1. Iterative Selection
Instructions for Test Takers, part 1 of 2:
Answer each question by selecting
the option that you think most closely
corresponds to the right answer.
If you get it wrong you can have a
second go, and then a third go if
necessary, or you can choose to give
up at any time.

2. Instructions for Test Takers, part 2 of 2:
Your mark will be +3, +1, -1 or -3
depending respectively on whether
you selected the right answer on your
1st, 2nd or 3rd attempt, or not at all.
If you give up then your mark will be
the average of the remaining available
marks.

3. Iterative selection yields more reliable
test scores compared with traditional
multiple-choice tests because:
1) it allows Test Takers to identify
their 2nd and 3rd choice options,
so it rewards those who have some
partial knowledge,
2) it discourages pure guesswork.

4. Iterative selection is also known as
“answer until correct”, which is quite
a self-explanatory name.
The marking scheme (+3, +1, -1 or -3)
discourages pure guesswork because
Test Takers are just as likely to lose
marks as to gain marks if they make
random selections.

5. Test Takers may also choose to give up
at any point, in which case their mark
will be the average of the remaining
available marks.
So if they give up after one incorrect
selection their mark will be -1; if they
give up after two incorrect selections
their mark will be -2.

6. Consider the following
multiple-choice
question.
Only one of the options
A, B, C and D is correct.
Most spiders have...
A) 2 wings
B) 4 legs
C) 6 ears
D) 8 eyes

7. Suppose that a
particular Test Taker
believes that options A
and B are both
incorrect.
In a traditional test Most spiders have...
they must then choose
either C or D, and they
will either get the A) 2 wings ✘
maximum mark or the
minimum mark for that B) 4 legs ✘
question, which could
be a minus mark if C) 6 ears ?
negative marking is
used. D) 8 eyes ?
(See our presentation
on negative marking for
a fuller explanation.)

8. In fact D is the right
answer, so their mark
will be +3 or +1.
If they select D first in
the belief that D seems
more likely to be Most spiders have...
correct than C, they
will be rewarded with
full marks. A) 2 wings ✘
However, if they believe B) 4 legs
that C is more likely to
✘
be correct then at
least they will get +1,
C) 6 ears ? ✘ +1
which seems fairer
than getting nothing,
D) 8 eyes ? ✔ +3
and much fairer than
getting a negative
mark! Score = +3 or +1

9. To conclude, here’s the third slide again...
Iterative selection yields more reliable
test scores compared with traditional
multiple-choice tests because:
1) it allows Test Takers to identify
their 2nd and 3rd choice options,
so it rewards those who have some
partial knowledge,
2) it discourages pure guesswork.

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