FTCE Physical Education K-12 Practice Test

Which of the following is NOT typically a component of objective tests?

1. Short written responses

2. Essay prompts

3. True/False questions

4. Matching items

The correct answer is: Essay prompts

Objective tests are designed to assess knowledge or understanding through formats that have a clear right or wrong answer, minimizing the subjectivity in grading. This type of assessment primarily includes formats such as True/False questions, matching items, and multiple-choice questions. Short written responses, while they may appear structured, often require some level of subjective judgment from the person grading them, making them less consistent with the objective nature of these assessments. Essay prompts, in particular, demand students to express their ideas in a detailed and expansive way. This format not only allows for subjective interpretation but also requires extensive writing, critical thinking, and organization, which contrasts sharply with the rapid and straightforward nature of objective questioning. In contrast, both True/False questions and matching items provide a clear answer for each item, making them ideal for objective testing. The focus on straightforward responses allows these formats to be graded quickly and uniformly, thereby aligning them with the goals of an objective test. Therefore, the emphasis of objective tests on having definitive answers distinguishes them from the nuanced, and often multifaceted, formats found in essay prompts.