General Item Writing "Commandments"

• Thou shall not provide opaque directions to students regarding how to respond to your assessment instruments
  
  
  
• Thou shall not employ ambiguous statements in your assessment items
  
  
  
• Thou shall not provide students with unintentional clues regarding appropriate responses
  
  
  
• Thou shall not employ syntax in your assessment items
  
  
  
• Thou shall not use vocabulary that is more advanced than required

Source:
Popham, W. James (2002). Classroom assessment: What teachers need to know (3rd ed.). MA: Allyn & Bacon