Option list questions in (digital) assessments: what is it and how do you use it?

There are many question types to choose from in (digital) assessment. Option list questions are one example. How do option list questions differ from other question types? And what are possible applications and examples?

What is a option list question?

A option list question is a closed question type that requires the candidate to choose from predetermined answer options. The uniqueness of option list questions is that they can be included in a text excerpt. Here, the candidate must choose the correct answers from various pull-down menus. This is an excellent way to evaluate candidate knowledge. A good example that can be measured excellently via a option list question is English language skills, as you can easily place different interrelated sentence structures after each other example and score distribution of a option list question

An example of a option list question is shown below:

Option list question

Optimum Assessment is your partner in digital assessment. It has an office in [Option List 1] and has a testing platform called [Option List 2]. This platform consists of [Option List 3] modules.

Answer options here may include:

Option List 1:

• Oisterwijk
• Oosterhout
• Oostende

Option list 2:

• Optimum Platform
• Optimum Assessment Platform
• Optimum Assessment Platform

Option list 3:

• 1
• 5
• 9

Score distribution:

One possible score distribution is that a correct answer to a option list gives 1 point. The candidate can earn 3 marks in the above question in that case.

Advantages of option list questions

– Quick assessment: Answers to option list questions are fixed in advance. Digital testing software allows you to assess these results quickly and fully automatically.

• Objective assessment: Option list questions offer a closed, objective way of assessment. This is because there is no assessor interpretation. Just make sure you have the answer options determined by content experts! Also read: how to create a good test.
• Easy to complete: Option list questions are very straightforward for the candidate. The question is presented, and only one answer must be chosen from the given options.
• Flexible knowledge testing: Option list questions can be used in various ways. Think of a question in the middle of a sentence. By using the right question types, you can ensure an optimal assessment experience.

Disadvantages of option list questions

A option list question also has its disadvantages for the testing organization. We name a few here:

• More difficult to construct: a option list question often has several questions that are asked one after the other in a short text fragment. This means that the questions may be interdependent or even tangential. Again, this requires the proper test technique knowledge to shape this correctly.
• Not suitable for every test: Option list questions focus on establishing factual knowledge. They offer less insight into more complex concepts and processes. Use open-ended question types for this, for example.
• Limited answer options: Option list questions have only a limited number of predetermined answer options.

Tips for creating option list questions

You can keep some guidelines in mind when drafting option list questions.

• Only use the option list question if it adds something to your (digital) test. Otherwise, it is better to use the more common multiple-choice question (LINK).
• Offer neutral and objective answer options.
• Use supporting images and video material to make the question and test more attractive to the candidate.

Conclusion – option list questions in (digital) assessment

The option list question offers a strong additional option to measure candidates’ knowledge. The uniqueness of this question type is that you include it in an (existing) text fragment. This can provide unique added value when providing insight into specific types of knowledge. However, other question types are also suitable for this purpose in many cases, so make the right choice. Still, have questions? Our technical test consultants will be happy to help you find the best possible assessment experience. Feel free to contact us.