Teaching Prepared by Caroline W. Ndirangu

OBJECTIVE TESTS
Characteristics
•  Objective tests require a learner to fill in a short answer, of one or two 
words, or choose among several available alternatives. 
•  Objective tests have more questions, and they take less time to answer 
than essay questions. Further, objective tests are in many ways more 
reliable.
•  The quality of an objective test depends mainly on the skill of the per-
son  constructing the test. 
•  Objective tests are difficult and time consuming to prepare.
•  Objective tests permit guessing. When blind guessing occurs in an ob-
jective test, it is not likely to result in a significant change in a student’s 
position with respect to the standard he is expected to achieve.