Abstract

MEDINA, César  and  VELAZCO, Sandra. The role of chance in múltiple choice tests. Rev. enseñ. fís. [online]. 2021, vol.33, n.1, pp.41-50. ISSN 0326-7091.

A summary is presented about some important issues of evaluation as a fundamental stage of the educational process, highlighting its instrumental role which fits different purposes and versions. Some methodological aspects are discussed related to design and development of multiple-choice tests, emphasizing those connected with the need to reduce the probability of students passing by chance. In this respect, two strategies are discussed with mathematical detail: a) Negative scoring for wrong answers and b) Test design considering three crucial variables: the number of items, the number of options and the degree of demand. It is highlighted that increasing the number of items solely, not only does not reduce the probability of passing by chance, but even may raise it if the other two variables are not properly designed.

Keywords : Evaluation; Multiple Choice; Pass by Chance; Binomial Distribution.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )