Alternate-choice items are a type of assessment question that presents students with two possible answers, typically requiring them to choose between “true” or “false,” “yes” or “no,” or two other mutually exclusive options. This format is widely used in educational testing due to its simplicity and ease of scoring.
Advantages of alternate-choice items:
- Quick and easy to administer and score
- Can cover a broad range of content in a short time
- Objective scoring reduces grader bias
- Useful for assessing factual knowledge and simple concepts
Limitations:
- High probability of guessing correctly (50%)
- Limited in assessing higher-order thinking skills
- Can be challenging to write unambiguous items
- May encourage rote memorization over deep understanding
Best practices for creating effective alternate-choice items:
- Use clear, concise language
- Avoid double negatives and complex sentence structures
- Ensure that items are truly dichotomous (mutually exclusive)
- Balance the number of true and false statements
- Avoid using absolute terms like “always” or “never”
While alternate-choice items have their place in assessment, they should be used in conjunction with other question types to provide a comprehensive evaluation of student knowledge and skills. Educators can enhance the effectiveness of these items by:
- Requiring students to explain their choices
- Using them as a starting point for class discussions
- Combining them with other question formats in a single assessment
- Analyzing patterns of incorrect responses to identify areas for reteaching
By understanding the strengths and limitations of alternate-choice items, educators can use them effectively to support student learning and assessment.
