A completion type test item is a question or statement where students must fill in a blank with the correct word, number, symbol, or short phrase to complete the statement or answer the question.
In essence, completion items assess recall and knowledge of specific facts. They require students to retrieve information from memory rather than selecting from provided options, as in multiple-choice or true/false questions.
Here's a breakdown:
- Format: Typically presented as a sentence with one or more blanks.
- Objective: To test the student's ability to recall and provide specific information.
- Response: The student provides a word, number, symbol, or short phrase.
- Assessment: The answer is either right or wrong, making it relatively easy to score objectively.
Example:
- The capital of France is __________. (Answer: Paris)
Advantages of Completion Items:
- Easy to construct (although writing good completion items can be challenging).
- Reduced chance of guessing correctly compared to multiple-choice.
- Efficient for assessing factual knowledge.
Disadvantages of Completion Items:
- Can be difficult to score consistently if answers are not well-defined.
- May overemphasize factual recall over higher-order thinking skills.
- Can be susceptible to ambiguity if not carefully worded.
Best Practices for Writing Completion Items:
- Use clear and unambiguous language.
- Ensure only one correct or best answer exists.
- Place the blank towards the end of the sentence to avoid confusion.
- Avoid using clues in the sentence that give away the answer.
