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Type:
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MC:Multiple Choice
- MC items should take an average of one minute per item to solve.
- MC items are worth one point each.
- MC items should have four answer choices (A, B, C, D or F, G, H, I for alternating items).
- During item development and review, the correct response should be indicated with a star next to the answer choice letter.
- During item development and review, the rationale for options (incorrect answer choices) should be indicated and set off in brackets.
- In most cases, answer choices should be arranged vertically beneath the item stem.
- If four graphics are labeled horizontally or vertically and horizontally, the labeling should be as follows:
A. B. C. D. or A. C.
B. D.
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4
or
Figure 1 Figure 3
Figure 2 Figure 4
- If the answer choices for an item are strictly numerical, they should be arranged in ascending or descending order, with the place values of digits aligned. When the item requires the identification of relative size or magnitude, choices should be arranged as they are presented in the item stem.
- If the answer choices for an item are neither strictly numerical nor denominate numbers, the choices should be arranged by the logic presented in the question, by alphabetical order, or by length.
- Distractors should represent computational or procedural errors commonly made by students who have not mastered the assessed concepts. Each distractor should be a believable answer for someone who does not really know the correct answer.
- Outliers (i.e., answer choices that are longer phrases or sentences than the other choices, or choices with significantly more/fewer digits than the other choices) should NOT be used.
- Responses such as “None of the Above,” “All of the Above,” and “Not Here” should NOT be used.
- Responses such as “Not Enough Information” or “Cannot Be Determined” should NOT be used unless they are a part of the benchmark being assessed. They should not be used as distractors for the sake of convenience.
- If a response is a phrase, the phrase should start with a lowercase letter. No period should be used at the end of a phrase.
- If a response is a sentence, the sentence should be conventionally capitalized and punctuated.
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