Originally Posted by argodad (Post 704369)

I've been asked to serve on Florida's NFHS exam-writing committee for this year. As part of the process, I get to submit ten multiple choice questions to the question pool. :cool:

Shoot me your ideas, please! (Even you, HugotoFirst, and any other FL folks.)

Originally Posted by youngump (Post 704399)

This isn't really an answer to your question but more of a gripe. As someone who generally thinks that Umpire tests aren't very well structured, I'm not sure I'll be much help. But instead of the cryptic parsing challenges, I'd like to see multiple choice questions like these.
For all ten the choices are
a) Foul b) Do over c) Fair d) dead ball strike
1. The ball is lined off the bat into third base and then bounces into the dugout
2. The batter swings and is hit in the hand with the ball
3. The batter tries to dodge an errant pitch and the ball glances off the bat coming to rest on the plate
4. The batter swings and hits the ball into the foul pole
5. The batter swings and hits the ball; it comes to rest on the foul line
6. The batter swings and hits the ball, it hits between home first and the pitching plate then bounds between first and second and is first touched by a fielder in foul territory.

It'd be an easy test for anybody who knew the rules and a tough one for anybody who didn't. I'd make it no book and expect high scores.

Originally Posted by Inthegame (Post 704806)

Ok here goes -

a) dead ball, batter is out; b) dead ball, runner is out; c) just a ball d) dead ball on-deck batter is out

Runner on 2nd base
Pitcher pitches the ball - it hits her leg and rolls between 1st & home plate into foul territory
On deck batter picks up the ball and flips it to the umpire:eek:

Originally Posted by argodad (Post 704369)

I've been asked to serve on Florida's NFHS exam-writing committee for this year. As part of the process, I get to submit ten multiple choice questions to the question pool. :cool:

Shoot me your ideas, please! (Even you, HugotoFirst, and any other FL folks.)

Originally Posted by HugoTafurst (Post 705262)

Argo,
I'm not sure I have any incitful questions to add....But I sure would love to be on the committee that edits the actual wording.
I don't have the numbers, but it seems like every year, there are a few thrown out because they ended up being ambiguous...

Originally Posted by argodad (Post 705356)

Hugo,
I hope I can help that situation this year. We were each given part of the question data base with instructions to mark them with a #1 (good question), #2 (needs re-writing), or #3 (throw it out). In my section, I'm proposing about 1/3 of the questions be re-written -- and I've provided "cleaner and clearer" language.
I'll post again after the meeting Tuesday with my observations.

Originally Posted by CecilOne (Post 705381)

The main problem with the real NFHS test is questions with no correct answer or more than one correct answer.

Originally Posted by argodad (Post 705356)

Hugo,
I hope I can help that situation this year. We were each given part of the question data base with instructions to mark them with a #1 (good question), #2 (needs re-writing), or #3 (throw it out). In my section, I'm proposing about 1/3 of the questions be re-written -- and I've provided "cleaner and clearer" language.
I'll post again after the meeting Tuesday with my observations.

Originally Posted by RadioBlue (Post 704602)

I like those questions a lot. I might like to see a couple of them read more clearly, but the premise is solid, IMO. You could easily add:
7. The batter swings and hits the ball and subsequently drops the bat while running to first. With the bat in fair territory and not moving, the batted ball hits the bat.

8. The batter swings and hits the ball and subsequently drops the bat while running to first. With the bat in foul territory and not moving, the batted ball comes to rest against the bat.

How about this:

For each of the following, the choices are:

A) Dead ball-foul B) Live ball-strike C) Live ball-batter out D) Dead ball-strike.



1. On a 2-2 count, the batter swings and the ball goes sharply and directly from the bat to the catcher's glove where it is caught by the catcher.

2. On a 2-0 count, the batter swings and the ball goes sharply and directly from the bat to the catcher's glove where it is caught by the catcher.

3. On a 1-2 count, the batter swings and the ball goes sharply and directly to the catcher's mask where it falls to the catcher's glove and is caught by the catcher.

4. On a 1-0 count, the batter swings and makes contact with the pitch. The batted ball rises no higher than the batter's head and then falls where it is then caught by the catcher.

Originally Posted by Rich Ives (Post 705426)

Q1: Given the count, both b and c are correct. b is correct in that it's a strike. c is correct because the batter is out as it's strike 3.

Test writing isn't as easy as it would seem.

Originally Posted by Rich Ives (Post 705426)

Q1: Given the count, both b and c are correct. b is correct in that it's a strike. c is correct because the batter is out as it's strike 3.

Test writing isn't as easy as it would seem.

Originally Posted by argodad (Post 706877)

Five of us met at FHSAA headquarters on Tuesday. In 6.5 hours we reviewed the 2011 test question bank for Florida's HS umpires. We did our best to make sure the writing was clear and correct, corrected typos, updated rule references, and shared a couple of war stories. (You can't have 75+ years of softball experience locked in a room without spinning a few yarns.)

We also got to submit a total for 40 new multiple choice questions. Admittedly, some of those will challenge umpires.

So, including the 100 questions in the 2011 NFHS Part 1 (which we did not touch), there are >500 questions in Florida's question bank. When officials log in to take their exam, the computer will randomly select 50 questions for them. No two umpires get the same exam.

It is still possible to take a hard-copy written exam, but it costs extra, and most of would have to travel a long way to take it.

That's the way Florida tests, for better or worse.

Originally Posted by scottk_61 (Post 707169)

just curious, who else in working on the test with you?

Originally Posted by argodad (Post 708327)

There were five of us total, from different associations covering most of FL. I prefer not to post names. All of us met the pre-requisites (>10 years experience, >95 average on last three exams, FHSAA Rank 1).

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA (Post 708401)

WAIT A MINUTE!!! If you five understood the previous tests well enough to score a 95, are you sure you are the right people to "redo" the tests?;)

Originally Posted by HugoTafurst (Post 708410)

Not really, what happens in FL is that after the tests are over, they discover the confusing questions and throw them out.
;-)

Originally Posted by scottk_61 (Post 708432)

I miss Cecelia and the way she ran things, don't you?

Originally Posted by HugoTafurst (Post 708410)

Not really, what happens in FL is that after the tests are over, they discover the confusing questions and throw them out.
;-)

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA (Post 708646)

So, after the name, date and association, how many were left? :rolleyes:

Originally Posted by scottk_61 (Post 707169)

just curious, who else in working on the test with you?

Originally Posted by HugoTafurst (Post 730931)

I haven't taken it yet, but I'm hearing from several people in my association that grades are averaging lower than previous years.
I haven't verified it yet, just repeating gossip.

Originally Posted by HugoTafurst (Post 738829)

So Argodad...
Is there a final tally as to how many questions were thrown out?
Do you know how this compares to last year?

From a sampling of 14 people in our organization, I can see that at least 4 questions were tossed.....


Got any inside scoop?