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Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple choice questions on a quiz, exam, or even as a clicker question during a lecture are a simple way to assess learning, and can be used for different levels on Bloom’s Taxonomy. They are most appropriate for assessing learning objectives focused on recall, understanding, and application, though it is possible to write questions getting at analysis and evaluation. Learning objectives focused on creation should be measured using other assessment methods.
Question Structure
Multiple choice questions consist of the stem and the alternatives (i.e. choices). Alternatives include both the correct answer and the distractors.
Tips for Preparing Items
- Revisit your learning objectives to determine topics/target levels of Bloom’s taxonomy
- Do not use multiple choice questions for learning outcomes better assessed by other methods
- Draft potential items when preparing lessons/lectures
- Cover topics that students have questions on in class
- Consider common mistakes students make on homework or assignments
- Write the stem first, then the correct answer, followed by the distractors
- Keep in mind that items can and should be revised before a final test or quiz is produced
- Questions on your quiz or exam should cover each topic in your unit and different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, with a particular emphasis on application
The Question Stem: Best Practices
- Question formats are more effective than incomplete statements
- Minimize the number of words where possible/do not include irrelevant material
- Avoid negative phrasing (i.e. which of the following is not true…) unless the learning outcome necessitates it (e.g. avoidance of dangerous practices)
- A stem is good if a proficient student is able to answer before reading the alternatives
The Question Alternatives: Best Practices
- All should be plausible, clear and concise
- Include distractors based on common student misconceptions
- Alternatives should be independent and mutually exclusive
- Homogenous in content
- Free from clues to the correct answer
- Minimize use of “all of the above” or “none of the above”
- Presented in logical order, with the location of the correct answer random throughout the test
Tips for Writing Higher Order Multiple Choice Questions
- Use Bloom’s Taxonomy categories and associated action words (see page 2) focusing on applying, analyzing and evaluating.
- Use specific examples for which students will use the information. This can include use of scenarios or cases for which students must make a choice, asking students to identify a concept based on an example, or asking students to make concussions or predictions based on discipline appropriate visuals.
- Require multilogical thinking or “thinking that requires knowledge of more than one fact to logically and systematically apply concepts to a …problem” (Morrison and Free, 2001)
