A. Unstructured essay
B. Structured essay
C. Short answer
D. Multiple type questions
Answer is = D
That’s right! Out of the given options, the most widely used format on standardized tests in the USA is:
D. Multiple Choice Questions
Here’s why multiple choice questions dominate standardized tests:
- Efficiency: Multiple choice questions are relatively quick and easy to administer and score, especially with computerized testing systems. This is crucial for large-scale standardized tests where efficiency is important.
- Objectivity: As discussed previously, multiple choice questions offer a high degree of objectivity in marking. This helps ensure scores are consistent and reliable, even with different graders.
- Standardization: Multiple choice questions allow for easier standardization across different test administrations and test forms. This is essential for comparing scores from different students and groups.
- Assessing a range of knowledge: While sometimes criticized for rote memorization, well-crafted multiple choice questions can assess various cognitive skills, including factual knowledge, comprehension, application, and even analysis, depending on how they are formulated.
While other formats may be used:
- Short answer questions: These can be helpful for assessing specific knowledge or skills.
- Essay questions: These can provide insights into students’ critical thinking and writing abilities, but they are less common in standardized tests due to challenges in scoring objectivity.
The dominance of multiple choice questions in standardized tests reflects the need for efficiency, objectivity, and standardization in large-scale assessments. However, it’s important to acknowledge that other formats can also play a valuable role in comprehensive evaluations
