How to write good Matching Questions

Matching questions consist of two columns, typically one column is on the left and one column is on the right. We will refer to the left side as 'Clues' and the right side as 'Matches'. The objective is to pair the clues on the left side with their matches on the right.

These can be created with using text on both sides or a mix of text with media, such as images, audio or video.

Also known as: Matching Test items, objective

Use Matching Questions to Assess:

Comprehension
Item association
Knowledge Recall
Organization Skills

Question Usage Ideas:

Terms and Definitions
Order of Operations
Element Symbol Match
Symbol assessments
Scenarios and Responses

Advantages of Matching Questions:

Great for users who have a lower reading level
Less chance for guessing than other question types
Can cover a large amount of content.
Easy to read
Easy to understand
Easy to grade on paper
Graded automatically online
More engaging for users

Disadvantages of Matching Questions:

Can take time to create questions
Disengaging for the user, if having to search through too many matches
Time consuming for user taking Tests, especially if Test is timed

Tips

Tips for creating Matching Questions

Keep clues (left side) short. This allows users to quickly view all options quickly.
Use more matches (right side) than there are clues, for more of a challenge.
Add clues (left side) in a logical order. Assists with finding answers more quickly.
Don't use too many items per question. You're testing the material, not search ability.
Add clear instructions
Keep matches (right side) plausible
Use less matching options for younger Test takers
Shuffle matches and clues

Become a ClassMarker Guru: Pro Tips

Matching Question Features in ClassMarker.com

You're a Pro if You Know:

You can add additional incorrect matches to make question more challenging
You can add text and multimedia into both clues and matches
You can set single points per question or points per each match
Shuffle mode allows you to shuffle matches, clues or both
The different grading styles available - full points, partial with deduction, partial without deduction
How to add custom feedback for both correct/incorrect answers
Matching Questions are automatically graded