The best test questions allow teachers to assess various skills and knowledge of students and determine their performance. Let’s discuss the popular type of test questions with examples and see how they can boost your efficiency.
A test paper or exam sheet is a series of questions the candidates have to answer. Usually, a combination of different types of test questions is used to assess the results and determine the performance of the candidates accurately. The types of questions to include in a test paper depend on various reasons like the purpose, theme, test mode, etc.
Students and professionals preparing for exams can boost their efficiency and score a higher rank by practicing different types of test questions. Of course, your primary focus should be to practice the same types of questions used in the exam. However, attempting a couple of other types can enhance your brain power and help you see the same content from different perspectives.
So, what are good test questions? A good test question is one that allows students to demonstrate their knowledge and allows teachers to assess specific predetermined elements. A good test question will show that the teacher has made an effort to craft the test paper with care. It will also indicate the effort of the students and their abilities, showcasing their skills. An easier and stress-free method to create such tests is to use a reliable question generator tool. It saves time without compromising quality.
Let’s look at a few popular types of test questions and learn how to write a good test question using examples.
Types of Test Questions to Boost Efficiency
The following types of questions can be automatically generated by AI-powered tools developed as test makers for teachers. These tools process the input and generate test papers based on your requirements. Most tools also allow customization of the questions and can be used to conduct the tests online.
Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple choice questions (MCQs) consist of a stem (statement) and a few options, one of which is supposed to be the correct answer. Students have to select the best or right answer based on the test questions. MCQs are versatile and can be used for any subject. Questions for math, physics, or chemistry might require some rough work on the side. In short, theoretical questions as well as formula-based questions, can be included in this type.
But, how do you make an effective test? You need to create a strong question stem that makes the participants think before answering it. The stem is vital for MCQs and open-ended questions though the purpose of both is different. Keep the stem brief, to the point, and grammatically correct. Provide a fixed number of options (4-6), neither a few nor too many. Ensure only one of the options is the exact answer to the question and avoid vagueness. This is important to avoid confusion.
Here, the correct answer is B (to add sweetness and moisture). Structure is provided by eggs/ yogurt, while tenderness comes from fat (butter or oil).
Multi Correct Questions
Multi-response questions can be termed as a subcategory of MCQs. In this, the question will have more than one correct answer, and the students have to select all the appropriate options to correctly answer the question. Multi-response questions should also have options with exact answers but go beyond generalization. For example, the symptoms of a disease or a medical condition will be more than one. Such questions can be converted to multi-response format to check if students are aware of all the symptoms.
This is one of the examples of test questions with multiple responses. Breads come in various forms, with different recipes and preparation methods. So, here, the answers would be C and D as some breads are first baked in high temperatures and then left to settle in lower temperatures to get the right density and texture.
True/ False Questions
True or false questions are a little similar to multiple choice questions but provide only two options to choose from. Either of the answers has to be correct. Many tests don’t use these questions since the participants can randomly pick an option and have a 50% chance of getting it right. It doesn’t accurately measure if they know the answer or have guessed it. That said, true or false questions can be used to conduct practice tests and are a great choice for quick, low-stake quizzes or exams. Mixing up these questions with other types will give a more comprehensive result.
When preparing true or false questions, keep the statements straightforward, to the point, and simple. Don’t use double negatives. If you are using a negative, highlight it in bold or capitals so that students can see it easily. Include only one idea or topic per question. If you want to combine two ideas, make sure both have the same answers and the phrasing is highly clear.
In the above examples, the answer to the first question is true, and the answer to the second question is false. A good way to make true/ false questions tough is to eliminate a pattern in the answers. Use the randomize option in the exam generator tool to jumble the order of questions.
Fill-in-the-Blank Questions
Fill-in-the-blanks or fill ups are completion questions where the participants are expected to complete the provided statement with an appropriate answer. You may or may not give them options to choose the right answer. When you provide options, it becomes a bit similar to MCQs. Fill Ups are a good choice for theoretical questions. The questions test the knowledge of the participants by determining if they understood the statement and knew enough about the topic to fill the blank with the right answer. Most question paper maker tools like PrepAI create fill-in-the-blank questions and provide options to pick the answers. You can edit, add, or delete the questions as required.
In this example, each question has a blank at a different position. This is done to make the test interesting and engaging.
Open-ended Questions
Open-ended questions are perfect examples of productive questions. These make the students think and articulate their thoughts into words. They have to structure the answer, make it easy to read, and present the content engagingly and appealingly. This requires much thought, planning, and execution. After all, they need to complete the entire test paper within the given time frame. Open-ended questions can have short answers or long/ essay-length answers. These can be used to test different skill levels of the candidates.
So, what are skill test questions? Look at the examples in the below picture. Both examples have two questions in each question. Yes, both are interconnected. In the first question, students need to know the primary ingredients of baking. While these can be memorized, they also need to know how the ingredients interact with each other. That means they should explain the properties of each ingredient and its role in the baking process. The question tests the remembrance and understanding skills of the students.
HOTS Questions
HOTS, or best brain test questions evaluate the higher order thinking skills like creation, analysis, comprehension, etc. These are also open-ended and more suited as long answer questions. Terminology like evaluate, judge, analyze, determine, compare, plan, create, discuss, etc., are used to guide the student in how they should frame the answer. Questions generator tools like PrepAI can be used to create HOTS questions by activating Bloom’s Taxonomy framework.
In the below examples, we see the focus on creation. The participant has to use existing knowledge to come up with something new. They cannot rewrite memorized answers or copy from someone else.
Final Words
No matter what type of test questions you use, the best ones are those that avoid cultural bias, method bias, confirmation bias, religious bias, discrimination, etc. Exams are no place to create such questions. Using a test paper generator will help to avoid such situations. Moreover, you can quickly edit or delete questions that don’t align with your requirements.
