Definition
In test item writing, stems are the introductory question, statement, or problem that a multiple-choice test item poses to the examinee. The stem presents the situation or asks the question, and the answer choices (alternatives) follow.
Plain English
The stem is the part of a test question that asks the question. It is what the student reads first, before looking at the answer choices.
Context Anchor
Seen in the Aviation Instructor’s Handbook when discussing how flight instructors write or evaluate test questions.
Derivation
From the everyday sense of 'stem' as the main stalk of a plant from which other parts grow. In a test item, the stem is the main part from which the answer choices branch.
Why Pilots Care
Instructors who write or review training tests need to recognize the stem as the part that must clearly and unambiguously pose the question, since a poorly written stem produces a poor test regardless of how good the answer choices are.
Intuition Check
Do not read stems here as plant stems or aircraft parts. In this instructor context, stems are the main wording of test questions.
Example Sentence 1
When reviewing the practice exam, the instructor noticed that several stems were worded so vaguely that students could not tell what was actually being asked.
Example Sentence 2
A precise stem helps ensure the test measures the student’s actual understanding of the material.