Rule #1: Test comprehension and critical thinking, not just recall Multiple choice questions are criticized

for testing the superficial recall of knowledge. You can go beyond this by asking learners to interpret facts, evaluate situations, explain cause and effect, make inferences, and predict results. Rule #2: Use simple sentence structure and precise wording Write test questions in a simple structure that is easy to understand. And try to be as accurate as possible in your word choices. Words can have many meanings depending on colloquial usage and context. Rule #3: Place most of the words in the question stem If youre using a question stem, rather than an entire question, ensure that most of the words are in the stem. This way, the answer options can be short, making them less confusing and more legible. Rule #4: Make all distractors plausible All of the wrong answer choices should be completely reasonable. This can be very hard to accomplish, but avoid throwing in those give-away distractors as it detracts from the tests validity. If youre really stuck, get help from your friendly SME. (BTW, this word can also be spelled as distracter.) Rule #5: Keep all answer choices the same length This can be difficult to achieve, but expert test-takers can use answer length as a hint to the correct answer. Often the longest answer is the correct one. When I cant get all four answers to the same length, I use two short and two long. Rule #6: Avoid double negatives No big news here, right? Dont use combinations of these words in the same question: not, no, nor, the -un prefix, etc. For example, this type of question could confuse test-takers: Which of the following comments would NOT be unwelcome in a work situation? Flip it around and write it in the positive form: Which of the following comments are acceptable in a work situation? Rule #7: Mix up the order of the correct answers Make sure that most of your correct answers arent in the b and c positions, which can often happen. Keep correct answers in random positions and dont let them fall into a pattern that can be detected. When your test is written, go through and reorder where the correct answers are placed, if necessary. Rule #8: Keep the number of options consistent Did you ever have to convince a SME that he or she cant have answer choices that go to h in one question and c in the next? Its something of a user interface issue. Making the number of options consistent from question to question helps learners know what to expect. Research doesnt seem to agree on whether 3 or 4 or 5 options is best. Personally, I like to use 4 options. It feels fair.

Rule #9: Avoid tricking test-takers As faulty as they are, tests exist to measure knowledge. Never use questions or answer options that could trick a learner. If a question or its options can be interpreted in two ways or if the difference between options is too subtle, then find a way to rewrite it. Rule #10: Use All of the Above and None of the Above with caution I hate this rule because when you run out of distractors, All of the Above and None of the Above can come in handy. But they may not promote good instruction. Heres why. All of the Above can be an obvious give-away answer when its not used consistently. Also, the All of the Above option can encourage guessing if the learner thinks one or two answers are correct. In addition, the downside to None of the Above is that you cant tell if the learner reWriting multiple choice questions

Examinations with multiple choice questions are perhaps the most common way professors evaluate their students knowledge. Despite their common usage, good multiple choice questions can be difficult to write.

Multiple choice questions are commonly used because they are easy to grade and students are familiar with their structure. Its also easy to write a multiple choice question that involves only recognition or recall of facts. Questions can be written to test higher level thinking skills, such as problem-solving, but those multiple choice questions are harder to write.

Writing a good multiple choice question, no matter what level of knowledge you are testing, begins with good course objectives. Course objectives need to be written in measurable terms. If you are unfamiliar with writing course objectives, please see Course Objectives.

Definitions

Item = the entire multiple choice question Stem = the first, sentence-like portion of the multiple choice question Alternates or options = all of the possible multiple-choice responses Keyed response = correct answer Distracter or foil = the wrong answers. They are called distracters or foils because they should be written to closely resemble the keyed response, therefore distracting or foiling students who are good as guessing.

General Hints

There are several tried-and-true techniques for writing multiple-choice questions

Write the stem as a complete sentence. Incorrect: The speed of light is: Better: What is the speed of light? Avoid negative stems, or using negative words such as except or not. If you cant avoid a negative, then bold, capitalize, or underline the negative word. Incorrect:Which of the following is not an Irish poet? Better: Which of the following is NOT an Irish poet? Best: Which of the following is an Irish poet? Make sure the grammar and syntax in the stem and options are the same. Incorrect: The fruit William Tell shot from his sons head was an: Apple Banana Lemon Pear Better: The fruit William Tell shot from his sons head was: An apple A banana A lemon A pear Best: Which of the following fruits did William Tell shoot from his sons head? Apple Banana Lemon Pear Make sure your alternatives are worded in a similar way (Burton, et. al, 1991) Incorrect:

You have just spent ten minutes trying to teach one of your new employees how to change a printer cartridge The employee is still having a great deal of difficulty changing the cartridge, even though you have always found it simple to do. At this point, you should: Tell the employee to ask an experienced employee working nearby to change the ribbon in the future. Tell the employee that you never found this difficult, and ask what he or she finds difficult about it. Review each of the steps you have already explained, and determine whether the employee understands them. Tell the employee that you cant work with them anymore because you are becoming irritable. Better: You have just spent ten minutes trying to teach one of your new employees how to change a typewriter ribbon. The employee is still having a great deal of difficulty changing the ribbon, even though you have always found it simple to do. At this point, you should: Ask an experienced employee working nearby to change the ribbon in the future. Mention that you never found this difficult, and ask what he or she finds difficult about it. Review each of the steps you have already explained, and determine whether the employee understands them. Tell the employee that you will continue teaching him or her later because you are becoming irritable. Make sure your alternatives are approximately the same length (Burton, et. al.) Incorrect: Which of the following is the primary reason people moved to California in 1849? Climate Religion Gold was discovered in central California Farming Different levels of questions

Multiple choice questions can be written at levels to assess if a student is able to remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate and create facts, concepts, and

procedures. Below are hints and/or templates for writing a multiple choice question at different levels.

Remembering factual knowledge: Write the fact as a statement. Transform the statement into a question. Ask the student to supply the answer (fill in the blank) or write the question as a multiple choice question. Understanding conceptual knowledge: Template: Which of the following is an example of __________? Applying procedural knowledge: Prepare a short case study or example. Write a stem that asks the student to demonstrate the use of the procedural knowledge or solve a problem. Analyzing conceptual knowledge Present the student with a diagram and ask for analysis. For example: Given the following chart, which of the following is most likely to occur next? Evaluating procedural knowledge Give the student a short case study. Ask: Which of the following would have been a better plan of action?