Writing Better Multiple Choice
Quiz Questions, Part 3
This month we’ll conclude our discussion of writing better multiple choice questions. For parts 1 and 2 of this discussion, in which specific types of multiple choice questions were discussed, please see the links in the gray panel to your right.
Remember the basic terminology of multiple choice questions: stem (the body of the question, which precedes all answer alternatives), answer alternatives (all the possible answers), and distractors (the wrong answers).
Here are some tips that apply to all the question types we’ve discussed in the previous two newsletters:
General
- Make sure that the questions are related to a course objective or instructional goal on the syllabus.
- Ask questions about important knowledge; avoid asking about trivia.
- Use plain, exact language in both questions and directions.
- Avoid trick questions.
- Avoid double negatives.
- Specify in the directions whether students should select the “correct” or “best” answer.
- Avoid the jargon unless the quiz tests understanding of these terms.
- Put as much as possible of the question in the stem; include words that would otherwise appear in each answer alternatives. This measure will keep the alternatives as short as possible.
- Do not include extraneous information in the stem; ask the question directly.
- Proof your test carefully to be sure that one question does not provide a clue to another.
- Use at five question alternatives: the correct answer and four distractors.
- Write your test on one day and review it on another day; do not skip this revision and editing phase.
Improving Stems
- Avoid negatives in the stem. If negatives must be used, bold or underline them.
- Avoid double stemmed questions, in which two questions are asked or implied.
- Make sure the grammar and syntax of the stem works with all answer alternatives, not only the correct answer.
- Use direct questions rather than incomplete statements in the stem when possible; direct statements are easier to read.
Improving Answer Alternatives
- Present the answer alternatives vertically, not horizontally, to make comprehension easier.
- Avoid absolutes, such as “always” or “never,’ in answer alternatives; they usually signal to students that these alternatives are wrong.
- Use common mistakes and widespread misperceptions for distractors; make all the alternatives reasonable choices to the student unsure of the correct answer.
- Avoid two distractors that are nearly identical; students usually realize that both are wrong.
- Avoid distractors such as “all of the above” or “none of the above.” Students usually realize that the test writer simply ran out of plausible alternatives at this point.
- Place alternatives in a logical or chronological order when possible.
Multiple choice questions are not always appropriate for assessing students’ mastery of the content in a specific course. If your course teaches “knowing how” vs. “knowing about” or constructing arguments, then other assessments may be more appropriate. We’ll discuss some of these methods next time.
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