Test Type

Advantages

Disadvantages

Essay

- In-depth coverage of material
- Quick and simple to prepare
- Allow maximum utilization of student capabilities in responding
- Easily changed from class to class

- Restrictive in breadth of subject matter
- Time consuming for students
- Weigh specific part of course too heavily
- Burden of spelling, vocabulary, and grammar upon student
- Tendency to lean toward subjec-tivity in evaluation
- Difficult to grade

Test Type

Advantages

Disadvantages

Multiple Choice

- Cover a broad range of content in a short period of time
- Measure ability to recognize responses rather than recall facts
- More valid than true/false
- Students can be tested for analysis and synthesis
- Easy to grade

- Tendency to construct responses for knowledge only
- Questions time consuming and difficult to develop
- Provide opportunity for guessing
- Rely primarily upon recall and memory

Test Type

Advantages

Disadvantages

Recall

- Simple to grade and construct
- Address numerous areas in a broad field of content
- Requires specific recall rather than a guess

- Time consuming to students if they have a mental block
- Subjectivity in grading similar responses
- Nearly impossible to measure analysis and synthesis of material

Test Type

Advantages

Disadvantages

True/False

- Ability to ask large number of diverse questions
- Stimulate students and give ability students a chance
- Simple to develop
- Valid if only two possible answers
- Non-threatening and familiar to students
- Easy to score

- Encourages guessing
- Difficult to construct brief, complete statements
- Grading weight equal for minor as well as significant points
- Not appropriate for elaboration and discussion
- Test the lowest level of knowledge
- Typically low in validity and reliabilitly