The effect of correct response location on the difficulty level of multiple-choice questions

Abstract

The influence of position response sets on a multiple-choice achievement test was investigated. Data on 434 students were obtained from 4 alternate test forms of 100 items each. The arrangement of correct choices and distractors was randomized throughout the test by a scheme which allowed each position an equal number of correct choices. The correct choice for each item appeared in a different position on each of the forms. Results indicate that objective multiple-choice tests are relatively free of position preferences. With this type of test it appears that position response sets are negligible and certainly not a significant source of invalidity. It is suggested that the position of the most plausible distractor more logically accounts for any significant response bias than does a position preference. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)