Effects of multiple-choice item-writing guideline utilization on item and student performance

ObjectiveTo measure differences in student performance on multiple-choice items based on multiple-choice item-writing guideline adherence and non-adherence.MethodsAll test items and item statistics for four examinations given in a single course were retrospectively analyzed for adherence to multiple-choice item-writing guidelines. Mean item difficulty and point biserial correlations were analyzed and compared between two scales: guideline-adherent and guideline-non-adherent items.ResultsOverall, 48.1% (n = 90) of items were classified as adherent and 51.8% (n = 97) as non-adherent. Of the 31 guidelines, 17 were breached. The majority of guideline deviations involved writing the choices. Mean difficulties between the two scales were 83.7% and 76.3% (p = 0.01) for adherent and non-adherent, respectively. Mean point biserial correlation were 0.242 (adherent) and 0.255 (non-adherent) (p = 0.6).ConclusionsBreaching multiple-choice writing guidelines may negatively affect student performance with no beneficial effects on item discrimination. Further research into this area is warranted.