A Statistical Analysis of Infrequent Events on Multiple-Choice Tests That Indicate Probable Cheating

Michael J. Sundermann
Lone Star College–Montgomery, Conroe, TX 77384
J. Chem. Educ., 2008, 85 (4), p 568
DOI: 10.1021/ed085p568
Publication Date (Web): April 1, 2008

Abstract

A statistical analysis of multiple-choice answers is performed to identify anomalies that can be used as evidence of student cheating. The ratio of exact errors in common (EEIC: two students put the same wrong answer for a question) to differences (D: two students get different answers) was found to be a good indicator of cheating under a wide range of circumstances. The longest continuous streak of identical answers was also a good indicator of cheating, especially for short tests with a low class average. This article also discusses how to interpret the data for use in practical circumstances and discusses ways to prevent cheating.

Keywords (Audience):

First-Year Undergraduate / General

Keywords (Domain):

Chemical Education Research

Keywords (Feature):

Resources for Student Assessment

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Testing / Assessment

Keywords (Subject):

Administrative Issues
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History

  • Received: August 03, 2009

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