Fill-in-the-Blank Items

Fill-in-the-blank items are assessment questions in which test takers must hand enter a response, rather than select from a list of predetermined answer choices. Generally, a sentence or paragraph is presented to the examinee with key components replaced by blank spaces where the student must fill in the response that completes the sentence. Fill-in-the-blank items are also known as cloze items or completion questions. With this item type, correct answers are generally limited in length such as a single number, word, or phrase. After an example of a basic fill-in-the-blank item format, the rest of this entry examines the potential benefits and drawbacks of utilizing this specific assessment question, reviews a variation of the item type, and highlights best practices for constructing fill-in-the-blank items.

The following is an example of a fill-in-the-blank item:

Fill-in-the-blank items may offer more authentic assessment of a domain or construct than traditional multiple-choice items because test takers must construct an answer, rather than choose from or possibly guess from a finite list of possible answer choices. Fill-in-the-bank items of this type may also be easier to construct than multiple-choice questions, as the question writer does not need to create adequate distractors or incorrect answer choices. However, they may be more time-consuming to score because fill-in-the-blank items are often scored by hand using a scoring guide or answer key. However, many computer-based testing software applications can score this item type automatically, especially when the answer is straightforward and clear and if all the acceptable answer formats are fully specified in the software. Another potential drawback to fill-in-the-blank items is they may take more time for students to answer than selected-response item types. Additionally, fill-in-the blank items may be best for assessing lower order skills such as recall because student answers are usually short.

A fairly common format for fill-in-the-blank items, especially in elementary and middle school classrooms, combines that approach with a matching format in which the student may choose from a list of options or a “word bank.” Following is an example of that format:

[Page 679]Fill-in-the-blank items with one acceptable answer are best. One correct answer chosen a priori increases validity, makes the question fairer to students, and tremendously reduces the subjectivity required for a teacher to score the answer. Reduced subjectivity increases the reliability of fill-in-the-blank items. Another best practice has to do with the blank itself. There should be just one; questions with many blanks are called swiss cheese items. Furthermore, the single blank should go at the end of the statement. This allows for more efficient “search strategies,” as students search their knowledge base for the right answer.

See also Essay Items; Matching Items; True–False Items