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Test of Testwiseness Berk, R. A. (1998). A humorous account of 10 multiple choice test-item flaws that clue testwise students. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 9 (2), 93-11. Available at: http://ject.lib.muohio.edu/articles/pdf-to-pdf.php?article=170. (No longer available without subscription.) DIRECTIONS: Each of the following test items contains at least one flaw. Use this flaw to help you choose the correct answer. You will be able to answer each item without any content knowledge. (Is that a dream come true, or what?) 1. Which synthetic fabric, chemically known as "polyacrylonitryl," was discontinued by DuPont? A. Dacron B. Acrylon C. Rayon D. Pylon E. Who cares? 2. Which of the following is an onomatopoeia? A. hiss B. fizz C. kerplunk D. kerplop E. all of the above 3. Which country in Eastern Europe has a chronic shortage of vowels? A. Saskatchewan B. South Dakota C. Bolivia D. Trskmykczstkygistan E. Nambia 4. A group of frogs is called an A. gaggle. B. army. C. pod. D. mob. 5. In the TV series The Incredible Hulk, when someone enraged Dr. David Banner, what did he say? A. "De plane! De plane!" B. "What ‘choo talkin’ ‘bout, Dudley?" C. "I’ve got dandruff older than you!" D. "Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry." E. "Y’all come back now, ya hear?" 6. Who were the first two founding fathers to sign the Declaration of Independence? A. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson B. Benjamin Franklin and Tony Bennett C. Ronald Reagan and Thomas Jefferson D. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson E. Oscar Madison and Benjamin Franklin 7. Who was the only Angel to appear on the entire run of Charlie’s Angels? A. Jenna Elfman B. Jaclyn Smith C. Roma Downey D. Brandy E. Neve Campbell 8. Which of the following is a sign that you’re NOT young anymore? A. You attend an antique auction and several people bid on you. B. You play connect the dots on your liver spots. C. Getting the mail is one of the highlights of your day. D. You sprinkle tenderizer on your applesauce. E. You look both ways before crossing a room. 9. What is one of only two Disney cartoon movies in which both human parents are present and don’t die? A. Peter Pan B. Titanic C. Armageddon D. The Lion King E. Pulp Fiction 10. In a typical European city, there are A. always one big ole famous cathedral near the center. B. exactly six blocks of ritzy, overpriced "boutiques." C. two square miles of quaint, ancient cobblestone roads, called the "Old City." D. only one famous bridge that’s supposed to be romantic. E. one hill with a breathtaking view, always closed for repairs. Key to Test of Testwiseness By the way, here are the correct answers and the explanations of flaws for the Test of Testwiseness: Item Correct Answer Flaw Explanation 1. B Clang association between "polyacrylonitryl" in the stem and choice B. 2. E Any two correct answers, such as A and B or C and D, cue "all of the above." 3. D First verbal association between "country" and A and B. Second verbal association between "country in Eastern Europe" and C and E. 4. B Grammatical clue "an" matches the only correct answer. 5. D Longest choice. Clang association between "enraged" in the stem and "angry" in the correct answer. 6. D Overlapping choices converge on the two most frequent names in the distracters. #9; Heterogeneous time periods of Bennett, Reagan, and Madison. Verbal association with "founding fathers" eliminates choices containing Bennett, Reagan, and Madison. 7. B Heterogeneous time period between the four contemporary t.v. actresses and the ‘80s actress, which is the correct answer. 8. C Grammatical structure of C is nonparallel with the other four choices. 9. A Verbal association between "cartoon" and three of the distracters reduces item to two choices, A and D. Verbal association between "human" and The Lion King eliminates D. 10. C Longest choice. Grammatical clue "are" eliminates choices A, D, and E. Clang association between "city" in stem and in answer. Absolute terms at the beginning of choices A, B, and D.
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