Implications of Changing Answers on Objective Test Items

Abstract

Over the past fifty years a number of researchers have studied the implications of answer changing on objective test items. The primary concern has been whether, in administering achievement tests, students should be advised to "go with their first impression," or to change answers after deliberation if they feel their initial response is incorrect. In other words, when students change answers do they, on the average, gain more or lose more points? These studies have also surveyed student opinion regarding the value of answer changing, tabulated the incidence of answer changing, and looked at the relationships of level of achievement, sex, number of answers changed, and various items characteristics to net gain or loss resulting from changing answers. This paper is a review and synthesis of the findings from these studies.

Computer-based Testing and Validity: a look back into the future

“…Mueller and Wasser concluded that students throughout the total test score distribution gain more than they lose by changing answers, although higher scoring students tend to gain more than do lower scoring students. And when total test score is controlled for, there appears to be no difference in score gain between genders (Mueller & Wasser, 1977). Such findings suggest that item review is an important test-taking strategy that has a positive effect on examinee performance.…”

“…Summarising this body of research, Mueller and Wasser (1977) report gain-to-loss ratios for multiple-choice items range from 2.3Ϻ1 to 5.3Ϻ1. These findings indicate that for every one answer change that results in an incorrect response, there are over two, and in some cases over five, answer changes that result in correct responses.…”

The instinct fallacy: the metacognition of answering and revising during college exams

“…When past researchers have attempted to determine the reasons behind and benefits of revising, the results were murky at best (Benjamin et al 1984;Crawford 1928;Crocker and Benson 1980;Foote and Belinky 1972;Geiger 1996;Harvil and Davis 1997;Higham and Gerrard 2005;McMorris et al 1987;Mueller and Wasser 1977;Revuelta et al 2003;Shatz and Best 1987;Vispoel 1998Vispoel , 2000Vuk and Morse 2012). Shatz and Best (1987) found that changing an answer because it had originally been a guess -the most cognitively important change -was not nearly as beneficial as changing because of simple reasons such as misreading the question or accidentally marking the wrong choice.…”

Examining the effects of stereotype threat on test-taking behaviors

“…In particular, there is research examining the impact of response changes on test performance (see Benjamin et al 1984;Mueller and Wasser 1977). For example, Geiger (1991) found that changing one's response led to score gains of 3 points on average and that students underestimate the benefit of changing responses.…”

“…In this study, we examine the impact of stereotype threat on response choice behaviors (e.g., changing answers) and time management behaviors (e.g., amount of time spent per item). There is research showing these behaviors impact test performance (e.g., Geiger 1991;Mueller and Wasser 1977). The low level of research in this area is unfortunate, because stereotype threat may produce a difference in test-taking behaviors which, in turn, likely play a role in the performance differences on the total test scores.…”