognitive and affective . D.C. Heath & Co. Scannell, D. P., & Tracy D. B. (1975). Testing and measurement in the classroom . Houghton Mifflin. Thorndike, R. L. (1971). Educational measurement (2nd ed.). American Council on Education.

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The difference between subjective and objective assessments

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Understanding subjective and objective assessments, and the difference between the two, is central to designing effective exams. Educators need a strong understanding of both types to accurately assess student learning. Each of these styles has specific attributes that make them better suited for certain subjects and learning outcomes. Knowing when to use subjective instead of objective assessments, and vice versa, as well as identifying resources that can help increase the overall fairness of exams, is essential to educators’ efforts in accurately gauging the academic progress of their students.

Let’s take a closer look at subjective and objective assessments, how they are measured, and the ways in which they can be used effectively to evaluate student knowledge.

According to EnglishPost.org , “Subjective tests aim to assess areas of students’ performance that are complex and qualitative, using questioning that may have more than one correct answer or more ways to express it.” Subjective assessments are popular because they typically take less time for teachers to develop, and they offer students the ability to be creative or critical in constructing their answers. Some examples of subjective assessment questions include asking students to:

• Respond with short answers
• Craft their answers in the form of an essay
• Define a term, concept, or significant event
• Respond with a critically thought-out or factually-supported opinion
• Respond to a theoretical scenario

Subjective assessments are excellent for subjects like writing, reading, art/art history, philosophy, political science, or literature. More specifically, any subject that encourages debate, critical thinking, interpretation of art forms or policies, or applying specific knowledge to real-world scenarios is well-suited for subjective assessment. These include long-form essays, debates, interpretations, definitions of terms, concepts, and events as well as responding to theoretical scenarios, defending opinions, and other responses.

Objective assessment, on the other hand, is far more exact and subsequently less open to the students’ interpretation of concepts or theories. Edulytic defines objective assessment as “a way of examining in which questions asked has [sic] a single correct answer.” Mathematics, geography, science, engineering, and computer science are all subjects that rely heavily on objective exams. Some of the most common item types for this style of assessment include:

• Multiple-choice
• True / false
• Fill in the blank
• Assertion and reason

Assessments measure and evaluate student knowledge; to that end, grading is involved with doing so. Just as subjective and objective assessment differ, so do ways in which educators measure them.

Subjective performance measurements are dependent on the observer or grader and involve interpretation. A creative work might be the most clear example for which subjective measurement might apply; while grammar and syntax, of course, are necessary to express ideas, the quality of creative work is subject to human judgment. Opinion essays are also a subjective measurement, as there is no one right answer and are evaluated based on persuasion skills; the flow of logic or writing style, in addition to the content of an answer, can influence a person marking student work.

In brief, subjective measurement involves more than one correct answer and assesses qualitative or analytic thinking.

On the other hand, objective measurement is conducted independent of opinion. One extreme example is feeding a multiple-choice exam into a Scantron machine, which provides zero feedback and simply marks an answer wrong or correct. Even when a human being grades objective assessment and provides feedback, answers are not for interpretation when it comes to objective measurement. Other examples of objective measurement include mathematics problems with one correct answer that is unquestionable and again, independent of the grader’s opinion ( Jackson, retrieved 2023 ).

In sum, objective measurement is implicitly consistent, impartial, and usually quantifiable.

That said, measurement of assessments, whether subjective or objective, is a spectrum.

While a creative work may be graded almost entirely subjectively, a personal or opinion essay, while subjective in nature, may fall towards the middle of the spectrum. An analytical essay, for instance, can offer objective measurements like grammar, structure, primary or secondary sources , and citation. Of course, on the objective end of the spectrum are multiple-choice questions like mathematics problems. But even mathematics can fall towards the middle; for example, when students work on proofs and theorems to demonstrate logic and analytical thinking. In the case of a proof, a grader has to interpret how deeply a student understands the concept and might even grant partial credit.

The word “subjective” has often become a pejorative term when it comes to assessment and grading, while the word “objective” is elevated as a paragon of fairness. But the reality is that both subjective and objective assessments are effective ways to measure learning, when they are designed well and used appropriately.

Subjective and objective assessments are effective when they show reliability and validity .

An assessment is reliable when it consistently measures student learning. Reliability involves the correct answer every time, with no variation from student to student, making scores trustworthy; many standardized tests like those used for licensing or certification, for instance, are deemed highly reliable. In the case of subjective assessment, rubrics can provide increased reliability .

An assessment is valid when it measures what it was intended to measure. Validity accurately measures understanding, whether it is the evaluation of analytic thinking or factual knowledge.

You wouldn’t ask a nursing student to write an opinion essay on differential diagnosis and pharmaceutical treatment; at the same time, you wouldn’t ask graduate students of English literature to answer true/false questions about the works of Shakespeare. Providing the right kind of assessment to assess appropriate levels of knowledge and learning is critical.

The first step towards effective exam design is to consider the purpose of the assessment and uphold validity.

When an instructor wants to measure critical thinking skills, a student’s ability to come up with their own original ideas, or even how they arrived at their response, subjective assessment is the best fit. When an instructor wants to evaluate a student’s knowledge of facts, for instance, objective measurement is called for. Of course, exams can offer a variety of formats to measure both critical thinking and breadth of knowledge; many assessments benefit from the inclusion of both subjective and objective assessment questions. Subjective assessments lend themselves to programs where students are asked to apply what they’ve learned according to specific scenarios. Any field of study that emphasizes creativity, critical thinking, or problem-solving may place a high value on the qualitative aspects of subjective assessments. These could include:

• Arbitration

Objective assessments are popular options for programs with curricula structured around absolutes or definite right and wrong answers; the sciences are a good example. If there are specific industry standards or best practices that professionals must follow at all times, objective assessments are an effective way to gauge students’ mastery of the requisite techniques or knowledge. Such programs might include:

• Engineering

Creating reliable and valid assessments is key to accurately measuring students’ mastery of subject matter. Educators should consider creating a blueprint for their exams to maximize the reliability and validity of their questions. It can be easier to write assessments when using an exam blueprint. Building an exam blueprint allows teachers to track how each question applies to course learning objectives and specific content sections, as well as the corresponding level of cognition being assessed.

Once educators have carefully planned out their exams, they can begin writing questions. Carnegie Mellon University’s guide to creating exams offers the following suggestions to ensure test writers are composing objective questions:

• Write questions with only one correct answer.
• Compose questions carefully to avoid grammatical clues that could inadvertently signify the correct answer.
• Make sure that the wrong answer choices are actually plausible.
• Avoid “all of the above” or “none of the above” answers as much as possible.
• Do not write overly complex questions. (Avoid double negatives, idioms, etc.)
• Write questions that assess only a single idea or concept.

Subjectivity often feels like a “bad word” in the world of assessment and grading, but it is not. It just needs to be appropriate–that is, used in the right place and at the right time. In the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization , researchers Méndez and Jahedi report, “Our results indicate that general subjective measures can effectively capture changes in both the explicit and the implicit components of the variable being measured and, therefore, that they can be better suited for the study of broadly defined concepts than objective measures.” Subjective assessments have a place in presenting knowledge of concepts, particularly in expressing an original opinion, thought, or discourse that does not have a singular answer.

What is “bad,” however, is bias, whether unconscious or conscious, in assessment design or grading. Bias is an unfair partiality for or against something, largely based on opinion and resistance to facts.

Subjective assessments are more vulnerable to bias and it’s important to ensure that the questions address what is supposed to be measured (upholding validity) and that any grader bias is mitigated with rubrics to bolster marking consistency (thereby upholding reliability). Other ways to mitigate bias include grading by question and not by student as well as employing name-blind grading.

Subjective and objective assessment efficacy is influenced by reliability, validity, and bias. Wherever, whenever possible, it is important to bolster reliability (consistency) and validity (accuracy) while reducing bias (unfair partiality). While reliability and validity are upheld during the design and execution of assessments, ensuring that questions align with learning expectations and course content and are fair, bias can interfere with the grading process.

One important, and frequently overlooked, aspect of creating reliable and valid assessments is the manner in which those assessments are scored by removing bias. How can teachers ensure that essay or short-answer questions are all evaluated in the same manner, especially when they are responsible for scoring a substantial number of exams?

• A rubric that lists the specific requirements needed to master the assignment, helps educators provide clear and concise expectations to students, stay focused on whether those requirements have been met, and then communicate how well they were met. Using rubrics also increases consistency and decreases time spent grading. (upholds reliability, mitigates bias)
• Name-blind grading is a key component to unbiased grading; by removing the affiliation of the student’s name to the assessment, any question of prejudice is removed. It can be enabled in grading software or via folding down the corner of pages with names on them. (mitigates bias)
• Grading by question instead of by student—grading all of one question first before moving on to the others—makes sure you’re grading to the same standard and not influenced by answers to a previous question ( Aldrich, 2017 ). (upholds reliability, mitigates bias)
• Student data insights can transform grading into learning . By conducting item analysis or, in other words, formally examining student responses and patterns, instructors can pinpoint whether or not assessments are accurately assessing student knowledge. Item analysis is a way for instructors to receive feedback on their instruction and makes learning visible. (upholds validity)
• Offer a variety of assessment formats to include different learning styles and measure different components of learning. Objective assessments like multiple-choice exams can assess a large breadth of knowledge in a short amount of time. Subjective assessments like short- and long-answer questions can test whether or not students have a deep conceptual understanding of subjects by asking students to explain their approach or thinking. Using a combination of formats within the same exam can also bolster reliability and validity. (upholds reliability, upholds validity)
• And finally, consider eliminating grading on a curve ( Calsamiglia & Loviglio, 2019 ). When students are graded on a curve, the act of adjusting student grades so that they’re relative to the grades of their peers, there is an implicit message that students compete with each other—including those who might be cheating. According to research, “moving away from curving sets the expectation that all students have the opportunity to achieve the highest possible grade” ( Schinske & Tanner, 2014 ). (upholds reliability, upholds validity, mitigates bias)

Using assessment tools offer the following benefits for educators:

• Electronically link rubrics to learning objectives and outcomes or accreditation standards.
• Generate comprehensive reports on student or class performance.
• Share assessment data with students to improve self-assessment.
• Gain a more complete understanding of student performance, no matter the evaluation method.

Ultimately, employing rubric and assessment software tools like ExamSoft and Gradescope gives both instructors and students a clearer picture of exam performance as it pertains to specific assignments or learning outcomes. This knowledge is instrumental to educators’ attempt to improve teaching methods, exam creation, grading—and students’ ability to refine their study habits.

Creating reliable and valid assessments with unbiased measurement will always be an important aspect of an educator’s job. Using all the tools at their disposal is the most effective way to ensure that all assessments—whether subjective or objective— accurately measure what students have learned.

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Objective & Subjective Assessment: What’s the Difference?

Developing effective online assessments is highly nuanced, requiring a large amount of thought and preparation. For educators, creating effective assessments means understanding which approaches to testing are most suitable in differing learning scenarios or for different curriculum units. Objective and subjective assessment are two styles of testing that utilize different question types to gauge student progress across various contexts of learning. Knowing when to use each is key to helping educators better support and measure positive student outcomes. 

Both objective and subjective assessment approaches can be applied to common testing types, such as formative, diagnostic, benchmark, and summative assessments. In this post, we break down the differences between subjective and objective testing, when these approaches may be most suitable, and how an assessment system can support fair and accurate measurement of student results.

What is Objective vs. Subjective Assessment?  

In the classroom, objective and subjective assessments are two common methods used by teachers to evaluate student learning. Objective tests, such as multiple-choice tests and fill-in-the-blank exercises, are designed to measure students’ knowledge and understanding of specific facts and concepts. These assessments are typically graded using a rubric or automated scoring rules, which allows for consistent and fair evaluation across all students.

Subjective assessments, on the other hand, require students to apply their knowledge and demonstrate critical thinking skills. Examples of subjective assessments include essays, portfolios, capstone projects, and oral presentations. These assessments are typically graded based on the quality of the student’s work, rather than on specific correct answers.

Both objective and subjective assessments have their advantages and disadvantages. Objective assessments are typically faster and easier to grade, and they provide a clear and precise evaluation of student knowledge. However, they may not capture the full range of a student’s understanding and can be limited in their ability to assess higher-order thinking skills.

Subjective assessments, on the other hand, provide a more comprehensive evaluation of a student’s knowledge and skills. They can assess critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, and can be used to evaluate complex tasks and projects. However, subjective assessments can be more time-consuming to grade, and they may be subject to bias and inconsistency in evaluation.

When to Use Objective Assessments 

Objective assessments are best used in the classroom when there is a need to evaluate students’ knowledge and understanding of specific facts or concepts. Here are some situations where objective assessments may be appropriate:

• Testing for basic knowledge: Objective assessments, such as multiple-choice tests and fill-in-the-blank exercises, can be effective in testing students’ understanding of basic concepts and knowledge.
• Evaluating content mastery: When you need to evaluate students’ mastery of specific content, objective assessments can help provide a clear and precise evaluation of student knowledge.
• Assessing understanding of terminology: Objective assessments can be used to test students’ knowledge and understanding of specific vocabulary and terminology used in a particular subject.
• Providing quick feedback: Objective assessments can be easily graded and provide students with quick feedback on their understanding of the material, allowing them to identify areas where they need to focus their study efforts.

There are several benefits to using objective assessments in the classroom, it is important to match assessment needs with the purpose of the assessment. Objective assessments are typically quicker and can provide accurate information about what a student knows or has learned at a surface level. Facts, processes, and memorized skills are all easily assessed with objective assessment, some other benefits include:

• Clear and Precise Evaluation
• Efficient and Time-Saving
• Less Subjectivity
• Transparency
• Preparation for Standardized Testing

Objective assessments are a useful tool in the classroom for evaluating students’ knowledge and understanding of specific facts and concepts. However, it is important to balance the use of objective assessments with other types of assessments to provide a well-rounded evaluation of student learning.

Using Subjective Assessments in Context

Subjective assessments are best used in the classroom when there is a need to evaluate students’ ability to apply knowledge, demonstrate critical thinking skills, and express creativity. Here are some situations where subjective assessments may be appropriate:

• Testing for critical thinking: Subjective assessments, such as essays, projects, and oral presentations, can be effective in testing students’ ability to analyze and synthesize information, evaluate arguments, and express opinions.
• Assessing problem-solving skills: Subjective assessments can be used to evaluate students’ problem-solving abilities and their ability to think outside of the box to come up with creative solutions to complex problems.
• Evaluating creativity: Subjective assessments can be used to evaluate students’ creativity and originality in their work, such as in art, music, and creative writing assignments.
• Assessing communication skills: Subjective assessments can be used to evaluate students’ communication skills, such as their ability to present ideas clearly and persuasively in a public speaking or debate format.

While there is a time and place for objective assessment, many times a teacher will get a much more complete picture of what a student can do through subjective assessment. While these assessments take more time to develop and grade, they are often meaningful learning experiences themselves . Benefits of subjective assessments include:

• A complete picture of learning
• Multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning
• More inclusive of all students
• Can reduce bias in testing
• Allows for continual growth

In essence, subjective assessments are useful in creating a holistic and potentially more accurate picture of what a student can do. It also enables students to demonstrate how they can use learning in context rather than simply answering questions correctly on a test. 

Develop Practical Applications

The reality is that no teacher should assess only using one style of test, there is a time for objective assessment and a time for subjective assessment. Giving objective assessment early on in a unit can inform a teacher as to what the students know with regard to background knowledge or terminology, it also gives the educator a good idea of where the student is starting at. However, moving from objective to subjective assessment gives the students opportunities to show what they know in real-life scenarios. 

Digital learning platforms make it easier for teachers to develop and implement both subjective and objective assessments across a wide variety of content areas. Open Assessment Technologies provides technology designed to provide adaptive learning and assessment to students at all levels. To learn more about how Open Assessment Technologies can improve student learning click here .

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6 things to consider when integrating ai tools in the classroom, the future of education & assessment: 5 predictions for 2024, how to use micro-learning to drive student engagement in higher education, subscribe to our blog.

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The Difference Between Subjective and Objective Assessments

To design effective exams, educators need a strong understanding of the difference between objective and subjective assessments. Each of these styles has specific attributes that make them better suited for certain subjects and learning outcomes. Knowing when to use objective instead of subjective assessments, as well as identifying resources that can help increase the overall fairness of exams, is essential to educators’ efforts to accurately gauge the academic progress of their students.

Subjective Assessment

According to EnglishPost.org , “Subjective tests aim to assess areas of students’ performance that are complex and qualitative, using questioning which may have more than one correct answer or more ways to express it.” Subjective assessments are popular because they typically take less time for teachers to develop, and they offer students the ability to be creative or critical in constructing their answers. Some examples of subjective assessment questions include asking students to:

• Respond with short answers.
• Craft their answers in the form of an essay.
• Define a term, concept, or significant event.
• Respond with a critically thought-out or factually supported opinion.
• Respond to a theoretical scenario.

Subjective assessments are excellent for subjects like writing, reading, art/art history, philosophy, political science, or literature. More specifically, any subject that encourages debate, critical thinking, interpretation of art forms or policies, or applying specific knowledge to real-world scenarios is well-suited for subjective assessment.

Objective Assessment

Objective assessment, on the other hand, is far more exact and subsequently less open to the students’ interpretation of concepts or theories. Edulytic defines objective assessment as “a way of examining in which questions asked has a single correct answer.” Mathematics, geography, science, engineering, and computer science are all subjects that rely heavily on objective exams. Some of the most common item types for this style of assessment include:

• Multiple-choice
• True / false
• Fill in the Blank
• Assertion and reason

Which Kinds of Programs Use Which Exam Types?

Objective assessments are popular options for programs with curricula structured around absolutes or definite right and wrong answers; the sciences are a good example. If there are specific industry standards or best practices that professionals must follow at all times, objective assessments are an effective way to gauge students’ mastery of the requisite techniques or knowledge. Such programs might include:

• Engineering

Subjective assessments, on the other hand, lend themselves to programs where students are asked to apply what they’ve learned according to specific scenarios. Any field of study that emphasizes creativity, critical thinking, or problem-solving may place a high value on the qualitative aspects of subjective assessments. These could include:

• Arbitration

How Can Educators Make Their Assessments More Objective?

Creating objective assessments is key to accurately measuring students’ mastery of subject matter. Educators should consider creating a blueprint for their exams to maximize the objectivity of their questions. It can be easier to write objective items when using an exam blueprint. Building an exam blueprint allows teachers to track how each question applies to course learning objectives and specific content sections, as well as the corresponding level of cognition being assessed.

Once educators have carefully planned out their exams, they can begin writing questions. Carnegie Mellon University’s guide to creating exams offers the following suggestions to ensure test writers are composing objective questions.

• Write questions with only one correct answer.
• Compose questions carefully to avoid grammatical clues that could inadvertently signify the correct answer.
• Make sure that the wrong answer choices are actually plausible.
• Avoid “all of the above” or “none of the above” answers as much as possible.
• Do not write overly complex questions. (Avoid double negatives, idioms, etc.)
• Write questions that assess only a single idea or concept.

ExamSoft Can Help Improve the Objectivity of Your Exams

One important, and frequently overlooked, aspect of creating objective assessments is the manner in which those assessments are scored. How can teachers ensure that essay or short-answer questions are all evaluated in the same manner, especially when they are responsible for scoring a substantial number of exams? According to an ExamSoft blog titled “ How to Objectively Evaluate Student Assignments ,” “a rubric that lists the specific requirements needed to master the assignment helps educators provide clear and concise expectations to students, stay focused on whether those requirements have been met, and then communicate how well they were met.” Using rubric and assessment programs offers the following benefits for educators:

• Electronically link rubrics to learning objectives and outcomes or accreditation standards.
• Generate comprehensive reports on student or class performance.
• Share assessment data with students to improve self-assessment.
• Gain a more complete understanding of student performance, no matter the evaluation method.

Ultimately, employing rubric and assessment software gives both instructors and students a clearer picture of exam performance as it pertains to specific assignments or learning outcomes. This knowledge is instrumental to educators’ attempt to improve teaching methods, exam creation, grading — and students’ ability to refine their study habits.

Creating objective assessments will always be an important aspect of an educator’s job. Using all the tools at their disposal is the most effective way to ensure that all assessments objectively measure what students have learned, even when the content is subjective.

Learn more about ExamSoft’s rubric solution .

EnglishPost.org: What Are Subjective and Objective Tests?

Edulytic: Importance of Objective Assessment

Carnegie Mellon University: Creating Exams

ExamSoft: How to Objectively Evaluate Student Assignments

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TIP Sheet HOW TO TAKE ESSAY TESTS

There are basically two types of exams:

Objective - requires answers of a word or short phrase, or the selection of an answer from several available choices that are provided on the test . Essay - requires answers to be written out at some length. The student functions as the source of information.

An essay exam requires you to see the significance and meaning of what you know. It tests your knowledge and understanding of the subject and your skill in reading and writing. To be successful on an essay exam, you must:

• Prove immediately that you know the material.
• Make your meaning unmistakably clear.
• Employ a reasonable organization and show sufficient thought development.
• Make every word count.
• Be specific.
• Use your own voice and style.

When you are writing an essay as part of an exam, all this must be done within what amounts to a first draft written in a very limited amount of time. As with all writing, if you think of your essay as being produced in three stages, you can tackle the test in an organized fashion. The three stages are pre-writing, writing, and revision. Suggestions for each of these stages follow.

The last section addresses preparation for essay exams. PRE-WRITING

Your first impulse in a writing exam is probably to read the question and start writing immediately, especially when you see those seconds ticking away on the clock. RESIST THAT IMPULSE! You can't successfully address the subject until you know precisely what you're required to do, you understand and have thought about the subject, and you are organized in how you approach the specific points you wish to make in your answer. 1.  Understanding what to do:

• When you get your copy of the exam, read through to make sure you understand what is expected of you. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY!
• Underline or circle key words that direct the approach your answer should take. Some of the most common key words are:

Agree/Disagree : State your position and support it with facts Comment or Evaluate: State your position and support it with facts, discussing the issue and its merits. Analyze : Break down into all the parts or divisions looking at the relationships between them. Compare/Contrast : Show differences and similarities. Describe/Discuss : Examine in detail. Explain : Tell why something is as it is. Illustrate : Give examples and relate them to the statement in question. Prove/Defend : Demonstrate why something is true. Interpret : Explain the significance or meaning of something. List/State : Make a list of points or facts. Summarize : Hit the high points.

2.  Understanding the subject

• When you are confident that you understand the instructions, direct your attention to the topic.
• Collect your ideas.
• Formulate a thesis. Make sure it is a strong, concise statement that specifically addresses the question.
• Think of as many specific details and facts as you can that support the thesis.

3.  Getting organized

• Jot your ideas down on paper, in very brief format.
• Evaluate your ideas in light of the question. Ask yourself repeatedly: "Does this apply to the question I'm supposed to answer?" Select only those ideas most relevant to your purpose.
• Number your ideas in order of appropriate sequence (first step to last step, most important to least important, etc.)

1.  Remember your thesis. Now stick to it, referring back to it periodically throughout your essay. This gives your essay unity and coherence, and helps insure that you are not digressing. 2.  Write in an orderly fashion. If you suddenly think of a new point, jot it down in a margin or on scratch paper until you find an appropriate place for it. Don't just put it into the middle of what you were writing. 3. Avoid:

• Repeating, in other words, what you have already said.
• Digressing into material that does not answer the question.
• Language that is too broad or general. Be specific.
• Bluffing. This far too common practice of using elegant but empty language to conceal ignorance or lack of effort rarely works, and often irritates the reader(s).
• Write as legibly as you can. If you want, write on every other line so you have room to add later. When you want to cross something off, simply draw a straight line through it. This is much better than scribbling out an entire passage.
• If you run out of time, simply write "Ran out of time" at the close of the essay. This is much better than adding a hurriedly tacked on, and possibly incoherent, conclusion.

Essay examinations are difficult because of the time pressures, yet you should always try to leave a few minutes at the end to proofread your essay. 1.  Ask yourself, before you hand in the essay:

• Did I provide the information requested? That is, did I "explain" or "define" as the directions asked?
• Is the answer simply, clearly, and logically organized?
• Do I stick to my thesis statement? Is there unnecessary information in here?
• Did I proofread to check content and/or mechanical errors?

2.  Proofreading:

• Gives you a chance to catch and correct errors in content.
• Gives you a chance to correct your mechanical errors.
• Allows you to add material that may have occurred to you after writing the essay.

3.  You should proofread for:

• Complete sentences (watch for fragments, comma-splices, and run-ons).
• Words omitted, or one word used when you meant another.
• Logical transitions between sentences and paragraphs.
• Unnecessary repetition of words or ideas.
• Spelling errors.

3.  Essay type tests depend a great deal on your basic writing skills - organization, punctuation, grammar, and spelling. If your answer is not clearly written, your instructor won't be able to find it! Here are some basic guidelines to keep in mind as you take an essay test:

• Read the directions carefully! Read every part of the directions!
• Give yourself time to answer each question. Quickly look over the entire exam and budget your time per question accordingly.
• Above all, stay calm. You are being asked to show competence, not perfection.
• If you are not too sure about one question, leave it and go back.
• When given a choice, answer the questions you know best.
• State your points and support ideas clearly - don't make the instructor have to look for them.
• Go back to check and proofread all of your answers.

PREPARING FOR ESSAY EXAMS

WRITING A SUCCESSFUL ESSAY EXAM BEGINS ON DAY ONE 1.  Study regularly as you go along.

• Take careful lecture notes.
• Read all material when assigned.
• Become familiar with vocabulary.
• Keep a study list of all main ideas.

2.  Final preparation

• Review lecture notes and reading material.
• Find a classmate or friend willing to talk over key ideas and implications.
• Try to anticipate questions . This is very important!  Use your lecture notes to zero in on points that the instructor emphasized.
• Think through the material and write up the best possible essay questions you can.
• Then answer those questions.
• Pinpoint key points that you would like to make when answering each question.
• Put your answer into outline form or write it out completely.
• For each potential test question, use mnemonics or other memory techniques to move the information to your long-term memory for the exam.
• Create a list of the clue words for each point you wish to make.
• Create a mnemonic device to memorize those points.

3.  Come to the exam confident that you have something specific to say on all possible topics. KEY WORDS COMMONLY FOUND ON ESSAY EXAMS

Compare: Look for qualities or characteristics that resemble each other. Emphasize similarities among them, but in some cases also mention differences.

Contrast: Stress the dissimilarities, differences, or unlikenesses of things, qualities, events, or problems.

Criticize: Express your judgement about the merit or truth of the factors or views mentioned. Give the results of your analysis of these factors, discussing their limitations and good points.

Define: Give concise, clear, and authoritative meanings. Don't give details, but make sure to give the limits of the definitions. Show how the thing you are defining differs from things in other classes.

Describe: Recount, characterize, sketch, or relate in sequence or story form.

Diagram: Give a drawing, chart, plan, or graphic answer. Usually you should label a diagram. In some cases, add a brief explanation or description.

Discuss: Examine, analyze carefully, and give reasons pro and con. Be complete, and give details.

Enumerate: Write in list or outline form, giving points concisely one by one.

Evaluate: Carefully appraise the problem, citing both advantages and limitations. Emphasize the appraisal of authorities and, to lesser degree, your personal evaluation.

Explain: Clarify, interpret, and spell out the material you present. Give reasons for differences of opinion or of results, and try to analyze causes.

Illustrate: Use a figure, picture, diagram, or concrete example to explain or clarify a problem.

Interpret: Translate, give examples of, solve, or comment on, a subject, usually giving your judgment about it.

Justify: Prove or give reasons for decisions or conclusions, taking pains to be convincing.

List: As in "enumerate," write an itemized series of concise statements.

Outline: Organize a description under main points and subordinate points, omitting minor details and stressing the arrangement or classification of things.

Prove: Establish that something is true by citing factual evidence or giving clear logical reasons.

Relate: Show how things are related to, or connected with, each other or how one causes another, or is like another.

Review: Examine a subject critically, analyzing and commenting on the important statements to be made about it.

Sketch: means "break down into its component parts."

State: Present the main points in brief, clear sequence, usually omitting details, illustrations, or examples.

Summarize: Give the main points or facts in condensed form, like the summary of a chapter, omitting details and illustrations.

Trace: In narrative form describe progress, development, or historical events from some point of origin.

Identify or characterize: means "distinguish this term, or this person from all others that are similar." Both are clear injunctions to be as specific as possible.

Illustrate or exemplify: means "giving examples," showing thereby, rather than by definition, that you understand the concept. TRANSITIONAL WORDS AND PHRASES

To achieve unity and coherence, writers use transitional words and phrases. Transitional expressions clarify the relationships between clauses, sentences, and paragraphs, helping guide the readers along. The following is a partial list of transitional expressions.

To Add or Show Sequence: again, also, and, and then, besides, equally important, finally, first, further, furthermore, in addition, in the first place, last, moreover, next, second, still, too

To Compare: also, in the same way, likewise, similarly

To Contrast: although, and yet, but, but at the same time, despite, even so, even though, for all that, however, in contrast, in spite of, nevertheless, notwithstanding, on the contrary, on the other hand, regardless, sill, though, whereas, yet

To Give Examples or Intensify: after all, an illustration of, even, for example, for instance, indeed, in fact, it is true, of course, specifically, that is, to illustrate, truly

To Indicate Place: above, adjacent to, below, elsewhere, farther on, here, near, nearby, on the other side, opposite to, there, to the east, to the left

To Indicate Time: after a while, afterward, as long as, as soon as, at last, at length, at that time, before, earlier, formerly, immediately, in the meantime, in the past, lately, later, meanwhile, now, presently, shortly, simultaneously, since, so far, soon, subsequently, then, thereafter, until, until now, when

To Repeat Summarize or Conclude: all in all, altogether, as has been said, in brief, in conclusion in other words, in particular, in short, in simpler terms, in summary, on the whole,that is, therefore, to put it differently, to summarize

To Show Cause or Effect: accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for this purpose, hence, otherwise, since, then, therefore, thereupon, this, to this end, with this object.

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Writing good multiple choice test questions, constructing an effective stem, constructing effective alternatives.

• Additional Guidelines for Multiple Choice Questions

Considerations for Writing Multiple Choice Items that Test Higher-order Thinking

Additional resources.

Multiple choice test questions, also known as items, can be an effective and efficient way to assess learning outcomes. Multiple choice test items have several potential advantages:

Reliability: Reliability is defined as the degree to which a test consistently measures a learning outcome. Multiple choice test items are less susceptible to guessing than true/false questions, making them a more reliable means of assessment. The reliability is enhanced when the number of MC items focused on a single learning objective is increased. In addition, the objective scoring associated with multiple choice test items frees them from problems with scorer inconsistency that can plague scoring of essay questions.

Validity: Validity is the degree to which a test measures the learning outcomes it purports to measure. Because students can typically answer a multiple choice item much more quickly than an essay question, tests based on multiple choice items can typically focus on a relatively broad representation of course material, thus increasing the validity of the assessment.

The key to taking advantage of these strengths, however, is construction of good multiple choice items.

A multiple choice item consists of a problem, known as the stem, and a list of suggested solutions, known as alternatives. The alternatives consist of one correct or best alternative, which is the answer, and incorrect or inferior alternatives, known as distractors.

1. The stem should be meaningful by itself and should present a definite problem. A stem that presents a definite problem allows a focus on the learning outcome. A stem that does not present a clear problem, however, may test students’ ability to draw inferences from vague descriptions rather serving as a more direct test of students’ achievement of the learning outcome.

2. The stem should not contain irrelevant material , which can decrease the reliability and the validity of the test scores (Haldyna and Downing 1989).

3. The stem should be negatively stated only when significant learning outcomes require it. Students often have difficulty understanding items with negative phrasing (Rodriguez 1997). If a significant learning outcome requires negative phrasing, such as identification of dangerous laboratory or clinical practices, the negative element should be emphasized with italics or capitalization.

4. The stem should be a question or a partial sentence. A question stem is preferable because it allows the student to focus on answering the question rather than holding the partial sentence in working memory and sequentially completing it with each alternative (Statman 1988). The cognitive load is increased when the stem is constructed with an initial or interior blank, so this construction should be avoided.

1. All alternatives should be plausible. The function of the incorrect alternatives is to serve as distractors,which should be selected by students who did not achieve the learning outcome but ignored by students who did achieve the learning outcome. Alternatives that are implausible don’t serve as functional distractors and thus should not be used. Common student errors provide the best source of distractors.

2. Alternatives should be stated clearly and concisely. Items that are excessively wordy assess students’ reading ability rather than their attainment of the learning objective

3. Alternatives should be mutually exclusive. Alternatives with overlapping content may be considered “trick” items by test-takers, excessive use of which can erode trust and respect for the testing process.

4. Alternatives should be homogenous in content. Alternatives that are heterogeneous in content can provide cues to student about the correct answer.

5. Alternatives should be free from clues about which response is correct. Sophisticated test-takers are alert to inadvertent clues to the correct answer, such differences in grammar, length, formatting, and language choice in the alternatives. It’s therefore important that alternatives

• have grammar consistent with the stem.
• are parallel in form.
• are similar in length.
• use similar language (e.g., all unlike textbook language or all like textbook language).

6. The alternatives “all of the above” and “none of the above” should not be used. When “all of the above” is used as an answer, test-takers who can identify more than one alternative as correct can select the correct answer even if unsure about other alternative(s). When “none of the above” is used as an alternative, test-takers who can eliminate a single option can thereby eliminate a second option. In either case, students can use partial knowledge to arrive at a correct answer.

7. The alternatives should be presented in a logical order (e.g., alphabetical or numerical) to avoid a bias toward certain positions.

8. The number of alternatives can vary among items as long as all alternatives are plausible. Plausible alternatives serve as functional distractors, which are those chosen by students that have not achieved the objective but ignored by students that have achieved the objective. There is little difference in difficulty, discrimination, and test score reliability among items containing two, three, and four distractors.

Additional Guidelines

1. Avoid complex multiple choice items , in which some or all of the alternatives consist of different combinations of options. As with “all of the above” answers, a sophisticated test-taker can use partial knowledge to achieve a correct answer.

2. Keep the specific content of items independent of one another. Savvy test-takers can use information in one question to answer another question, reducing the validity of the test.

When writing multiple choice items to test higher-order thinking, design questions that focus on higher levels of cognition as defined by Bloom’s taxonomy . A stem that presents a problem that requires application of course principles, analysis of a problem, or evaluation of alternatives is focused on higher-order thinking and thus tests students’ ability to do such thinking. In constructing multiple choice items to test higher order thinking, it can also be helpful to design problems that require multilogical thinking, where multilogical thinking is defined as “thinking that requires knowledge of more than one fact to logically and systematically apply concepts to a …problem” (Morrison and Free, 2001, page 20). Finally, designing alternatives that require a high level of discrimination can also contribute to multiple choice items that test higher-order thinking.

• Burton, Steven J., Sudweeks, Richard R., Merrill, Paul F., and Wood, Bud. How to Prepare Better Multiple Choice Test Items: Guidelines for University Faculty, 1991.
• Cheung, Derek and Bucat, Robert. How can we construct good multiple-choice items? Presented at the Science and Technology Education Conference, Hong Kong, June 20-21, 2002.
• Haladyna, Thomas M. Developing and validating multiple-choice test items, 2 nd edition. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1999.
• Haladyna, Thomas M. and Downing, S. M.. Validity of a taxonomy of multiple-choice item-writing rules. Applied Measurement in Education , 2(1), 51-78, 1989.
• Morrison, Susan and Free, Kathleen. Writing multiple-choice test items that promote and measure critical thinking. Journal of Nursing Education 40: 17-24, 2001.

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Creating and Scoring Essay Tests

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Essay tests are useful for teachers when they want students to select, organize, analyze, synthesize, and/or evaluate information. In other words, they rely on the upper levels of Bloom's Taxonomy . There are two types of essay questions: restricted and extended response.

• Restricted Response - These essay questions limit what the student will discuss in the essay based on the wording of the question. For example, "State the main differences between John Adams' and Thomas Jefferson's beliefs about federalism," is a restricted response. What the student is to write about has been expressed to them within the question.
• Extended Response - These allow students to select what they wish to include in order to answer the question. For example, "In Of Mice and Men , was George's killing of Lennie justified? Explain your answer." The student is given the overall topic, but they are free to use their own judgment and integrate outside information to help support their opinion.

Student Skills Required for Essay Tests

Before expecting students to perform well on either type of essay question, we must make sure that they have the required skills to excel. Following are four skills that students should have learned and practiced before taking essay exams:

• The ability to select appropriate material from the information learned in order to best answer the question.
• The ability to organize that material in an effective manner.
• The ability to show how ideas relate and interact in a specific context.
• The ability to write effectively in both sentences and paragraphs.

Constructing an Effective Essay Question

Following are a few tips to help in the construction of effective essay questions:

• Begin with the lesson objectives in mind. Make sure to know what you wish the student to show by answering the essay question.
• Decide if your goal requires a restricted or extended response. In general, if you wish to see if the student can synthesize and organize the information that they learned, then restricted response is the way to go. However, if you wish them to judge or evaluate something using the information taught during class, then you will want to use the extended response.
• If you are including more than one essay, be cognizant of time constraints. You do not want to punish students because they ran out of time on the test.
• Write the question in a novel or interesting manner to help motivate the student.
• State the number of points that the essay is worth. You can also provide them with a time guideline to help them as they work through the exam.
• If your essay item is part of a larger objective test, make sure that it is the last item on the exam.

Scoring the Essay Item

One of the downfalls of essay tests is that they lack in reliability. Even when teachers grade essays with a well-constructed rubric, subjective decisions are made. Therefore, it is important to try and be as reliable as possible when scoring your essay items. Here are a few tips to help improve reliability in grading:

• Determine whether you will use a holistic or analytic scoring system before you write your rubric . With the holistic grading system, you evaluate the answer as a whole, rating papers against each other. With the analytic system, you list specific pieces of information and award points for their inclusion.
• Prepare the essay rubric in advance. Determine what you are looking for and how many points you will be assigning for each aspect of the question.
• Avoid looking at names. Some teachers have students put numbers on their essays to try and help with this.
• Score one item at a time. This helps ensure that you use the same thinking and standards for all students.
• Avoid interruptions when scoring a specific question. Again, consistency will be increased if you grade the same item on all the papers in one sitting.
• If an important decision like an award or scholarship is based on the score for the essay, obtain two or more independent readers.
• Beware of negative influences that can affect essay scoring. These include handwriting and writing style bias, the length of the response, and the inclusion of irrelevant material.
• Review papers that are on the borderline a second time before assigning a final grade.
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Student Learning Outcomes Assessment

Selected-response tests, designing assessment tools: selected-response tests, considerations. best practices. implementation..

A downloadable PDF of this resource is available at the bottom of the page.

Selected-response tests are those that are composed of questions to which there is typically one best answer. They are sometimes referred to as objective assessments (Suskie, 2018). Some of the most commonly used selected-response tests include multiple choice , fill-in-the-blank , true-false , and/or matching questions/items.

Purpose for Using Selected-Response Tests

Nilson (2016) notes that these tests are good for assessing students’ ability to remember and understand course concepts and materials, but cannot “measure students’ abilities to create, organize, communicate, define problems, or conduct research” (p. 291). 

The following are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using selected-response tests. The list can help you determine whether this type of assessment is the most appropriate for what you want to assess.

• Efficiently assesses broad range of learning goals
• Can measure abilities to make judgments about next steps, draw inferences, interpret data, and apply information
• Can reliably assess lower-order thinking skills 
• Can be efficient and objective to score
• Provides diagnostic information    

Disadvantages

• Good and clear test items are hard to write
• Cannot assess higher-order thinking skills (e.g., synthesis, organization, original thinking)
• Cannot provide direct evidence of real-world skills, particularly productive or creative skills 
• Students can guess correct answers

Best Design Practices

One of the most commonly used selected-response tests is the Multiple-Choice Test . This resource will focus on suggestions for designing multiple-choice questions. 

• Tie questions to specific learning goals for the course/unit.
• Zimmaro (2016) suggests avoiding asking about trivial information or unimportant facts, as doing so can lead to further test anxiety when students don’t know what information is actually important.
• Make sure the statement or question is clear and concise.
• Lengthy, unclear multiple-choice questions can easily direct even prepared students to the incorrect answer and produce considerable anxiety and frustration for students (Suskie, 2018).
• Use consistent and clear language. 
• Ambiguous terms and statements might lead students to answer incorrectly even when they know the correct answer (Brown, 2005). 
• Only include distractors that are truly “distracting.”
• If a distractor is obviously non-plausible, it will increase chances for students to guess the correct answer. Avoid overlapping answers by using mutually exclusive response options, and include only one correct, clearly best answer.
• Randomize the order of correct responses 
• Avoid patterns in the order of correct responses. For example, making the correct answer for the first question A, for the next question B, then C, etc. If there is a pattern in the order of correct responses, students might recognize the pattern and guess the correct answer/s.
• Avoid using negative phrasing, or clearly signal the negative word to students.
• Using negative phrasing can confuse a student, even if they know the material, especially if they are short on time (Clegg & Cashin, 1986; Haladyna, 2004; Suskie, 2018). If you choose to use negative phrasing, one way to clearly signal it is by putting the negative word (e.g., NOT, EXCEPT) in all caps and in bold.
• Avoid assigning “all of the above” and/or “none of the above” options as the correct response.
• Choices such as “all of the above,” “none of the above,” “A & C,” or “B & D,” make it harder to distinguish between students who know the material and those who don’t.
• Avoid giving clues that could be used in answering other items.
• Providing clues to answer other items correctly will make it difficult to discern whether students really knew the concept or skills assessed in the latter item.
• If possible, have one or more colleagues look over the items.
• Another set of eyes could help you identify items that are ambiguous or that are not assessing what you are intending to assess.
• If you are re-using a previously administered multiple-choice question test, use the results of previously completed tests to identify items or distractors that were not working correctly. 
• For example, if you notice that in one of the questions, a given distractor was rarely chosen by students, revise the distracter.

Selected response questions are easily scorable by using learning platforms, such as CANVAS. Instructors can choose to set a variety of quiz options, including automatic scoring with immediate feedback, delayed feedback, etc. Machines like a Scantron can also be used to automatically score these type of tests. Such scoring mechanisms often generate statistics for the entire test as well as for each item. These statistics can be used to evaluate and improve the test items and to address student errors or misconceptions.

• Brown, J. D. (2005). Testing in language programs: A comprehensive guide to English language assessment (New edition). New York: McGraw-Hill. Clegg, V. L, & Cashin, W. E. (1986). Improving Multiple-Choice Tests. IDEA Paper No. 16. Retrieved from: www.theideacenter.org. Haladyna, T. (2004). Developing and Validating Multiple-choice Test Items. Ebook: Ebrary, Inc. Nilson, L. B. (2016). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Suskie, L. (2018). Assessing student learning: A common sense guide. (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Zimmaro, D. M. (2016). Writing good multiple-choice exams. Measurement and Evaluation Center. University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved from https://facultyinnovate.utexas.edu/sites/default/files/writing-good-multiple-choice-exams-fic-120116.pdf

Barbara Mills , Learning & Teaching Support, Center for Educational Effectiveness 

Young-A Son , Academic Assessment, Center for Educational Effectiveness

Downloadable version of this resource

Objective Tests

Objective tests are assessments that are designed to evaluate a person’s knowledge, skills, or abilities using a predefined set of questions or tasks. These tests are called “objective” because they have structured and clear criteria for evaluating responses, aiming to minimize subjectivity. They are often used in educational settings, recruitment processes, and various professional fields.

Characteristics of Objective Tests

• Standardized Format: Objective tests have a consistent format, where each respondent is presented with the same set of questions or tasks.
• Multiple-Choice Questions: These tests commonly use multiple-choice questions, where respondents select the correct answer(s) from a given list of options.
• Right and Wrong Answers: Objective tests have specific correct responses, allowing for easy scoring and comparison of results.
• Clear Scoring Guidelines: Objective tests employ scoring guidelines that are provided to assessors, ensuring fair and consistent evaluation.
• Efficiency: These tests can be administered to a large number of people simultaneously, making them efficient for assessing knowledge or abilities on a broad scale.
• Reliability: Objective tests are highly reliable as they yield consistent results when administered multiple times to the same individual or group under similar conditions.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Objective Tests

Advantages:

• Objective tests can be easily scored, allowing for quick analysis of results.
• They provide an objective measure of a person’s knowledge or abilities.
• These tests are efficient and can be administered to a large number of individuals in a relatively short period.
• Standardized format reduces variability in assessment conditions.

Disadvantages:

• Objective tests may not effectively assess higher-order thinking skills, such as critical thinking or creativity.
• They might not capture the full range of a person’s abilities, as they focus primarily on specific knowledge or skills.
• Objective tests may not accommodate individual learning styles or preferences.
• Respondents may guess answers, resulting in inflated scores.

EnglishPost.org

What are Objective and Subjective Tests?

A  test  or examination is an assessment intended to measure a  test -taker’s knowledge, skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or classification in many other topics.

A  test  may be administered orally, on paper, on a computer, or in a confined area that requires a  test  taker to physically perform a set of skills.

Almost everybody has experienced testing during his or her life. Grammar tests, driving license test etc.

Table of Contents

Type of Tests

Objective and subjective tests: characteristics, what effects do tests have on the teaching and learning process, type of objective questions, type of subjective questions, english teaching related posts.

Understanding the different types of testing, the kinds of results they provide, and how they complement one another help teachers determine what the best course of action is.

There are two general types of tests:

• Objective tests aim to assess a specific part of the learner’s knowledge using questions which have a single correct answer.
• Subjective tests aim to assess areas of students’ performance that are complex and qualitative, using questioning which may have more than one correct answer or more ways to express it

These are some characteristics of objective and subjective tests:

Objective Tests characteristics:

• They are so definite and so clear that a single, definite answer is expected.
• They ensure perfect objectivity in scoring.
• It can be scored objectively and easily.
• It takes less time to answer than an essay test

Subjective Tests Characteristics

• Subjective items are generally easier and less time consuming to construct than are most objective test items
• Different readers can rate identical responses differently, the same reader can rate the same paper differently over time

The “washback or backwash effect is the effect that testing has on the teaching and learning processes.

The effect can be positive or negative.

The validity of the testing process can influence the content of our courses, and the way we teach, in a direction that is either with or against the better judgment of the administrators, teachers, students, and parents.

From the point of view of testing, the washback effect becomes negative when there is a mismatch between what we the material / abilities we teach, and what is tested.

For example, an achievement test that is only multiple choice has a negative washback effect on any attempt to teach productive skills such as speaking and writing in class.

On the other hand, if the achievement test includes both spoken and written parts, the washback effect has a positive influence on students (and teachers) attitudes to practicing productive skills in the classroom.

These are some types of objective question that you can find in tests

• Multiple- Choice Items
• True- False Items
• Matching Items
• Assertion-Reason Items

Subjective questions are questions that require answers in the form of explanations.

Subjective questions include:

• Essay questions
• Short answers
• Definitions
• Scenario Questions
• Opinion Questions.

Make sure that you check some of these posts before you go

These are some posts related to teaching listening:

• Stages for Teaching Listening
• Best Pre-Listening Activities
• Best While-Listening Activities
• Best Post-Listening Activities
• What Types of Listening are there?

These are some posts for teaching methodology:

• Presentation, Practice and Production Framework
• Teacher-Centered Instruction
• Student-Centered Instruction
• Tips to Reduce Teacher Talking Time

These are some assessment related posts

• How to Assess Reading Skills
• How to Assess Speaking Skills
• How to Assess Writing Skills

I am Jose Manuel, English professor and creator of EnglishPost.org, a blog whose mission is to share lessons for those who want to learn and improve their English

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Essay test: types, advantages and limitations | statistics.

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After reading this article you will learn about:- 1. Introduction to Essay Test 2. Types of Essay Test 3. Advantages 4. Limitations 5. Suggestions.

Introduction to Essay Test:

The essay tests are still commonly used tools of evaluation, despite the increasingly wider applicability of the short answer and objective type questions.

There are certain outcomes of learning (e.g., organising, summarising, integrating ideas and expressing in one’s own way) which cannot be satisfactorily measured through objective type tests. The importance of essay tests lies in the measurement of such instructional outcomes.

An essay test may give full freedom to the students to write any number of pages. The required response may vary in length. An essay type question requires the pupil to plan his own answer and to explain it in his own words. The pupil exercises considerable freedom to select, organise and present his ideas. Essay type tests provide a better indication of pupil’s real achievement in learning. The answers provide a clue to nature and quality of the pupil’s thought process.

That is, we can assess how the pupil presents his ideas (whether his manner of presentation is coherent, logical and systematic) and how he concludes. In other words, the answer of the pupil reveals the structure, dynamics and functioning of pupil’s mental life.

The essay questions are generally thought to be the traditional type of questions which demand lengthy answers. They are not amenable to objective scoring as they give scope for halo-effect, inter-examiner variability and intra-examiner variability in scoring.

Types of Essay Test:

There can be many types of essay tests:

Some of these are given below with examples from different subjects:

1. Selective Recall.

e.g. What was the religious policy of Akbar?

2. Evaluative Recall.

e.g. Why did the First War of Independence in 1857 fail?

3. Comparison of two things—on a single designated basis.

e.g. Compare the contributions made by Dalton and Bohr to Atomic theory.

4. Comparison of two things—in general.

e.g. Compare Early Vedic Age with the Later Vedic Age.

5. Decision—for or against.

e.g. Which type of examination do you think is more reliable? Oral or Written. Why?

6. Causes or effects.

e.g. Discuss the effects of environmental pollution on our lives.

7. Explanation of the use or exact meaning of some phrase in a passage or a sentence.

e.g., Joint Stock Company is an artificial person. Explain ‘artificial person’ bringing out the concepts of Joint Stock Company.

8. Summary of some unit of the text or of some article.

9. Analysis

e.g. What was the role played by Mahatma Gandhi in India’s freedom struggle?

10. Statement of relationship.

e.g. Why is knowledge of Botany helpful in studying agriculture?

11. Illustration or examples (your own) of principles in science, language, etc.

e.g. Illustrate the correct use of subject-verb position in an interrogative sentence.

12. Classification.

e.g. Classify the following into Physical change and Chemical change with explanation. Water changes to vapour; Sulphuric Acid and Sodium Hydroxide react to produce Sodium Sulphate and Water; Rusting of Iron; Melting of Ice.

13. Application of rules or principles in given situations.

e.g. If you sat halfway between the middle and one end of a sea-saw, would a person sitting on the other end have to be heavier or lighter than you in order to make the sea-saw balance in the middle. Why?

14. Discussion.

e.g. Partnership is a relationship between persons who have agreed to share the profits of a business carried on by all or any of them acting for all. Discuss the essentials of partnership on the basis of this partnership.

15. Criticism—as to the adequacy, correctness, or relevance—of a printed statement or a classmate’s answer to a question on the lesson.

e.g. What is the wrong with the following statement?

The Prime Minister is the sovereign Head of State in India.

16. Outline.

e.g. Outline the steps required in computing the compound interest if the principal amount, rate of interest and time period are given as P, R and T respectively.

17. Reorganization of facts.

e.g. The student is asked to interview some persons and find out their opinion on the role of UN in world peace. In the light of data thus collected he/she can reorganise what is given in the text book.

18. Formulation of questions-problems and questions raised.

e.g. After reading a lesson the pupils are asked to raise related problems- questions.

19. New methods of procedure

e.g. Can you solve this mathematical problem by using another method?

Advantages of the Essay Tests:

1. It is relatively easier to prepare and administer a six-question extended- response essay test than to prepare and administer a comparable 60-item multiple-choice test items.

2. It is the only means that can assess an examinee’s ability to organise and present his ideas in a logical and coherent fashion.

3. It can be successfully employed for practically all the school subjects.

4. Some of the objectives such as ability to organise idea effectively, ability to criticise or justify a statement, ability to interpret, etc., can be best measured by this type of test.

5. Logical thinking and critical reasoning, systematic presentation, etc. can be best developed by this type of test.

6. It helps to induce good study habits such as making outlines and summaries, organising the arguments for and against, etc.

7. The students can show their initiative, the originality of their thought and the fertility of their imagination as they are permitted freedom of response.

8. The responses of the students need not be completely right or wrong. All degrees of comprehensiveness and accuracy are possible.

9. It largely eliminates guessing.

10. They are valuable in testing the functional knowledge and power of expression of the pupil.

Limitations of Essay Tests:

1. One of the serious limitations of the essay tests is that these tests do not give scope for larger sampling of the content. You cannot sample the course content so well with six lengthy essay questions as you can with 60 multiple-choice test items.

2. Such tests encourage selective reading and emphasise cramming.

3. Moreover, scoring may be affected by spelling, good handwriting, coloured ink, neatness, grammar, length of the answer, etc.

4. The long-answer type questions are less valid and less reliable, and as such they have little predictive value.

5. It requires an excessive time on the part of students to write; while assessing, reading essays is very time-consuming and laborious.

6. It can be assessed only by a teacher or competent professionals.

7. Improper and ambiguous wording handicaps both the students and valuers.

8. Mood of the examiner affects the scoring of answer scripts.

9. There is halo effect-biased judgement by previous impressions.

10. The scores may be affected by his personal bias or partiality for a particular point of view, his way of understanding the question, his weightage to different aspect of the answer, favouritism and nepotism, etc.

Thus, the potential disadvantages of essay type questions are :

(i) Poor predictive validity,

(ii) Limited content sampling,

(iii) Scores unreliability, and

(iv) Scoring constraints.

Suggestions for Improving Essay Tests:

The teacher can sometimes, through essay tests, gain improved insight into a student’s abilities, difficulties and ways of thinking and thus have a basis for guiding his/her learning.

(A) White Framing Questions:

1. Give adequate time and thought to the preparation of essay questions, so that they can be re-examined, revised and edited before they are used. This would increase the validity of the test.

2. The item should be so written that it will elicit the type of behaviour the teacher wants to measure. If one is interested in measuring understanding, he should not ask a question that will elicit an opinion; e.g.,

“What do you think of Buddhism in comparison to Jainism?”

3. Use words which themselves give directions e.g. define, illustrate, outline, select, classify, summarise, etc., instead of discuss, comment, explain, etc.

4. Give specific directions to students to elicit the desired response.

5. Indicate clearly the value of the question and the time suggested for answering it.

6. Do not provide optional questions in an essay test because—

(i) It is difficult to construct questions of equal difficulty;

(ii) Students do not have the ability to select those questions which they will answer best;

(iii) A good student may be penalised because he is challenged by the more difficult and complex questions.

7. Prepare and use a relatively large number of questions requiring short answers rather than just a few questions involving long answers.

8. Do not start essay questions with such words as list, who, what, whether. If we begin the questions with such words, they are likely to be short-answer question and not essay questions, as we have defined the term.

9. Adapt the length of the response and complexity of the question and answer to the maturity level of the students.

10. The wording of the questions should be clear and unambiguous.

11. It should be a power test rather than a speed test. Allow a liberal time limit so that the essay test does not become a test of speed in writing.

12. Supply the necessary training to the students in writing essay tests.

13. Questions should be graded from simple to complex so that all the testees can answer atleast a few questions.

14. Essay questions should provide value points and marking schemes.

(B) While Scoring Questions:

1. Prepare a marking scheme, suggesting the best possible answer and the weightage given to the various points of this model answer. Decide in advance which factors will be considered in evaluating an essay response.

2. While assessing the essay response, one must:

a. Use appropriate methods to minimise bias;

b. Pay attention only to the significant and relevant aspects of the answer;

c. Be careful not to let personal idiosyncrasies affect assessment;

d. Apply a uniform standard to all the papers.

3. The examinee’s identity should be concealed from the scorer. By this we can avoid the “halo effect” or “biasness” which may affect the scoring.

4. Check your marking scheme against actual responses.

5. Once the assessment has begun, the standard should not be changed, nor should it vary from paper to paper or reader to reader. Be consistent in your assessment.

6. Grade only one question at a time for all papers. This will help you in minimising the halo effect in becoming thoroughly familiar with just one set of scoring criteria and in concentrating completely on them.

7. The mechanics of expression (legibility, spelling, punctuation, grammar) should be judged separately from what the student writes, i.e. the subject matter content.

8. If possible, have two independent readings of the test and use the average as the final score.

Related Articles:

• Merits and Demerits of Objective Type Test
• Types of Recall Type Test: Simple and Completion | Objective Test

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