Differentiating between the interactions available for task CHOOSE

The following question is addressed in this section: if you want to construct a test question which presents your candidates with a CHOOSE task, how do you decide between the interactions available?  

The LANGUAGE differentiator

The main difference between the two interactions available for the sub-type CHOOSE is the way in which the possible responses are presented: for Choice interactions, they are presented in text form, whereas for Hotspot interactions they are presented using an image.

Indeed, when we plot the two interaction types on the LANGUAGE spectrum as follows:

We can see that they are located at opposite ends. This gives us an important indicator when choosing between the two main interactions for a particular test question of the type CHOOSE.

The GUIDANCE differentiator

Another potential difference - though less notable - is the number of choices typically offered in the two interactions: Choice interactions often present four options (as in the Luxembourg example shown in the previous section), though they are not limited to four. A Hotspot interaction, on the other hand, often presents candidates with more than four choices (as in the Versailles example in the previous section, where twelve options are presented). The number of choices in both interactions are flexible, but an image lends itself perhaps more easily to presenting more options. 

When we plot the two interaction types on the GUIDANCE spectrum as follows:

We can see that Choice generally offers slightly more guidance than Hotspot. This gives us another indicator when choosing between interactions for a particular test question of the type CHOOSE.

To sum up, the number of choices you wish to give your candidates may play a role in choosing between the two main interactions which are available for test questions of the type CHOOSE (with graphic interactions offering - in practice if not formally - a higher limit), but whether you want a language-based question or not is also likely to be an important factor in your choice of interaction.