Statistics Test Questions: Content and Trends

This study presents the results of the analysis of a group of teacher-made test questions for statistics courses at the university level. Teachers were asked to submit tests they had used in their previous two semesters. Ninety-seven tests containing 978 questions were gathered and classified according to the SOLO taxonomy (Biggs & Collis, 1982) and to the definitions of statistical literacy, statistical reasoning and statistical thinking (delMas, Ooms, Garfield & Chance, 2007). Results suggest a strong preference for questions that address the evaluation of cognitive abilities in the lower levels of the taxonomies used. Reflections as to the implications of these results for the teaching and evaluation of statistics courses are presented.