How to Set Up University Examination Question Papers? Learn Tips and Tricks to Include Questions Optimizely- What and How?

Abstract:

Like planning of activities, setting of questions also needs proper planning. To have a good set of questions one needs to follow SMART Methods. The word SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Written examination is a conventional yet universal tool to evaluate the student's performance in a subject area, where the required cognitive ability is defined through items such as learning outcomes. Whether or not the written examination is able to assess the student's ability very much depends on the questions presented in the examination paper. A good and reasonable examination paper must consist of various difficulty levels to accommodate the different capabilities of students.

Setting an exam paper doesn’t have to be stressful. A planned and detailed approach simplifies the task and enhances the quality of the exam. 

This article outlines the following informative Tools and Techniques on how to set an exam paper that aligns with the objectives and purpose of the test. 

Keywords: Questions, Answers, Setting up, Examination, Students, Teacher

Outlines of the Article

After undergoing this article you will be able to understand the following:

1. Introduction

2. What's the Objectives of the Questions Setting up? 

3. What are the attributes of Good Question Paper?

4. What are the types of Questions in an Exam Paper ?

5. What's the Mode of Examination ?

6. How to Set a Good Exam Paper?

7. Conclusions

8. Frequently Asked Questions

So let's explore...

1. Introduction

Examinations are stressful for everyone, they are either teacher, students, administrator or the evaluator. If parents and students focus on the writing part, teachers are responsible for setting the ‘right’ exam paper. Various elements come into play at this stage. Setting the exam paper is a strenuous and time-consuming task for teachers. They have to be thorough and ensure that the exam paper aligns with the purpose/ reason for testing the students. The question paper setter and evaluator should fulfill their assignment with great honesty, dedication, integrity and seriousness.

The means of evaluation of students in our country is based on their performances in exams. A question paper is the basic tool used in an examination.

Sometimes, question papers are under debate for their levels of toughness and lengthy content. The works of question paper setting and evaluation become more important, particularly when students come from different educational backgrounds and boards.

2. What's the Objectives of the Questions Paper Setting up?

Luckily, advancements in technology and Educational tools help teachers set the exam paper in less time. Artificial intelligence-based tools assist teachers in creating the exam paper and customizing it within minutes. But what makes a good exam paper? How to create an exam paper that helps assess the skills and knowledge of the students? 

Looking at it objectively

#Tests are conducted to asses students’ knowledge in a subject, grading them, to give admission to higher education, placements, scholarships etc. 

# Hence, a question paper must be set in a way that can measure the change in the level of students’ knowledge in a particular subject. Therefore, a good amount of care and caution is necessary for setting question papers. 

The types of question papers differ with the objective of the examination. For example, in competitive examinations, the question paper is set with the objective of screening the candidates and choosing the right ones for a particular course or job. But in an university examination, the objective is to assess the knowledge acquired by the students during the course.

It may sound hard to believe, but every question paper does have certain common objectives, no matter what their purposes are. 

3. What are the attributes of a good question paper?

Before we go into detail about the ways to set an exam paper, we’ll first understand the attributes of a good question paper. The results of an exam depending on the test paper as well as the students’ abilities. 

The following are the attributes of a good question paper 

#Clarity 

Are the questions readable? The results of the test should not change based on who the tester or scorer is but based on who takes the exam. 

#Understandability 

How easy or difficult are the questions to understand? A student can provide an answer only when they understand what the question means.

The questions need to be specific and not vague. 

#Relevance 

The question might have been taken from the syllabus but is it relevant in the overall context of the exam? 

Does it test the students’ memory, skills, or knowledge? 

#Objectivity and Scope 

An exam paper needs to be objective and free of personal bias. The questions should not target or attack a group, community, culture, or ethnicity. 

Similarly, the scope of the questions needs to be defined for the student to know how much to answer. 

#Purpose or Intent 

What is the purpose of the exam? Do you want to test the student’s memory? Do you want to test their ability to work things on their own? 

#Thought Stimulation 

The questions have to stimulate and make students think. They shouldn’t lead the student to assume or be biased but should nudge them to consider all alternatives and write their opinions. 

#Limiting the Focus 

An exam paper has multiple questions to cover the vast syllabus and test the students’ abilities in different ways. It’s important to not overuse a question and make it multi-dimensional. Let a question focus on one aspect while another question deals with a different aspect. 

#Consistency. 

Students should achieve similar if the exam were taken again.

#Validity. 

Your questions need to relate to your course content and your learning goals

#Realistic expectations. 

Not all students have the ability to answer the hardest questions all the time. Your exams should have a variety of questions that test multiple skill levels.

#Give Appropriate Time. 

Your students should have plenty of time to complete the exam.

#Use of multiple question types. 

Different students are better at different types of questions. In order to allow all students to demonstrate their abilities, exams should include a variety of question types so that students have multiple ways to achieve marks.

#Offer multiple ways to obtain full marks. 

Exams can be highly stressful and artificial ways to demonstrate knowledge.

In recognition of this, you may want to provide questions that allow multiple ways to obtain full marks. For example, ask students to list five of the seven benefits of multiple-choice questions.

#Free from bias. 

Don't assume your students understand or have viewed the same pop culture, or have been exposed to the same slang as you. 

Use language that is free from bias and easy to understand by all students.

#Demanding. 

Challenge your students with authentic questions that test their skill, but do not make the test too easy.Taking exams can be a daunting experience, but with the right preparation and mindset, you can overcome any challenge. We hope our advice in this blog post will help you succeed during your upcoming exams.

#Easy to understand marking criteria. 

Have your students received feedback from you on assignments, class discussion, etc., so they know what to expect on the exam? Have you clearly stated to students what is expected of them on the exam?

#Accessible to adaptive technologies 

For students with physical or learning disabilities, exams must be amenable to adaptive technologies such as screen readers or screen magnifiers.

If you do need to make accommodations for a student in your class, you can do so by contacting the Accommodated Learning Centre .

#Provide progressive structure. Your exam should open with some easier questions and progressively get more challenging. There are two reasons for this. It allows students to answer a variety of question types, and also allows them to use the exam to build confidence as they move to more challenging questions.

4. What are the types of Questions in an Exam Paper 

It’s up to the teachers to decide the type of questions you want to include in the test paper. Should the exam paper include objective questions, or should it be descriptive? Maybe a combination of both for a balanced assessment. 

The types of Questions may be following:

# Multiple Choice 

MCQ is a question with three to four choices, where only one of them is the correct answer. These questions can be quickly answered but can also be a little confusing, based on the difficulty level. Rephrase sentences from the textbook and structure them clearly to avoid being vague. 

Some AI-based question generator tools allow you to create MCQs and assign scores for correct answers in advance. It also allows you to provide instant feedback to students with reference links for them to learn and understand. 

#True or False 

A compound statement is made, and the student has to determine if it is correct or incorrect. This question can only have two answers. Students can guess the answer and have a 50% probability of getting it right. 

Don’t make the sentences too complex. Double negatives can be misleading. Keep the statements uni-dimensional and stick to one theme. 

#Fill Ups 

Filling the blanks can also be termed a short answer type of question. These questions have only one correct answer and are easy to complete in less time. A single question can have more than one blank, though it is recommended to not add beyond four blanks. 

Don’t take out too many words as it makes the question vague and difficult to understand. You can include a prompt at the end of the question by providing two or three options to choose the best fit. 

#Matching 

Matching questions are easy enough to answer though they can be a little time-consuming compared to the previous two types of questions. The questions should be short and to the point. Provide clear instructions about how to match the columns. Don’t ask more than five or ten matching questions. They should all fit on one side of the paper. 

#Essay or Descriptive 

Descriptive questions require moderate to long answers for a question. These questions take the most time and test the memory, comprehension abilities, and knowledge of the students. 

Students have to think, analyze, and answer the question. Make the intent clear by using words such as compare, contrast, describe, explain, etc. Word the question as clearly as possible. Suggest the number of words or lines you want the answer to be. Descriptive questions can be complex or simple. 

5. Mode of Examination 

The exams can be conducted online or offline. 

You can create the test paper using the tools and print the questions for an offline exam. A few edtech platforms allow you to create the test paper and conduct the exam online. 

You can track each student’s details (device information, IP address, time taken for the exam, location, questions left unanswered, etc.) to maintain a proper record of the test. 

#Online Examination - What and How?

Online exams are a method of testing students’ knowledge and capabilities in a remote environment using an online medium with the help of a laptop/mobile and the internet. The students can attempt exams in an online portal and the window closes once the exam is submitted by them.

Online Examination System is technologically advanced software that simplifies examination activities in institutes such as defining exam timers, exam patterns with question banks, objective/ subjective question sections, conducting exams remotely in a paperless manner.

#Offline Exam - What and How?

The offline exam is the traditional way of conducting tests with offline question paper and OMR based answer sheets. Students are provided with the complete questions in the form of question papers and a OMR answer sheet for marking the answer. There are also many offline exams which are descriptive in nature where students need to solve the questions to arrive at a solution or questions which need descriptive, theoretical or essay as the answer. Offline exams are mostly prevalent in testing where the answer has to be essay type or descriptive in nature as questions in online exams are Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs).

Most competitive exams, exams of admission in India are swiftly shifting to the online exam because of the many benefits of online testing. In near future, it would not be a surprise if most exams would be conducted online rather than offline. The operational setup, cost of logistics and administration are one of the primary reasons behind moving to the online exam. Also, the cases of question paper leaks, safety and security of questions are one of the big issues in offline exams.

6. How to Set Up a Good Exam Paper?

Effective exam items provide an accurate demonstration of what students know, and they also support fair and equitable testing. To get the most out of your assessments, it’s important to write well-constructed exam items with every student in mind and then test item efficacy. 

Tips and Tricks for setting up good examination paper

Here are a few tips to write exam items that give you a true picture of how well your students are learning the material and how well your teaching strategies are working. Setting a good exam paper requires effort and understanding. Teachers have to consider a range of aspects such as the need for the test, the source, the duration, and the scoring system to ensure there is no bias, discrimination, or prejudice. Students should have equal opportunities to attempt the exam and prove their abilities. 

1). Plan and Establish the objectives of the test

It is always crucial to establish the ground rules first. What do you wish to achieve by conducting the exam? Make a list of aspects you want to assess. This list will help in creating the exam paper. The questions should align with what has been taught in the class and what you wish to assess. There should be no gap between the knowledge imparted and the knowledge being tested. 

2). Decide the Types of Questions  to be included 

The types of questions depend on your exam objectives. For example, MCQs cannot be used if you want to test the students’ abilities to explain their ideas in words or analyze a topic and share their ideas. Descriptive questions work best to get an insight into the student’s thought process. Similarly, true or false questions can be used to assess if the students have a clear idea about a topic and can differentiate between right and wrong. 

3). Completely Use Authentic and Validated References 

When you create a question paper from text, make sure to use authentic references which have already been shared with the students. Textbooks by another publisher cannot be used to create an exam paper when the students have been taught from different source material. 

4). Apply reliable Question Generation Platforms

Whether you want to conduct a surprise test or a full-fledged exam, using technology can save time, energy, and resources. There are various question generator platforms in the market that help you create an exam paper in just a few minutes. Moreover, you retain control over the process and can make the necessary changes to the question paper before finalizing it. 

5). Proof Read, Edit and Finalize the Exam Paper 

It’s crucial to edit the exam paper before you finalize it. Get the test paper assessed by another teacher to confirm that it is clear, concise, and free of bias. It doesn’t matter if you used the traditional method or relied on technology to set the paper. A round or two of editing is a must to ensure there are no errors. Most question generator tools allow you to edit the questions automatically created for the input text. 

6). Objectives of Answering must be clear on Instructions given 

Mention the instructions at the top of the exam paper. Be clear, precise, and specific. List the dos and don’ts in neat order and explain what you expect from the students taking the exam. Write the instructions in short and simple sentences. Avoid complex terminology. 

7). Set the questions according to Exam Duration accurately 

You need to set the duration for the exam after finalizing the paper. Determine the number of questions, their complexity, and the time taken to answer the short and long questions. Though exams test the students’ ability to perform in a limited time, remember that it also creates pressure that leads to mistakes and stress attacks. An effective way to set the exam duration is by taking the test yourself along with another teacher. 

8). Develop Best  Scoring and Easy Understanding System 

How do you plan to assess the exam papers? Have you allotted marks for each question? Do the marks match the question in terms of ease of answering, duration, and length? Each question can have a different score to further detail the exam paper. 

For example, an MCQ in a Mathematics exam might require the student to solve the question before choosing the correct answer. This requires more time and can have a higher score. Descriptive questions are marked higher than objective questions. 

9). Use Blooms Taxonomy 

Bloom’s consists of six levels of cognitive understanding. From the lowest to highest order, these are:

#Knowledge

#Comprehension

#Application

#Analysis

#Synthesis

#Evaluation

As you move up the ladder from “Knowledge” to “Evaluation,” there is a gradual shift from objective to subjective exam items. 

To get the most out of your assessments, it’s important to write well-constructed exam items with every student in mind and then test item efficacy.

10). Conduct the Examination as per Guidelines 

The last step is to conduct the exam either online or offline as per the guidelines of the educational institution. You can use the same exam software to automate assessments if the feature is provided by the platform. 

7. Conclusions 

Most paper setters and evaluators prefer difficult questions and strict evaluation to make the process more stringent. The idea is also to identify intelligent candidates and curb copying, but what they fail to realise is that such difficult aspects might have a negative effect on students.

There have been instances when due to public outcry, the governing bodies of these examinations have created committees to suggest means and modes for providing relief to affected students. Thus, it is better to take pre-examination precautions in order to avoid post-examination chaos.

One of the major things one could do to improve the situation is to select paper setters and evaluators who have unquestionable integrity, a vast educational experience in the respective subjects and are genuinely, moderately authoritarian and think rationally.

8. Frequently Asked Questions 

Q. What's precautionary measures are to be taken by teachers?

A. Teachers, while setting question papers, should be careful about many important issues and not simply pick and choose some questions from the matters taught in the syllabus prescribed for the course.

Q. How many paper setting experts be included for a single subject?

A. Papers should be drawn from two to three paper setters and then a committee constituting educationists with the aforementioned qualities should decide on the final form of the question paper.

Q. Is guidelines mandatory for questions paper setting?

A. Guidelines for paper setters and line-wise evaluation criteria should be provided to evaluators with centralised paper checking with one question or part of it per evaluator. The question paper setter and evaluator should fulfill their assignment with great honesty, dedication, integrity and seriousness.

Before setting a question paper, every paper setter should put himself or herself in the shoes of the examinee and then frame the type, level and duration of the questions.

Q. What is considered as ideal toughness of the questions?

A. The toughness level of question paper should be such that 50% of it can be attempted by even an average student, 20% by good students and the rest 30% by intelligent students. Further, strict rules should be framed for evaluation of question papers at every level and there should be counter checks for question paper setting and evaluation.

In any case, the question paper setters should not challenge the existence of the examinee; rather they should motivate and help the examinee to express himself so that students do not lose faith in examination or education system in general.

Q  What are the common factors to be considered on the process of questions paper setting up?

A. One must remember that One rule doesn’t apply to everyone here, but there are certain common norms that can help teachers and evaluators, such as:

# The students are tested at the end of a semester or academic year to find out

the outcome of their learning in the classroom. 

#A good exam paper should be prepared to test them in all the areas of learning.

# The students are tested for their skills acquired in the classroom after the end of a semester or academic year. 

#The test should be comprehensive and they should be tested in all the topics they learned during the semester or year.

# Teachers should take adequate care and caution in setting a question paper and it is acquired through practice and experience over the years through trial and error method.