Overview

The Bow-tie question, used in the NCLEX nursing exam, is an effective way of assessing learners' understanding of the relationship between distinct elements, such as cause and effect or input and output. This Question type is supported on Long Term Support versions 2024.3.LTS and onward.

It allows learners to categorize a list of possible responses, in the form of words or images, into a bow-tie shaped table with a single central drop zone and four additional drop zones at the corners. 

Learners drop two possible responses from Column 1 into Area 1, one possible response from Column 2 into Area 2, and two possible responses from Column 3 into Area 3. 

Figure 1: Bow-tie question example.

Create a Question

Enter a question stem in the Compose Question box. Then, the names of each drop area can be specified using the text boxes under 'Response area titles.' The text box with the placeholder text 'Area 1' specifies the text for the 'Area 1' drop zones on the bow-tie. See Figure 1 and 2. 

Figure 2: Bow-tie basic parameters.

Under Response Groups 1, 2, and 3, enumerate the possible responses for each column. Pressing 'Add' adds another possible response whereas pressing the trash can icon will remove a response.

Figure 3: Defining possible responses for each column in bow-tie. 

An example of a fully authored bow-tie question is in Figure 4. The exterior columns must have at least two possible responses, and the interior column must have at least one. 

Figure 4: An example bow-tie question. 

Validation

Follow these steps in order to configure question validation:

• Insert a value in the Point(s) box to set up a mark for the question. The default value is 1.
• The Correct tab holds a list of possible responses to be classified into categories. To validate the question simply drag and drop responses into the correct category. Note that order (whether a correct response is in the top or bottom drop area) doesn't matter when validating a question: as long as the correct responses are chosen, they can be given in any order. See example in Figure 5.

 Figure 5: Validate area for Bow-tie.

Scoring

Scoring type menu can be found under More Options.

The following scoring types are available in Bow-tie questions:

• Exact Match -Learner must answer all parts of the question correctly to receive a mark. For example, if the question is worth 1 point, the learner must provide the exact correct answer to earn the point.
• Partial match Per Element - Each response element will be awarded an individual score. For example, each response element (or drop zone) could be worth 1 point. If a learner selects all but one correct response, they will earn 4 points.