Abstract:

The study on item discrimination indices as a function of changes in English Language objective tests varieties and students ability parameters involved the reconstruction of an existing test instrument used as a tool for students placement into three different tests type; multiple choice, true/false, and matching test for the same sample of students but with the same content area was used for the study. The aim of the test was to generate data that would facilitate a close study of items with regards to their changes in the face of changing tests types. The test was merely converted without any attempt to change the difficulty or discrimination level. The research design adopted for this study was the survey inferential, it was conducted in seven Local Government Areas, located in the southern senatorial zone of Cross River State. The simple random sampling technique was used to select the schools, while the students record for each school were used as a basis for selection of students to participate in the tests. from the broad sheets, only the first twenty (20) each from each school were used. It was however, found that the discrimination power of objective tests items changes significantly as the items move from one objective test type to another. It was concluded that a well prepared objective test type irrespective of the type will give accurate measurement of behavioral patterns, again, it was recommended that in all cases however, the purpose of a test should determine the test type to be employed.

Keywords:

Discrimination indices, objective tests varieties and students ability parameter.