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What is a major disadvantage of Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)?

AThey can cover a wide range of content easily.

BThey are easy and quick to score.

CThey may encourage guessing.

DThey can provide diagnostic information.

Answer:

C. They may encourage guessing.

Read Explanation:

Objective tests

  • These tests have a single correct answer and can be scored objectively. 

  • They are often used to assess recall and recognition of factual knowledge. 

Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs):

These present a statement or question (stem) followed by several options, with only one being the correct answer.

  • Advantages: They can cover a wide range of content, are easy and quick to score, and can provide diagnostic information by analyzing patterns of incorrect responses.

  • Disadvantages: They can be time-consuming to construct effectively, may encourage guessing, and might not be ideal for assessing higher-order thinking skills unless carefully constructed.

True/False Questions: 

These present a statement, and students indicate whether it's true or false.

  • Advantages: They allow for quick responses, cover a broad range of content, and are easy to score.

  • Disadvantages: They have a high guessing factor, can be difficult to construct unequivocally true or false statements, and may not discriminate well between students of varying abilities.

Matching Items: 

These involve matching items from two lists based on a specific relationship.

  • Advantages: They are efficient for assessing associations between a variety of items and are easy to construct and score.

  • Disadvantages: They may limit assessment to lower levels of understanding and can be challenging to generate a sufficient number of plausible premises.

Completion or Fill-in-the-Blanks:

 

These items require students to provide a word or phrase to complete a statement or answer a question.

  • Advantages: They reduce guessing compared to selection-type items and require students to construct their answer.

  • Disadvantages: Scoring can be subjective and time-consuming, and they may be criticized for encouraging rote memorization rather than deeper understanding.


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