Binomial-choice tests are tests that have only two (2) options, such as true or false, right or wrong, good or better, and so on. A student who knows nothing of the content of the examination would have a 50% chance of getting the correct answer by sheer guesswork. Although correction-for-guessing formulas exist, it is best that the teacher ensures that a true-false item is able to discriminate properly between those who know and those who are just guessing. A modified true-false test can offset the effect of guessing by requiring students to explain their answers and to disregard a correct answer if the explanation is incorrect. Here are some rules of thumb in constructing true-false items.
Rule 1: Do not give a hint (inadvertently) in the body of the question.
When constructing true-false questions, it’s crucial to avoid including inadvertent hints within the statement that could reveal the correct answer. Such hints can undermine the assessment’s ability to accurately measure students’ knowledge by allowing them to guess correctly without truly understanding the content. Ensuring that each statement is clear, concise, and free of unintended clues helps maintain the integrity of the evaluation process.
Example:
The Philippines gained its independence in 1898 and therefore celebrated its centennial year in 2000.
Obviously, the answer is FALSE because 100 years from 1898 is not 2000 but 1998.
Rule 2: Avoid using the words “always,” “never,” “often,” and other adverbs that tend to be either always true or always false.
Using adverbs like “always,” “never,” and “often” in true-false questions can inadvertently provide clues to test-wise students, as such qualifiers often make statements predictably true or false.
Example:
Christmas always falls on a Sunday because it is a Sabbath day.
For instance, a statement like “Christmas always falls on a Sunday because it is a Sabbath day” is easily identified as false due to the absolute term “always.” To enhance the effectiveness of true-false items, it’s advisable to avoid these adverbs, thereby reducing the likelihood of students guessing correctly based on linguistic cues rather than content knowledge.
Rule 3: Avoid long sentences, as these tend to be “true.” Keep sentences short.
Long, complex sentences in true-false tests can inadvertently provide clues to the correct answer. Test-wise students may recognize that such detailed statements are often true, allowing them to guess correctly without fully understanding the content.
Additionally, lengthy sentences may contain multiple ideas, increasing the likelihood that at least one part of the statement is true, which can confuse students and undermine the assessment’s effectiveness. To enhance clarity and ensure that each item accurately assesses a single concept, it’s advisable to construct concise sentences focusing on one idea. This approach reduces ambiguity and minimizes the chances of students relying on test-taking strategies rather than their knowledge of the subject matter.
Example:
Tests need to be valid, reliable, and useful, although it would require a great amount of time and effort to ensure that tests possess these test characteristics.
Notice that the statement is true. However, we are also not sure which part of the sentence is deemed true by the student. It is just fortunate that in this case, all parts of the sentence are true, and hence, the entire sentence is true. The following example illustrates what can go wrong in long sentences:
Example:
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 is true, but the second part is debatable and may, in fact, be false. Thus, a “true” response is correct, and also, a “false” response is correct.
Rule 4: Avoid trick statements with some minor misleading word or spelling anomaly, misplaced phrases, etc.
A wise student who does not know the subject matter may detect this strategy and thus get the answer correctly.
Example:
True or False: The Principle of our school is Mr. Albert P. Panadero.
The Principal’s name may actually be correct, but since the word is misspelled and the entire sentence takes a different meaning, the answer would be false! This is an example of a tricky but utterly useless item.
Rule 5: Avoid quoting verbatim from reference materials or textbooks.
This practice sends the wrong signal to the students that it is necessary to memorize the textbook word for word, and thus, acquisition of higher-level thinking skills is not given due importance.
Example:
Textbook statement: “Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.”
True-False: “Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.”
In this example, the test item is a direct quotation from the textbook. Students might recognize the sentence from their reading without truly understanding the concept, leading to rote memorization rather than meaningful learning.
Rule 6: Avoid specific determiners or give-away qualifiers.
Students quickly learn that strongly worded statements are more likely to be false than true; for example, statements with “never,” “no,” “all,” or “always.” Moderately worded statements are more likely to be true than false. Statements with “many,” “often,” “sometimes,” “generally,” “frequently,” or “some” should be avoided.
Example:
All sessions of Congress are called by the President.
In this example, the use of the word “all” makes the statement strongly worded and likely to be false. Test-wise students may recognize this pattern and answer correctly without truly knowing the content. To avoid this, it’s best to refrain from using absolute terms like “all” in true-false items.
Rule 7: Avoid a grossly disproportionate number of either true or false statements or even patterns in the occurrence of true and false statements.
Example:
Consider a test with the following sequence of answers:
- True
- True
- True
- True
- False
- False
- False
- False
In this example, the pattern of four ‘True’ answers followed by four ‘False’ answers is easily detectable. Test-wise students may recognize such patterns and use them to guess answers correctly, undermining the assessment’s effectiveness. To prevent this, ensure a balanced and random distribution of true and false statements throughout the test.
