Credit: Zimmaro, D.M. (2016, December 1). Writing good multiple-choice exams. The University of Texas at Austin Faculty Innovation Center.
A test blueprint is simply a chart that helps you organize and strategically distribute the types of questions you want to include about each topic and level of objective. Cognitive levels (from Bloom’s Taxonomy) are shown on the left side of the chart, and topics are listed across the top. Once these are in place, you can develop questions for each level of objective within each topic area, consider the distribution of questions, and adjust as necessary. “Total” columns, for the number and percentage of questions in each cognitive area and in each topic column, can also help you evaluate the overall balance of the assessment. A test blueprint can make developing and maintaining your assessment easier, and revising or adding questions to question banks can be guided by the blueprint.
Development of questions for higher order thinking categories can take time. Familiarity with the verbs and activities associated with each of Bloom’s levels can help (so can a learning designer!).
For instance, one of the verbs associated with the analysis category is “organize,” so an analysis-level question might ask students to consider a group of statements and organize them into a logical order, like this:
Question: If the tectonic forces that created Death Valley continue unchanged for millions of years, which of the following is the most likely outcome?
- Death Valley would continue to widen as the Earth's crust is pulled apart.
- The valley would fill with water and become a permanent lake as precipitation increases.
- The mountains around Death Valley would collapse inward, closing the valley.
- The tectonic forces would reverse, pushing the valley floor upward to form a plateau.
Answer: 1