Objective Tests

Objective tests are a "tried and true" method of assessment. They can be used for formative or summative assessment and may have selected response or constructed response questions such as:

Selected Response Constructed Response
  • multiple-choice
  • true-false
  • matching
  • fill-in-the-blank
  • short answer
  • show-your-work

Tests: The good, the bad and the ugly.

Objective tests are convenient because they are easy to administer and score and allow you to focus on several specific topics. For example, if correct spelling is the objective, an objective test can specifically target that objective better than an essay, because in essays students will only choose words they can spell correctly.

 

The drawbacks of objective tests are that they tend to:

  • focus on simple cognitive processes like remembering and understanding
  • compartmentalize learning and require students to perform out of context
  • be subjective: even though scoring may be objective, test creation is subjective, based on the instructor perspective