Binomial-choice tests—like True or False and Right or Wrong questions—are staples in education. They are quick to administer and score, but their simplicity hides a significant challenge: the 50% chance of a student guessing the correct answer.
While formulas for correction-for-guessing exist, the better approach is for teachers to construct items so well that they genuinely discriminate between those who know the material and those who are simply guessing.
💡 Pro Tip: A great way to offset the guessing effect is to use Modified True-False tests, where students must briefly explain why a statement is false. If they get the answer correct but the explanation is wrong, the entire item is usually disregarded.
Ready to level up your binary assessments? Here are 7 crucial rules for constructing effective and fair True-False items.
Rule 1: Never Give a Hint in the Question
When writing your statements, be careful not to include any unintended clues or facts that inadvertently point toward the correct answer. Such hints undermine the assessment, allowing students to guess right without real knowledge. The goal is to ensure the statement is clear, concise, and free of any “giveaways.”
Example:
The Philippines gained its independence in 1898 and therefore celebrated its centennial year in 2000.
This item fails because it practically does the math for the student. If independence was in 1898, the centennial (100 years later) is obviously 1998, making the 2000 date an obvious FALSE.
Rule 2: Avoid Absolute Adverbs
Steer clear of adverbs like “always,” “never,” “only,” and “often.” These qualifiers tend to make statements predictably true or false to a test-wise student, regardless of their content knowledge. You should use precise language that tests content understanding, not linguistic pattern recognition.
Example:
Christmas always falls on a Sunday because it is a Sabbath day.
This item fails because the absolute term “always” immediately signals to most savvy test-takers that the statement is likely FALSE (and in this case, it is).
Rule 3: Keep Sentences Short and Focused
Long, complex sentences are often perceived by students as being TRUE because they contain many ideas, increasing the chance that at least one part is factually correct. More importantly, a lengthy statement can confuse the concept you’re trying to assess. Construct concise sentences that test a single, clear idea.
Example of the Risk:
Tests need to be valid, reliable, and useful since it takes very little amount of time, money, and effort to construct tests with these characteristics.
The first part of the sentence (valid, reliable, and useful) is true, but the second part is debatable and may, in fact, be false. If a student answers “True,” they may be correct about the first part; if they answer “False,” they may be correct about the second part. This item is unscorable and invalid!
Rule 4: Don’t Write “Trick” Statements
Avoid minor spelling errors, misleading words, or misplaced phrases designed to trick students. This strategy measures how well a student can spot a typo, not their mastery of the subject matter. Focus on testing content knowledge, not observational skills.
Example:
True or False: The Principle of our school is Mr. Albert P. Panadero.
This item fails. If the Principal’s name is correct but the word is misspelled (Principle instead of Principal), a student might correctly answer FALSE. This is a tricky and entirely useless item for educational assessment.
Rule 5: Never Quote Verbatim from the Textbook
Directly copying a statement from a textbook encourages rote memorization over genuine understanding and higher-level thinking. Rephrase concepts and facts in your own words to ensure students are learning ideas, not word sequences.
Example:
Test Item: “Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.” (This is a direct quote from the textbook.)
This fails because students might recognize the exact sentence from their reading and get it right, even if they can’t explain the process.
Rule 6: Be Wary of Specific Determiners
This rule is closely related to Rule 2. Strongly worded statements using specific determiners like “never,” “no,” “all,” and “always” are more likely to be false. Moderately worded statements, using qualifiers like “many,” “often,” or “sometimes,” are more likely to be true. Test-wise students pick up on these patterns. Eliminate these predictable qualifiers to make the item purely content-based.
Example:
All sessions of Congress are called by the President.
This item fails because the word “All” makes the statement strongly worded and immediately signals to a student that it is likely FALSE.
Rule 7: Keep the Answer Distribution Random
Avoid having a grossly disproportionate number of true or false statements (e.g., 90% True, 10% False) or creating predictable patterns in the answer key. Aim for a balanced and random mix of true and false answers to eliminate guessing based on patterns.
Example of a Poor Pattern:
Consider a test with the following sequence of answers: True, True, True, True, False, False, False, False.
This pattern is easily detectable. Students who figure this out can correctly guess the rest of the test, regardless of their knowledge.
By adhering to these seven rules, you can transform your binomial-choice tests from simple guessing games into reliable, effective tools for measuring student learning.
