Other Types of Questions

True/false

True/false questions are only composed of a statement. Students respond to the questions by indicating whether the statement is true or false. For example, true/false questions have only two possible answers (Answer: True).

True/false questions provide students with a 50% chance of guessing the right answer. For this reason, multiple-choice questions are often used instead of true/false questions.

Tips for writing good true/false items:

Avoid	Do use
Negatives and double-negatives Long / complex sentences Trivial material Broad generalizations Ambiguous or indefinite terms	Your own words The same number of true and false statements (50/50) or slightly more false statements than true (60/40) – students are more likely to answer true One central idea in each item

Suggestion: You can increase the usefulness of true/false questions by asking students to correct false statements.

Matching

Students respond to matching questions by pairing each of a set of stems (e.g., definitions) with one of the choices provided on the exam. These questions are often used to assess recognition and recall and so are most often used in courses where the acquisition of detailed knowledge is an important goal. They are generally quick and easy to create and mark, but students require more time to respond to these questions than a similar number of multiple-choice or true/false items.

Tips for writing good matching items:

Avoid	Do use
Long stems and options Heterogeneous content (e.g., dates mixed with people) Implausible responses	Short responses – 10–15 items on only one page Clear directions Logically ordered choices (chronological, alphabetical, etc.)

Suggestion: You can use some choices more than once in the same matching exercise. It reduces the effects of guessing.