Creating Alternative Response Items: Best Practices

1. Avoid using broad, general statements2. Avoid trivial statements3. Avoid using negative statements 4. Avoid long, complex statements5. When using opinion statements attribute them to a

source6. All statements should be of a similar length7. Include relatively equal numbers of true and false

statements8. Avoid including two ideas in a single statement

Alternative Response Items

Advantages• Efficient• Allows for larger sampling of content• Effective for measuring verbal knowledge• Easy to construct?

Limitations• Ill-suited for measuring higher-level learning• Validity can be compromised because of the likelihood of

guessing correctly• Easy to construct?