This questionnaire assesses drug use and attitudes toward drugs among college students. The 24 multiple choice items deal with personal data, use practices, use history, future use, and drug laws. The instrument is untimed and self-administering. Item response data and findings for a sample of 2,145 students are reported in: "A Survey of Drug Use…

A 30-item multiple-choice word analogy test and a corresponding 30-item picture analogy test (in which the pictures corresponded to the words in the word analogy test) were administered to 289 Civil Service employees. The equivalence of semantic (word) and figural (picture) test presentation of the same items was determined by comparing the…

The results of five studies into the characteristics of wrong answers as a class of divergent behavior are presented. The evidence from these studies, when taken in combination, suggests that the tendency of researchers to ignore wrong answers has been a fundamental procedural error of broad scope and serious consequences. Instead of the straight…

Sample multiple-choice questions are examined for testing for three levels of knowledge in general biology: background or factual, operational, and analytic-synthetic. (ND)

Results of a study investigating the accuracy of absolute minimal performance levels for multiple choice examinations enhanced confidence in the validity of predetermined passing standards for the criterion referenced tests used by the schools of basic medical sciences at the University of Illinois. (JT)

Identifies and describes testing options available to history teachers. Tests discussed include essay, objective, true-false, multiple choice, identification, take-home, oral, and fill-in. Tips are presented to aid teachers in developing tests which are valid, reliable, and fair. Journal availability: see SO 507 033. (DB)

TESTER, a computer program which produces individualized objective tests from a pool of items, is described. Available in both PL/1 and FORTRAN, TESTER may be executed either interactively or in batch. (Author/JKS)

Presents a matrix showing the types, domains, uses, advantages, and disadvantages of teacher-made paper and pencil and performance evaluation instruments, and considers some of the factors involved in deciding which to use. (CMV)

Presents research findings on several aspects of multiple-choice testing: (1) Effect of guessing; (2) Effect of changing the initial response; (3) Effect of item order alteration; (4) Optimum number of chores; (5) Position response set; and (6) Assessment of partial knowledge. (HM)

Reviews differences in responses by 16 year old boys and girls to multiple choice questions in an English language examination. Findings indicate that examiners should base questions equally on life experiences of males and females to avoid giving undue advantage to either sex. (Author/DB)

Describes a study of the accuracy of student responses on objective tests. Investigators examined the frequency of correctness on initial responses versus changed responses, and the relationship to degree of familiarity of the content. Results show that changing test answers tends to produce more right than wrong answers by more students.…

The construction of a computer-based system for instruction and assessment that utilizes a large bank of multiple choice questions is described. Students reserve a time during the day, specify the type of test desired, and questions are presented randomly from the subset satisfying their criteria. (LBH)

Immediate reinforcement of what has been learned is of prime importance. Ideal testing procedures are those that show students at once the rightness or wrongness of their answers. For reading comprehension, multiple choice is recommended; for production (oral or written), constructed responses (an example is given) are recommended. (IFS/WGA)

This article provides brief accounts of significant current innovation and research in Australia. (Editor/RK)

The impact of the Subset Selection Technique (SST) for multiple-choice items on certain properties of a test was compared with that of two other methods, the Number Right and the Correction for Guessing Formula. Results indicated that SST outperformed the other two, producing higher reliability and validity without favoring high risk takers.…