Article

A Practical Comparison of Selected Methods of Evaluating Multiple-Choice Options through Classical Item Analysis

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Abstract

The main objective of the article is to compare several methods of evaluating multiple-choice options through classical item analysis. The methods subjected to examination include the tabulation of choice distribution, the interpretation of trace lines, the point-biserial correlation, the categorical analysis of trace lines, and the investigation of choice means. The comparison was performed on the basis of a data set created at the pre-operational stage of developing a test of English as a foreign language for teenage learners. The main analysis of a pool of 910 multiple-choice pilot items was carried out in Excel, which was found to be a versatile tool allowing for the application of user-defined formulas and convenient manipulation of the data. It was found that the methods differed in terms of their stringency in rejecting malfunctioning items, with the chi-square test operating in the most rigorous manner. The study also revealed that some of the evaluation methods had a similar effect on item selection, which suggests that it may not be necessary to apply all of them to multiple-choice item analysis.

Keywords: multiple-choice option performance, distractor efficiency, classical item analysis

How to Cite:

Malec, W., (2020) “A Practical Comparison of Selected Methods of Evaluating Multiple-Choice Options through Classical Item Analysis”, Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation 25(1): 7. doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/16672464