Guidelines for Question Writing

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Guidelines for Question Writing

• THE NEW HSC
• VET
• EXAMINATIONS

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HSC EXAM
What will be examined in VET? Part A of the
Syllabus for each Curriculum Framework outlines
the Units of Competency that can be
examined Check the Syllabus under the heading
HSC EXAMINATION SPECIFICATIONS for the units to
be examined Part B of the Syllabus provides
details of HSC requirements to be taught
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HSC Examination Paper

• 2 Hour written paper worth 100 marks
• Paper is marked out of 80 and converted to a mark
  out of 100
• Examination paper consists of 3 sections

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Principles for Setting HSC Examinations

• Content
• Level of difficulty
• Paper format, length and layout
• Question structure and language
• Comparability and moderation

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Principles for Developing Marking Guidelines in a
Standards-Referenced Framework

• Content
• Specificity of marking guidelines
• Language of marking guidelines
• Discrimination between different levels of
  performance
• Optional questions
• Generic type questions

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Terminology
Outcomes Explicit statements of the knowledge,
skills and understanding expected to
be learned by Criteria Descriptive statements
that markers will use for marking judgements
about the marks to be awarded for different
levels of performance Rubric General criteria
at the beginning of a section that will be
taken into account in marking the questions.
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Terminology
Marking Provide the criteria for making
judgments Criteria about the different levels of
student performance and the marks to be
awarded. Marking May be identical to the
marking guidelines Scheme OR Elaborate the
marking guidelines in the light of student
responses.
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HSC Examination

• Section I
• 15 multiple-choice questions worth 15 Marks
• Based on selected units of competency across the
  
• year course
• All questions are compulsory and of equal value
• Questions increase in difficulty

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HSC Examinations

• Section II
• Short response questions worth 35 marks
• All questions are compulsory
• Number of questions and part vary in value

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HSC Examinations

• Section III
• Extended responses (30 marks)
• Choice of questions all of equal value
• Must attempt two questions

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Section I - Question Design Multiple Choice
Questions
CONSISTS OF A stem, that poses the
question Four alternatives that provide
answers The key is the correct
answer Distractors is the name given to the
other alternatives Questions need to cover the
range of performance bands
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Three Steps in Writing Multiple Choice Questions

• Create the stem by providing any necessary
• informationand forming the question or
• problem.
• Write the correct answer (key).
• Write distractors that are plausible.

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Guidelines for Writing Multiple Choice Questions
1. Design each question to measure an important
learning outcome 2. Present a single clearly
formulated problem in the stem of the
question 3. State the stem of the question in
simple, clear language 4. Put as much of the
wording as possible in the stem of the question
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Guidelines for Writing Multiple Choice Questions
5. State the stem in the positive form, wherever
possible 6. Emphasise NEGATIVE wording whenever
it is used in the stem 7. Ensure that the
intended answer is correct or clearly best 8. Ar
range in increasing order of difficulty 9. Make
all alternative grammatically consistent with
the stem of the question
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Guidelines for Writing Multiple Choice Questions
10. Avoid verbal clues that might enable students
to select the correct answer, or to eliminate
an incorrect alternative. 11. Make the
distractors plausible and attractive to the
uninformed. 12. Avoid using 'all of the
above', and use 'none of the above' with
caution. 13. Vary the position of the correct
answer randomly.
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Guidelines for Writing Multiple Choice Questions
14. Keep items independent. 15. Place options
in logical or numerical order. 16. The
difficulty of a multiple-choice question may be
change by careful use of the options.
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Summary
For the question as a whole Select a concept or
skill that is important for the student to
know/demonstrate Use language that is simple,
direct and unambiguous Keep the purpose of the
item in mind
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Summary
For the stem State the stem as a simple
question, or a complete statement of a problem
to be solved, usually followed by a brief
question Clearly define the task to be
undertaken and include all the information
necessary for the student to understand the
question
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Summary
For the options State the options clearly and
concisely Make sure that information which can
be placed in the stem is not repeated in each
option Select and formulate the distractors
with care
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Summary
Sources of good distractors include Common
misconceptions Common errors in technique,
particularly for questions involving
calculations Statements which are true, but
which do not satisfy the requirements of the
problem Carefully worded incorrect statements
that may seem plausible to the uninformed.
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How can I Avoid the Repetition of Words in the
Options?
Flawed Item In the term 'objective testing', and
the word 'objective' A Refers to the metho'of
identifying the curriculum outcomes B Refers
to the method of selecting the testing content
C Refers to the method of presenting the
problem D Refers to the method of marking the
answers
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How can I Avoid the Repetition of Words in the
Options?
Improved item In the term 'objective testing',
the word 'objective' refers to the method of
A Marking the answers B Identifying outcomes
C Presenting the problem D Selecting the test
content
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Can I use Positive and Negative Stems?
Flawed item Which of the following towns is not
located north of the Tropic of Capricorn?
A Bundaberg B Cairns C Mackay D Port
Douglas
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Can I use Positive and Negative Stems?
Improved item Which of the following towns is
located south of the Tropic of Capricorn?
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Can I use Positive and Negative Stems?
Flawed item Usually pine knots A Should be
covered in shellac before painting B Will stop
giving off pitch if treated with raw linseed
oil C Can sometimes be sealed with turpentine
D Should be cut out before the board is used
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Can I use Positive and Negative Stems?
Improved item To avoid paint discolouration,
which of the following should you use to cover
the knots in pine board? A Shellac B Raw
linseed oil C Turpentine D Varnish