Across
- 3. Answer options that together are inconsistent, as when one or more of an item’s answer options stand apart from the others in terms of length, specificity, or classification.
- 5. A distractor that stands out as being unrealistic given the scenario. All answer options should be attractive in some way so that all are chosen by at least some test takers.
- 7. An item that can be answered by reading only the lead-in, rendering the scenario unnecessary; often a less challenging, basic recall item.
- 8. A strategy test takers can use when answer options include multiple elements, since the answer option with the most elements in common with the other answer options may indicate the key.
- 10. An item that requires test takers to simply recall, rather than apply, knowledge to a specific context; a lower-order thought process on Bloom’s taxonomy.
Down
- 1. An item that is not challenging enough for a given exam; if an item can be answered using common sense, it is probably too easy. It may help to consider the predicted the item’s statistics—if you think that 90% or more of test takers will answer the item correctly, it is probably too easy and should be revised.
- 2. Terms that appear in both the stem and the answer key.
- 4. A phrase that is frequently associated with a specific diagnosis; can be used as a clue to an item’s answer key.
- 6. Two answer options that are visually or logically similar, or even direct opposites, compared to the other answer options; one of the two paired options is usually the key.
- 9. When an item stem that includes extraneous or explanatory information that test takers should already know or that provides additional detail that may help test takers answer the item in question or an item elsewhere in the exam.