09-20-2006 Multiple Choice Question Development

Guidelines For Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)

TCH 345 Assessment & Evaluation

Department of Teacher EducationShippensburg University

Han Liu, Ph.D.

MCQ Structure

►Stem: Question or Statement

►Key: The correct answer

►Distractor (foils): The incorrect answers

MCQ Guideline-1

Stem

► Stem should be clearly and completely stated

►Keeping the stem simple

► Including all necessary information in the stem

►Accommodating the lower level readers when developing a stem

►Omitting irrelevant materials

►Asking only one question or making only one statement in the stem

► Eliminating the clues to the correct answer

MCQ Guideline-2

Choices►Be sure all choices are plausible► Limit the number of options to 3-4 ►Varying the number of response options when

necessary►Choices and the stem are grammatically consistent► List choices in columns rather than across the

page in lines (Put responses vertically below the stem)

► Put choices in logical order►Keep the length of the options fairly consistent►Keep all the choices in the same category ►Make the choice exclude each other

MCQ Guideline-3

Key

►Balance the key in position by varying where the correct key should be placed

►Be sure that only one response is considered best or correct

►Write the correct answer before creating the distracters

►Double check the scoring key before put the test in actual use.

MCQ Guideline-4

Try to Avoid Using …

► Avoid using “None of the above”

► Avoid using “All of the above”

► Avoid using negative phrase in the stem

► Avoid using double negatives in the stem

► Avoid using humor when developing options

► Avoid using slang

► Avoid unnecessary repetition in the response options (put the repeated part in the stem)

► Avoid using the option “I don’t know”

► Avoid grammatical clues (such as a/an)

► Avoid interdependent items where the answer to one item is necessary to help figure out the next item

MCQ Guideline-5

Don’ts

►Don’t lift phrases directly from the text or lecture. This encourages rote learning

►Don’t use foolish or nonsense distracters

►Don’t mix persons, places, and things in choices

►Don’t use kangaroo choices

►Don’t let the alternatives overlap each other

►Don’t make the stem statement too long and too complicated

►Don’t use “all of the above” or “none of the above” for the sake of having four options

Advantages of MCQs

► Useful for assessing many learning outcomes► Adaptable to most subject areas► Effective for diagnosing student difficulties (e.g., when

using common errors as distracters)► Can tap into different cognitive levels► Less subjectivity► Provides an excellent basis for post-test discussion

(students can discuss why distracters are wrong)► Requires relatively little time to answer► Can be reliably marked as all answers are predetermined. ► Easy to score manually and by computer

Disadvantages of MCQs

► It can be time-consuming to construct “good” test items

► It is difficult to create questions that tap into higher levels of learning

► It is difficult to locate plausible distracters

►Creativity can not easily be tested

► Items are open for misinterpretation by students

► It encourage guessing

A Tip for Writing MCQs

►Use fill-in questions first to solicit distractorsfrom test takers when you can not find enough plausible incorrect responses for a multiple-choice item.