Writing Exam Questions Well – Part 2 of 3

Very often, an organization wants to test the effectiveness of their training by administering some type of test at the end of the training. Unfortunately, most trainers are not trained to write quiz questions. It is much more than just writing 20 questions about the content. You can skew test results (and thus get inaccurate feedback on training effectiveness) if test questions are not designed correctly.

In the second of three articles on designing appropriate test questions, we’ll look at true/false questions and how best to design them.

I often hear that true/false questions are avoided because they are “too easy” for the participant; Heck, they have a 50/50 chance. The truth is, if you write a test question correctly, even a 50/50 chance isn’t good enough. Here are some things to keep in mind when writing true/false questions so that they challenge your participants and really test their knowledge.

For true/false questions, make sure your choices are completely true or completely false; do not include answers that may be true under certain conditions. Example: Moss grows on a northern exposure; (except if it’s a heavily shaded area).

We tend to write more true than false statements, because it is easier; so be aware of that and try to give an equal number of each.

Also, as with the multiple choice questions (Part 1 of 3), our true statements tend to be longer than our false ones; so watch your word count and try to be consistent in length.

Avoid what are known as “specific determiners” that pinpoint the correct answer; the most obvious are ALWAYS and NEVER. Rarely is something always true or never true. The use of any of these words is often a clue to the examinee choosing the answer that does not include the specific determiner.

Example: “i” always comes before “e”

These guidelines should help you design true/false questions that challenge your participants and really test their knowledge.