Writing Multiple-Choice Test Questions

Multiple Choice Uses

  • Recognition of correct facts - For some of what is taught, it is only necessary that the student be able to recognize or pick out the correct answer.

  • Testing ability to discriminate or judge which of several choices is correct - We all spend most of our time making discriminations and choices. Most of all activity is but a matter of choosing the best of proper items, the tools to use, or selecting the best way to do a job.

  • Problems involving reasoning and judgment based on knowledge and presented situations, rather than memory for detailed facts

  • Rapid review of facts and principles

Advantages

  • Versatility in measuring all levels of cognitive ability

  • Highly reliable test scores

  • Scoring efficiency and accuracy

  • Objective measurement of student achievement or ability

  • Can sample a wide variety of content or objectives.

  • Reduced guessing factor when compared to true-false items

  • Different response alternatives which can provide diagnostic feedback.

Limitations

  • Difficult and time consuming to construct quality questions

  • Often lead an instructor to favor simple recall of facts.

  • Place a high degree of dependence on the student's reading ability and instructor's writing ability.

  • Are not useful when "showing your work"' is required.

  • Allow for guessing the correct answer as compared to essay/free-response items.

Parts of a Multiple Choice Test Item

General Rules

  • Minimize examinee reading time in phrasing each item.

  • Format the item vertically, not horizontally.

  • Avoid trick items, those which mislead or deceive examinees into answering incorrectly.

  • Base each item on a learning objective.

  • Distribute questions that represent the student’s ability to performs the full range of objectives; avoid bunching questions under only one or two objectives.

  • Keep the vocabulary consistent with the examinees' level of understanding

  • Avoid textbook, verbatim phrasing when developing items

  • Avoid cueing one item with another; keep items independent of one another

  • Avoid tie-ins and cross keying one item with another; answers to a question should not be dependent upon ability to answer a previous question correctly

  • Focus on a single problem

  • Use to measure higher level thinking.

  • Test for important or significant material; avoid trivial material.

  • Sequence questions in the order in which presented during instruction

  • Use at least four alternatives for each item to lower the probability of getting the item correct by guessing.

  • Randomly distribute the correct response among the alternative positions throughout the test having approximately the same proportion of alternatives a, b, c, d and e as the correct response.

  • Use the alternatives "none of the above" and "all of the above" sparingly. When used, such alternatives should occasionally be used as the correct response.

Stem Construction

This is where the problem is fully and clearly stated. Stems must stand alone so that students who know and understand the subject can answer the question or problem without looking at choices. Stems must present problems which require specialized knowledge for answering, not basic intelligence or general knowledge.

1) When possible, state the stem as a direct question or an incomplete statement (completion). Direct questions are preferred.

Desirable: How are alloys ordinarily produced?

Alloys are ordinarily produced by ...

2) When using the completion format, leave the blank for completion at the end of the stem (avoid incomplete stems.)

Undesirable: _______ is the study of reptiles and amphibians.

Desirable: The study of reptiles and amphibians is known as ______.

3) Present a definite, explicit and singular question or problem in the stem.

Undesirable: Psychology ...

Desirable: The science of mind and behavior is called...

4) Eliminate excessive verbiage or irrelevant information from the stem. Extraneous information may be included in the stem when selection of what is relevant is part of the problem.

Undesirable: While ironing her formal, Jane burned her hand accidently on the hot iron. This was due to a transfer of heat be ...

Desirable: Which of the following ways of heat transfer explains why Jane's hand was burned after she touched a hot iron?

5) Include in the stem any word(s) that might otherwise be repeated in each alternative.

Undesirable: In national elections in the United States the President is officially

a. chosen by the people.

b. chosen by members of Congress.

c. chosen by the House of Representatives.

*d. chosen by the Electoral College.

Desirable: In national elections in the United States the President is officially chosen by

a. the people.

b. members of Congress.

c. the House of Representatives.

*d. the Electoral college.


6) Avoid irrelevant clues such as grammatical structure, well known verbal associations or connections between stem and answer.

Undesirable: (grammatical clue)

A chain of islands is called an:

*a. archipelago.

b. peninsula.

c. continent.

d. isthmus.

7) Use negatively stated stems sparingly. When used, underline and/or capitalize the negative word.

Undesirable: Which of the following is not cited as an accomplishment of the Kennedy administration?

Desirable: Which of the following is NOT cited as an accomplishment of the Kennedy administration?

Options/Distractors Construction

  • Use as many options as are feasible; more options are desirable.

  • Place options in logical or numerical order.

  • Avoid specific determiners, as "never" and "always.”

  • Use the most common errors that are likely to result from misunderstanding or carelessness (e.g., forgets to convert from feet to yards).

  • Use familiar yet incorrect phrases as distracters.

  • Use true statements that do not correctly answer the item.

  • Avoid the use of humor when developing options.

  • Use distracters that are homogeneous and similar in content to the correct answer (e.g., all are Inventors).

1) Make all alternatives plausible and attractive to the less knowledgeable or skillful student.

2) Make the alternatives grammatically parallel with each other, and consistent with the stem.

Undesirable: What would do most to advance the application of atomic discoveries to medicine?

*a. Standardized techniques for treatment of patients.

b. Train the average doctor to apply radioactive treatments.

c. Remove the restriction on the use of radioactive substances.

d. Establishing hospitals staffed by highly trained radioactive therapy specialists.

Desirable: What would do most to advance the application of atomic discoveries to medicine?

*a. Development of standardized techniques for treatment of patients.

b. Training of the average doctor in application of radioactive treatments.

c. Removal of restriction on the use of radioactive substances.

d. Addition of trained radioactive therapy specialists to hospital staffs.


3) Make the alternatives mutually exclusive.

Undesirable: The daily minimum required amount of milk that a 10 year old child should drink is

a. 1-2 glasses.

*b. 2-3 glasses.

*c. 3-4 glasses.

d. at least 4 glasses.

Desirable: What is the daily minimum required amount of milk a 10 year old child should drink?

a. 1 glass.

b. 2 glasses.

*c. 3 glasses.

d. 4 glasses.


4) Make alternatives approximately equal in length.

Undesirable:

The most general cause of low individual incomes in the United States is

*a. lack of valuable productive services to sell.

b. unwillingness to work.

c. automation.

d. inflation.

Desirable:

What is the most general cause of low individual incomes in the United States?

*a. A lack of valuable productive services to sell.

b. The population's overall unwillingness to work.

c. The nation's increased reliance on automation.

d. an increasing national level of inflation.


myCourses/Blackboard Test Generators

There exist several free test generators that will create a myCourses/Blackboard test or pool file out of a text or MSWord document. These are third-party tools, not supported by Binghamton's ITS or Blackboard. Although these products are generally safe, users are cautioned to use at their own risk.

Once you have created the test or pool file, you can import this file into myCourses/Blackboard.

Resources