Question-Writing Criteria

It is important that LifeSmarts questions meet the criteria listed below so that questions are consistent and test students’ consumer knowledge and marketplace skills. When developing questions, please keep the following criteria in mind:

1. Questions test the core content subject areas (a complete list may be found in the LifeSmarts Coach’s Guide).

2. Questions should focus on products and services used by the majority of the young adult population, and issues and concerns of interest to young adults.  Questions test knowledge that is practical and useful to young adult consumers who are currently in high school but about to be faced with new consumer decisions, choices and resources. Drafting questions that are “practically useful” means having a positive impact on the young adult’s financial resources, health and safety, technology and the environment in which they live. Questions should only test “academic knowledge,” theories or concepts when relevant to the student’s role as a consumer.

3. Questions should avoid value judgments, should be free of any biases and not be company specific. Questions must also be national in scope and not specific to any area of the country or a particular state.

4. Questions should be a combination of multiple-choice and open-ended.

   a. Multiple-choice questions have only one correct answer. They are a good choice for questions that have several reasonable answers but only one correct answer. Multiple-choice LifeSmarts questions have four possible answers.

   b. Open-ended questions require students to come up with the answer on their own; no choices are provided. This format works well for terms, definitions, acronyms or phrases that you would like to turn into questions. This format also works well for an issue that has multiple effects, benefits, solutions or causes. We need many more open-ended questions than multiple choice questions.

5. True and False questions do not work for LifeSmarts.

6. There are three levels of questions: easy, moderate, and challenging.

7. Questions should be concise and written in simple language so that they are easily understood when read aloud. Questions should be no longer than 1-2 lines long.

8. Correct answers for each question must be provided. If there are multiple correct answers, provide all of them.

9. For each question developed, note the resource used.

10. Questions should be challenging but fair. Answers should reflect the content matter that is being tested and not be silly or off base.

11. Questions may be written to test varying levels of consumer understanding. Examples are provided in the LifeSmarts Question Format Chart.