STRATEGIC PROCESSING OF TEST QUESTIONS - THE TEST MARKING RESPONSES OF COLLEGE-STUDENTS

Students' strategies for answering multiple-choice questions were inve stigated by analyzing the marks students spontaneously made on the tes t booklets. Among 227 undergraduate students, 60 students' test bookle ts were randomly selected. Inspection of test booklets led to the iden tification of six marking categories: answer indication marks, option elimination marks, key term marks, selective item marks, elaboration a nnotation marks, and answer change marks. Results indicated that 95% o f students made one or more marks. Students' test scores were related to option elimination marks, and use of marking strategies increased a s items became more difficult. The results suggest that the marks stud ents make while taking a test may provide a valuable window on their u nderlying strategies.