Item Writing Guidelines
1. The stem should be meaningful in and of itself and present a definite problem. A poor stem is:
The Middle Ages:
A. Saw the rise and fall of the Roman Empire and many literary and cultural changes.
B. Is the period of European history that lasted from about 350 A.D. to 1450 A.D.
C. Ended drastically with the beginning of the Renaissance period of European history.
D. Was when universities and cities first began to take their current modern form.
A better stem is:
The period of European history that lasts from about 350 A.D. to 1450 A.D. is known as the:
A. Middle Ages.
B. Black Death.
C. Renaissance.
D. Reformation