What is a characteristic of a subjective test item?

A characteristic of a subjective test item is that it has no single correct answer. Subjective tests are designed to assess a student's ability to express their thoughts, reasoning, or analysis on a particular topic or question. Since these tests often involve open-ended responses, such as essays or personal reflections, students can provide varied answers based on their understanding and perspective. This flexibility allows for a wider range of expression and the ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills.

In contrast, other formats like multiple choice, short answer, or matching pairs typically have predefined answers that the student must select or identify from given options. Therefore, the nature of subjective tests lies in their allowance for diverse responses that cannot be easily quantified or graded with a simple correct/incorrect measure.