Crafting a meaningful high school history test assessment should have as a primary goal student mastery of key concepts supported by relevant facts. This, however, seldom happens. In too many class rooms the temptation to take the “easy route” dominates and tests become nothing more than multiple choice questions that in many cases ask for the memorization of often obscure and irrelevant facts. Students “cram” for the test, forgetting most of the information within hours of the test, and have no opportunity to “connect the dots” within the scope of conceptual learning.
Multiple Choice Tests in History Assessment
While there is room for multiple choice testing, such as rigorous preparation for the Advanced Placement examination or other standardized testing instruments, in most cases the practice should be discouraged. Text book publishers usually provide computerized test banks that are loaded with hundreds of objective questions. Teachers pressed for time print a number of test variations in minutes and grade them using bubble sheets. There is not much opportunity to evaluate the validity of all questions.
