This session was held on Thursday, September 16, 2021
Corina Owens from Alpine Testing Solutions presented: Making the Switch From 4-Option to 3-Option Multiple Choice Items Without Pretesting: Case Study and Results.
Making the Switch From 4-Option to 3-Option Multiple Choice Items Without Pretesting: Case Study and Results
This session will explore the benefits of using 3-option multiple-choice (MC) items and explain how to convert 4-option MC items to 3-option MC items without re-pretesting the items. The session will include a discussion of when it is appropriate and beneficial to make the switch, decisions required to make the switch, and a conceptual discussion on how to psychometrically convert the 4-option items to 3-option items and use them as operational items without pretesting them first.
Q&A with Corina Owens
Why is this topic important to the IT certification industry?
Many credentialing exams contain standard 4-option multiple-choice (4-MC) items. However, item writers often struggle to develop a plausible third distractor. Three-option MC (3-MC) items may help solve this problem but pre-testing these new item types may not be a feasible solution. Therefore, gaining an understanding of, conceptually, how to psychometrically convert 4-MC items to 3-MC items without re-pretesting all items could prove useful for certification programs.
What key takeaway do you hope attendees learn or implement based on your presentation?
- Understand when it is appropriate to use 3-option multiple choice items
- Understand (at a high level) how to convert 4-option multiple choice items to 3-option multiple choice items without re-pretesting all items
About our Speaker
Director of IT Credentialing and Senior Psychometrician
Alpine Testing Solutions
Corina M. Owens is Director of IT Credentialing and Senior Psychometrician at Alpine Testing Solutions. Dr. Owens received her Ph.D. in Educational Research and Measurement from University of South Florida. She currently leads test development activities and provides psychometric consultations for both large and small information technology certification testing programs. She has published multiple peer reviewed articles and presented over 35 presentations and proceedings at both regional and national conferences.
