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True/False Questions
A true-false questions is a specialised form of the multiple-choice format
in which there are only two possible alternatives. These questions can
be used when the test-designer wishes to measure a student's ability to
identify whether statements of fact are accurate or not.
Example of
a true/false question
T F A poem with the following
rhyme scheme could be correctly referred to as an English sonnet:
abab cdcd efef gg.
T F All eukaryotic genes are
organized into operons.
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True-false questions offer lecturers a very efficient method of testing
a wide range of material in a short period of time. They can also be combined
within a multiple-choice to create the more complex assertion-reason item.
However, true-false questions do have a number of limitations:
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Guessing
– a student has a 1 in 2 chance of guessing the correct answer of
a question.
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It can
be difficult to write a statement which is unambiguously true or false
– particularly for complex material.
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The format
does not discriminate among students of different abilities as well
as other question types.
Suggestions for writing true-false questions:
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Include
only one main idea in each item.
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As in multiple
choice questions generally, use negatives sparingly.
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Try using
in combination with other material, such as graphs, maps, written
material. This combination allows for the testing of more advanced
learning outcomes. (Gronlund
1988)
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Use statements
which are unequivocally true or false.
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Avoid lifting
statements directly from assigned reading, lecture notes or other
course materials so that recall alone will not permit a correct answer.
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Generally
avoid the use of words which would signal the correct response to
the test-wise student. Absolutes such as "none", "never", "always",
"all", "impossible" tend to be false, while qualifiers such as "usually",
"generally", "sometimes" "often" are likely to be true.
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