Chapter 6: Creating Good Test Questions

Tests are meant to assess students’ knowledge, and therefore should include only clear, important information that will reflect mastery. Using all one type of question, like multiple choice, is repetitive and won’t reflect mastery of a student who doesn’t think in multiple choice terms. Questions should be varied and require students to provide their own answers at some point. Unclear and tricky questions should be avoided because they don’t assess students’ mastery, but rather if they can comprehend a muddled question. But in writing clear questions, it is essential to not give away the answer because of grammar, statements in previous questions, and so forth. And while prompts must be clear and not give anything away, it is fair to include common errors in a list of answers. Differentiated instruction is all about students’ work over time, not just a snapshot of their abilities, because of this, multiple small tests work better than one large, high-stakes one at the end of the unit. All of this boils down to the fact that I will need to create tests that vary in question format, have clear directions and questions, and make sure that the end result is a reflection of the mastery of my students.