Types of Test Item Formats 1.Make directions simple and include examples. 2.Type or print directions. Never use cursive. 3.Directions should be at the start of each test section. 4.Be certain students understand all directions. 5.Use a New York Times or Comic Sans FONT. True and False Tests 1.Avoid T/F tests whenever possible. 2.Never use double negatives. 3.Don’t use ‘trick’ words like: always, sometimes, none of the above, all of the above, sometimes, never, mostly, few, etc. 4.Have students circle the words ‘True’ or ‘False’ rather than writing ‘T’ or ‘F’. 5.Avoid wordy questions. Essay Tests 1.Give students a choice. More than one essay question per test. 2.Ask or give explicit directions, questions, etc. 3.Question and answer should be on the same page. 4.Provide lined paper for answers. 5.Provide a word bank. Multiple Choice Tests 1.Ask questions in complete sentences. 2.Align questions and options vertically. 3.Limit the number of options to no more than three. 4.Circle the correct answer rather than filling in the blank. Fill-In-The Blank Tests 1.Don’t count off for spelling. Allow students to underline the word/s that they suspect are incorrect, or provide a word bank. 2.The length of the line should mirror the length of the answer. There are ____ days in a year. The first president of the United States was _______________________. George W. Bush is the ________________ of the United States. 3.The blank should be near the end of the question. 4.(Students need a “trigger” word to get them started) Matching Tests 1.Avoid having students draw lines to connect the matches. 2.Place the longer part of the match on the left, the short answers on the right. 3.Do not list more than one match for each question. 4.Color-code the matches. 5.Keep all matches on the same page. 6.Match by categories. Provide a line or spacing to divide the categories