RULES FOR WRITING MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS 
Design each item to measure an important learning outcome.
Present a single clearly formulated problem in the stem of the item.
Put as much of the wording as possible in the stem.
Eliminate unnecessary wordiness
Avoid negatively worded stems. "Which of the following is not.........."
Avoid textbook wording.
All options should be homogeneous.
All options should be plausible.
Put repeated words in the stem, not in the options
Punctuation should be consistent.
Make all options grammatically consistent with the stem of the item.
List options vertically or horizontally.
Order options logically.
Use the option "all of the above" sparingly.
Use the option "none of the above" sparingly.
RULES FOR WRITING TRUE-FALSE ITEMS
Make sure that the item is definitely true or false.
Avoid verbal clues (specific determiners) that indicate the answer.
Test important ideas rather than trivia.
Keep the word-length of true statements about the same as that of false statements.
Don’t present items in easily learned pattern.
Don't copy sentences directly from textbooks and other written materials.
RULES FOR WRITING COMPLETION ITEMS
State the item so that only a single, brief answer is possible.
Leave only one blank. This should relate to the main point of the statement.
Place the blanks at the end of the statement.
Word the items to avoid irrelevant clues or specific determiners.
Rules for Constructing Test Items
