matching test

Writing Matching Test

     

        Matching test items, along with true-false and multiple choice, are selection items. They are specialized for use when measuring the student's ability to identify the relationship between a set of similar items, each of which has two components, such as words and their definitions, symbols and their meanings, dates and events, people and their accomplishments, etc. Of the two objectives listed below, only the second one is appropriate for a matching item

        Objective A: Students will be able to explain the process of photosynthesis.

        Objective B: Students will be able to identify primary characters in novels they read.

        In measuring accomplishment of objective A, the question would probably be one calling for the student to write a response. In contrast, Objective B states that the students will be able to "identify" primary characters. This implies some type of selection question in which the answers are provided, and the task of the student is recognition. The rest of the objective (primary characters in novels they read) indicates a series of novels, each with its respective primary character.

        One matching item can replace several true-false or short answer items (and require less reading for the students). Matching items are generally easy to write and score when the test content and objectives are suitable for matching questions. Possible difficulties in using matching items may arise due to poor student handwriting or printing, or students' being able to guess correct answers through the process of elimination.

        In developing matching items, there are two columns of material (Example 1). The items in the column on the left (Column A) are usually called premises and assigned numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.). Those in the column on the right (Column B) are called responses and designated by capital letters, as in Example 1. Capital letters are used rather than lower case letters in case some students have reading problems. Also there are apt to be fewer problems in scoring the student's handwritten responses if capital letters are used.

1.	Directions: On the line next to each children's book in Column A print the letter of the animal or insect in column B that is a main character in that book. Each animal or insect in Column B can be used only once.

 

	Column A		Column B
	1. Charlotte's Web		A. Bear
	2. Winnie the Pooh		B. Chimpanzee
	3. Black Beauty		C. Cricket
	4. Tarzan		D. Deer
	5. Pinocchio		E. Horse
	6. Bambi		F. Pig

                  The student reads a premise (Column A) and finds the correct response from among those in Column B. The student then prints the letter of the correct response in the blank beside the premise in Column A. An alternative is to have the student draw a line from the correct response to the premise, but this is more time consuming to score.               In Example 1, the student only has to know five of the six answers to get them all correct. Since each animal in Column B can be used only once, the one remaining after the five known answers have been recorded is the answer for the sixth premise. One way to reduce the possibility of guessing correct answers is to list a larger number of responses (Column B) than premises (Column A), as is done in Example 2.      

2.

	Column A		Column B
	1. Charlotte's Web		A. Bear
	2. Winnie the Pooh		B. Chimpanzee
	3. Black Beauty		C. Cricket
	4. Tarzan		D. Deer
	5. Pinocchio		E. Horse
	6. Bambi		F. Mouse
			G. Pig

              Some writers suggest there be no more than five to eight premises (Column A) in one set. For each premise, the student has to read through the entire list of responses (or those still unused) to find the matching response. For this reason, the shorter elements should be in Column B, rather than Column A to minimize the amount of reading needed for each item. Although there is little difference in the length of items in the two columns in Examples 1 and 2, note the improvement in Example 3b when the items in the two columns in Example 3a are reversed.  

 

3a.	Directions: On the line next to each description in Column A, place the letter of the president in Column B whom it describes. Answers in Column B may be used only once.

 

Column A _____1. Jimmy Carter _____2. Abraham Lincoln _____3. Richard Nixon _____4. George Washington _____5. Ronald Reagan Column B A. Our first President B. Resigned from the office of president C. Was well known for his association with humanitarian causes after leaving office D. Was a movie star and a state governor before being elected president E. Was assassinated while in office

     

3b.	Directions: On the line next to each description in Column A, place the letter of the president in Column B whom it describes. Answers in Column B may be used only once.

 

Colulmn A _____A. Our first President _____B. Resigned from the office of president _____C. Was well known for his association with humanitarian causes after leaving office _____D. Was a movie star and a state governor before being elected president _____E. Was assassinated while in offic ColumnB 1.JimmyCarter 2.AbrahamLincoln 3. Richard Nixon 4. Ronald Reagan 5.WoodrowWilson

             Responses (Column B) should be listed in logical order if there is one (chronological, by size, etc.). If there is no apparent order, the responses should be listed alphabetically. Premises (Column A) should NOT be listed in the same order as the responses, however, as in Example 4.      

4.	Directions: On the line next to each author in Column A, place the letter of the type of writing in Column B for which the author is best known. Answers in Column B may be used only once.

 

Column A ______1. James Michener ______2. Stephen King ______3. Erma Bombeck ______4. Agatha Christie ______5. Walt Whitman ______6. Danielle Steele ______7. Isaac Asimov Column B A. History B. Horror C. Humor D. Mystery E. Poetry F. Romance G. Science Fiction

 

          As previously mentioned, there should be a larger number of responses (Column B) than premises (Column A) to reduce the possibility of guessing correct answers. Another way to decrease the possibility of guessing is to allow responses to be used more than once. Directions to the students should be very clear about the use of responses. Example 5 utilizes both of these techniques: more responses than premises, and allowing responses to be used more than once.      

5.	Directions: On the line next to each author in Column A, place the letter of the type of writing in Column B for which the author is best known. Answers in Column B may be used once, more than once, or not at all.

 

Column A ______1. Agatha Christie ______2. Isaac Asimov ______3. Erma Bombeck ______4. Walt Whitman ______5. Stephen King ______6. James Michener Column B A. History B. Horror C. Humor D. Mystery E. Poetry F. Science Fiction G. Tragedy

              A difficulty sometimes arises in finding sufficient homogeneous material. In Example 6, the content can readily be sorted into two categories with 3 items each. In other words, only three questions relate to inventors, so the student only has to know two of them to get all three correct. The same is true for the three artists.      

6.	Directions: On the line next to each accomplishment in Column A print the letter of the person in column B who is associated with that accomplishment. Each name in Column B can be used only once.

 

Colulmn A _____1. Discovered electricity _____2. Famous for composing waltz music _____3. Composed marches, such as the Stars & Stripes Forever _____4. Invented the telephone _____5. Wrote musical scores for broadway shows ColumnB A.ThomasEdison B.BenjaminFranklin C.GeorgeGershwin D. Louis Pasteur E. JohnPhillipSousa F. Johann Strauss

      Variation     Example 7 shows one variation using a short list of answers, each with a capital letter designation, positioned above a set of items. Each question can be answered by using one (or sometimes more than one if this is specified in the directions) of the answers in the "key" which you have provided. The letter designating the correct response is printed in the blank beside the item.      

7.	Directions: Listed below are some objectives. In the blank beside each objective, specify the most appropriate type of assessment by placing the letter of the assessment type in the blank beside the objective.

 

Assessment types: A. Essay B. Performance Assessment (portfolio, presentation, project, etc.) C. Traditional paper and pencil test (true false, multiple choice, etc.)

 

_____1. Students will be able to construct a fluxty. _____2. Students will know the six rules for effluding ixons. _____3. Students will be able to explain to parents how their fluxty operates. _____4. Students be able to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the various types of zibixs.

     

Some tips for making matching test

 

*	Check your objectives to make sure this type of question is appropriate.

		Include more responses than premises OR allow responses to be used more than once.
	*	Put the items with more words in Column A
	*	Arrange items in Column B in either a logical or natural order or alphabetically if there is no apparent organizational basis.

*	Use numbers to identify items in Column A, capital letters to identify responses in Column B.
*	Correct answers should not be obvious to those who don't know the content being taught.
*	Do NOT list premises in the same order as responses, and there should NOT be a pattern in the correct answers.
*	There should NOT be keywords appearing in both a premise and response providing a clue to the correct answer.
*	The items should all be part of a common set. It should NOT be possible to subdivide the premises and responses into two or more discrete subsets.
*	All of the responses and premises for a matching item should appear on the same page.
*	Directions to the students should explain how many times responses can be used.