CNE Evaluation Methods 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A faculty member finds that 80% of students chose the same wrong answer on an exam item. What is the MOST likely explanation?
- The item had high discrimination
- The distractor was too implausible
- There may be a flaw in the question or answer key (Correct answer)
- The item difficulty index was too low
Correct answer: There may be a flaw in the question or answer key
When a large proportion of students select the same incorrect option, it often signals an ambiguous stem, misleading option, or keying error.
Question 2: Which Bloom's Taxonomy level is being assessed when a student identifies the reason a nurse's action caused a medication error?
- Knowledge (Remember)
- Comprehension (Understand)
- Analysis (Analyze) (Correct answer)
- Synthesis (Create)
Correct answer: Analysis (Analyze)
Analysis requires breaking down a situation to identify cause-and-effect relationships, such as tracing why an error occurred.
Question 3: An educator is comparing student performance to a predetermined standard of mastery. This approach reflects which type of evaluation?
- Norm-referenced evaluation
- Criterion-referenced evaluation (Correct answer)
- Ipsative evaluation
- Portfolio evaluation
Correct answer: Criterion-referenced evaluation
Criterion-referenced evaluation measures student performance against a fixed standard rather than relative to peers.
Question 4: Which action best demonstrates the CNE using evaluation data for program improvement?
- Storing exam scores in the student record system
- Reviewing NCLEX pass rates to revise curriculum content areas (Correct answer)
- Using grades solely for GPA calculation
- Eliminating all failed exam items
Correct answer: Reviewing NCLEX pass rates to revise curriculum content areas
Analyzing NCLEX pass rates against curriculum content identifies gaps and guides evidence-based curricular revision.
Question 5: A faculty member wants to evaluate a student's growth over an entire semester. Which tool is MOST suitable?
- Single summative exam
- Portfolio assessment (Correct answer)
- One-time OSCE
- Multiple choice pretest
Correct answer: Portfolio assessment
Portfolios document and demonstrate learning progress and professional development across time, making them ideal for tracking growth.
Question 6: When calculating an item difficulty index (p-value) of 0.90 on a nursing exam, what should the educator conclude?
- The item has strong discriminating power
- The item is very difficult
- The item may be too easy and should be reviewed (Correct answer)
- The item effectively separates high and low performers
Correct answer: The item may be too easy and should be reviewed
A p-value of 0.90 means 90% of students answered correctly, indicating the item may be too easy to differentiate student learning levels.
Question 7: Which evaluation strategy is MOST consistent with competency-based nursing education?
- Norm-referenced grading on a curve
- Time-limited final exams only
- Demonstration of mastery at defined performance thresholds (Correct answer)
- Ranking students against class averages
Correct answer: Demonstration of mastery at defined performance thresholds
Competency-based education requires students to demonstrate specific skills and knowledge to a defined standard of mastery.
CNE Evaluation Methods 3
A faculty member finds that 80% of students chose the same wrong answer on an exam item.
What is the MOST likely explanation?