Answer the following questions by selecting the correct/most appropriate options.


Consider the test item given below and match the following:

Which of the following is not a reason that can be given to justify that the item is poorly constructed?

Correct option is A

The correct answer is (a) There are unequal entries in column A and B.
(a) There are unequal entries in column A and B: This is true. Column A has 6 entries, while Column B only has 5. Ideally, both columns should have the same number of entries for proper matching.
(b) The matching pairs can be easily guessed: This might be true depending on the difficulty level of the test, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. However, it's a concern if some pairs are trivially obvious while others are challenging.
(c) There is inconsistency among entries: This could be true if some terms don't belong or the formatting is inconsistent. However, in this case, the entries seem to be related to basic science concepts.
(d) For an entry in column A there are at most two plausible entries in column B: This isn't necessarily bad for a well-designed test. Ideally, there should be one clear match for each entry.
Unequal entries in the columns create an unfair advantage for the test taker because they can eliminate answer choices based on the number of options, not necessarily the knowledge of the material. This is why (a) is the best reason why the item is poorly constructed.