Item Writing Flaws
Explore our comprehensive collection of articles on item writing flaws for multiple-choice exams. Each article details a specific flaw, offers practical examples, and provides actionable tips for improving exam question quality.
Absolute Terms
Learn why answer choices with absolute terms like 'always' or 'never' are often incorrect and enable test-wise elimination.
All of The Above
Learn why 'All of the above' is a flawed multiple-choice option that allows test-wise guessing and reduces question validity.
Combination Answer Format
Understand why combination answer formats like 'A and B' should be avoided in favor of single best answer questions.
Complex Vocabulary
Understand why questions should avoid complex vocabulary unrelated to content and use simple, clear language for fair assessment.
Duplicate Question
Learn why duplicate questions distort exam results by overemphasizing content and reducing assessment fairness and accuracy.
Excess Abbreviations
Learn why non-standard or unclear abbreviations make questions difficult to understand and how to use clear language instead.
Grammatical Mismatches
Understand how grammatical mismatches between question stems and answer choices can confuse or inadvertently reveal correct answers.
Heterogeneous Answer Choices
Understand why answer choices should be similar in concept, category, formatting, and length to create fair multiple-choice questions.
Miskeyed Answer
Learn about miskeyed answers where the marked correct choice is actually incorrect and how to prevent this critical error.
Negative Phrasing
Discover why questions with negative phrases like 'not' or 'except' confuse test-takers and assess concepts poorly.
Non-Preferred Question Format
Learn why formats like true/false questions are often ambiguous and assess only recall rather than higher-order thinking.
None of The Above
Discover why 'None of the above' should be avoided in most cases and how to create better, more specific answer choices.
Number of Answer Choices
Research shows 3-5 answer choices are optimal for multiple-choice questions. Learn why too few or too many choices hurt question quality.
Other Flaws
Other potential exam question flaws not covered by standard categories that may impact assessment quality.
Single Best Answer
Discover why questions with multiple seemingly correct answers are flawed and lead to confusion and frustration for test-takers.
Spelling, Typos, Grammar
Learn how spelling and grammatical errors in exam questions can distract test-takers and lead to confusion about the content.
Test-Wise Cues
Discover how unintentional clues in questions allow test-wise students to identify correct answers without knowing the content.
Unfocused, Unclear, or Open Stem
Learn why questions need clear, focused stems and closed-ended formatting to accurately assess knowledge instead of causing confusion.