How to Write a Multiple Choice Exam
Determine the purpose of the exam., Decide on the number of questions needed., Review the levels of thinking., Use precise wording., Be intentional with the question structure., Make sure your questions match your learning objectives., Include only...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine the purpose of the exam.
Think about what kind of evaluation you are creating.
Is it a short quiz or a final exam? Maybe you are creating a test to help students review for standardized state exams.
Whatever the case may be, knowing the purpose of the test will help you establish how long it should be and the types of questions you want to include.For example, if you are teaching a large college course in psychology, you might give a multiple choice test as a final exam.
This will help you determine if students have completed the required reading and/or understood the learning objectives for the semester.
A science teacher, for example, might create a short quiz that requires students to recognize basic formulas.
This will help the teacher decide if he or she needs to review material before moving forward. -
Step 2: Decide on the number of questions needed.
A short quiz only requires about ten to twenty questions.
The number of questions may vary depending how complex they are.
For example, a quiz with ten questions that asks for the capitals of African countries should not take much time.
A quiz with ten graphs, all of which require analysis and application, will take much longer. , Based on the purpose of the exam, you will be able to determine what level of thinking you want your students to use while taking the exam.
Review Bloom’s Taxonomy to determine which is most appropriate for you test.
Modern American education is moving towards teaching higher levels of thinking according to Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Bloom’s Taxonomy details a range of thinking from low to high.
Lower levels of thinking require only recall of facts, while the higher levels of thinking require analysis and evaluation of information.
If you are writing a quiz, you may opt for lower levels of thinking that ask for recognition or recall.
A final exam, on the other hand, should assess higher level thinking such as the ability to apply or critique information. , Your questions, or stems, should use accurate words so that students know exactly what is being asked of them.
The more concise the questions, the better.
Avoid vague phrases.
Some words or phrases can either make your questions easier to answer or create unwanted ambiguity.
Stay away from words like “never” or “always.” These create absolutes that can be debated.Remember to check for grammatical giveaways.
Words like “a” or “an” can give away your answer.Try rephrasing your questions or answers where needed.
Instruct students to choose the “best answer” rather than the “correct answer.” This helps eliminate debate about what is correct or incorrect in the context of your questions. , Multiple choice questions vary greatly in structure.
Think about what format is best for your students and your assessment.
For the most part, it is best to create short and precise questions.
Most of your words should be in the question to avoid long and wordy answers options.Use negatives when it helps a learning outcome.
Some educators advise against creating negative questions, but they can be useful if you need to highlight specific points or misconceptions.
For example, “Which of the following statements is not true about the Civil War?” or “All of the statements below are true except ____________.” These questions may be confusing, but they often appear on government tests.
Decide if what is most appropriate for your students.
A good question about geography might ask: “Which countries share a border with Costa Rica?” A) Honduras and El Salvador.
B) Honduras and Nicaragua.
C) Panama and Guatemala.
D) Panama and Nicaragua. , Your question should match your learning objectives for the subject you are teaching and the depth of knowledge you seek to evaluate.
Remember that quizzes tend to evaluate lower level thinking and tests evaluate higher levels of thinking.
Use supplementary materials.
Use of graphs or charts can be helpful when creating higher order thinking questions for math or science.
Readings and quotations are useful for creating questions for language arts and social studies., There should be only one option that best answers your question.
Do not trick students by providing two answers that are equally good.
Avoid frequent use of “all of the above” or “none of the above.” This requires students to know that only two answers are either correct or incorrect.For example, the following question is misleading because two answers are can be correct: “What is the correct use of the verb in the following sentence? Every country _______ good people and bad people.” A) have B) has C) have had D) has had , There is only one answer to each question, but the other options should be plausible.
Do not include answer options that are completely irrelevant or impossible.
Include common student mistakes in your answer options to test for complete understanding.For example, the following question includes options that seem possible because they all include at least one primary color: “Which two primary colors mix to form a secondary color?” A) Red and blue.
B) Green and blue.
C) Yellow and green.
D) Yellow and purple. , This adds consistency to your test.
Many students tend to believe that the longest answer is correct.
This may or may not be the case.
Either way, similar answer length will discourage guessing.
For example, the following question includes answers with similar wording, structure and length: “In the prologue, Romeo and Juliet are described as,” A) ”Star-crossed lovers” B) ”Star-crazed lovers” C) ”Star-bright lovers” D) ”Star-struck lovers” , The order of correct answers should be random.Students often take multiple choice tests using separate answer sheets.
There should not be a visible pattern in correct answers.
Obvious patterns will encourage unwanted guessing. , There are various ways to present answers on a multiple choice exam.
The format of your answers may vary as long as it matches your learning objectives.
Conventional styles include three to five options as possible answers to a stem or question.
Many educators suggest using this style as it reflects what is most often seen in standardized testing.Alternate choice answers only presents two possible options.
This raises a student’s probability of guessing the correct answer.
It may be useful, however, in highlighting concepts that are similar or often confused.
Matching formats give students a set of terms on one side and a set of definitions or descriptions on the other side.
Students must then match the items correctly.
Note that this falls on the lower end of Bloom’s Taxonomy, as it only requires recognition and recall.
A complex multiple choice includes a question and three to five responses, several of which are correct.
Beneath the responses are answer choices that list two to three answers as correct.
This requires students to recall several pieces of specific information about a given topic.Although the format of the answer is complex, the depth of knowledge it requires is not necessarily as challenging. , Take the exam and time yourself.
Allow students double or triple the time it took you to complete the test.
Timing often depends on the level of student understanding, how well students prepare, and the level of difficulty of the exam.If you write an exam for college students studying advanced French, for example, you may only need to double the time it took you to complete the exam.
It is generally expected that college students have good study habits and good understanding of a topic, especially at the higher levels. , All questions might be worth the same amount of points or some may weigh more than others.
Decide what is appropriate for the types of questions you wrote., You may have students with disabilities or special needs in your class.
This means that you may have to modify the exam itself or the way in which students take the exam.
Review any legal mandates for students with disabilities before you administer the exam.
Modify the content of the exam by reducing the number of questions or changing the level of complexity of the questions.
Modify the process by allowing students to use scrap paper, use highlighters, or take extra time to complete the test. -
Step 3: Review the levels of thinking.
-
Step 4: Use precise wording.
-
Step 5: Be intentional with the question structure.
-
Step 6: Make sure your questions match your learning objectives.
-
Step 7: Include only one correct answer.
-
Step 8: Make distractors plausible.
-
Step 9: Keep answer options around the same length.
-
Step 10: Change the order of correct answers.
-
Step 11: Consider different formats.
-
Step 12: Allot a fair amount of time for the exam.
-
Step 13: Create an accurate point system.
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Step 14: Remember to differentiate.
Detailed Guide
Think about what kind of evaluation you are creating.
Is it a short quiz or a final exam? Maybe you are creating a test to help students review for standardized state exams.
Whatever the case may be, knowing the purpose of the test will help you establish how long it should be and the types of questions you want to include.For example, if you are teaching a large college course in psychology, you might give a multiple choice test as a final exam.
This will help you determine if students have completed the required reading and/or understood the learning objectives for the semester.
A science teacher, for example, might create a short quiz that requires students to recognize basic formulas.
This will help the teacher decide if he or she needs to review material before moving forward.
A short quiz only requires about ten to twenty questions.
The number of questions may vary depending how complex they are.
For example, a quiz with ten questions that asks for the capitals of African countries should not take much time.
A quiz with ten graphs, all of which require analysis and application, will take much longer. , Based on the purpose of the exam, you will be able to determine what level of thinking you want your students to use while taking the exam.
Review Bloom’s Taxonomy to determine which is most appropriate for you test.
Modern American education is moving towards teaching higher levels of thinking according to Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Bloom’s Taxonomy details a range of thinking from low to high.
Lower levels of thinking require only recall of facts, while the higher levels of thinking require analysis and evaluation of information.
If you are writing a quiz, you may opt for lower levels of thinking that ask for recognition or recall.
A final exam, on the other hand, should assess higher level thinking such as the ability to apply or critique information. , Your questions, or stems, should use accurate words so that students know exactly what is being asked of them.
The more concise the questions, the better.
Avoid vague phrases.
Some words or phrases can either make your questions easier to answer or create unwanted ambiguity.
Stay away from words like “never” or “always.” These create absolutes that can be debated.Remember to check for grammatical giveaways.
Words like “a” or “an” can give away your answer.Try rephrasing your questions or answers where needed.
Instruct students to choose the “best answer” rather than the “correct answer.” This helps eliminate debate about what is correct or incorrect in the context of your questions. , Multiple choice questions vary greatly in structure.
Think about what format is best for your students and your assessment.
For the most part, it is best to create short and precise questions.
Most of your words should be in the question to avoid long and wordy answers options.Use negatives when it helps a learning outcome.
Some educators advise against creating negative questions, but they can be useful if you need to highlight specific points or misconceptions.
For example, “Which of the following statements is not true about the Civil War?” or “All of the statements below are true except ____________.” These questions may be confusing, but they often appear on government tests.
Decide if what is most appropriate for your students.
A good question about geography might ask: “Which countries share a border with Costa Rica?” A) Honduras and El Salvador.
B) Honduras and Nicaragua.
C) Panama and Guatemala.
D) Panama and Nicaragua. , Your question should match your learning objectives for the subject you are teaching and the depth of knowledge you seek to evaluate.
Remember that quizzes tend to evaluate lower level thinking and tests evaluate higher levels of thinking.
Use supplementary materials.
Use of graphs or charts can be helpful when creating higher order thinking questions for math or science.
Readings and quotations are useful for creating questions for language arts and social studies., There should be only one option that best answers your question.
Do not trick students by providing two answers that are equally good.
Avoid frequent use of “all of the above” or “none of the above.” This requires students to know that only two answers are either correct or incorrect.For example, the following question is misleading because two answers are can be correct: “What is the correct use of the verb in the following sentence? Every country _______ good people and bad people.” A) have B) has C) have had D) has had , There is only one answer to each question, but the other options should be plausible.
Do not include answer options that are completely irrelevant or impossible.
Include common student mistakes in your answer options to test for complete understanding.For example, the following question includes options that seem possible because they all include at least one primary color: “Which two primary colors mix to form a secondary color?” A) Red and blue.
B) Green and blue.
C) Yellow and green.
D) Yellow and purple. , This adds consistency to your test.
Many students tend to believe that the longest answer is correct.
This may or may not be the case.
Either way, similar answer length will discourage guessing.
For example, the following question includes answers with similar wording, structure and length: “In the prologue, Romeo and Juliet are described as,” A) ”Star-crossed lovers” B) ”Star-crazed lovers” C) ”Star-bright lovers” D) ”Star-struck lovers” , The order of correct answers should be random.Students often take multiple choice tests using separate answer sheets.
There should not be a visible pattern in correct answers.
Obvious patterns will encourage unwanted guessing. , There are various ways to present answers on a multiple choice exam.
The format of your answers may vary as long as it matches your learning objectives.
Conventional styles include three to five options as possible answers to a stem or question.
Many educators suggest using this style as it reflects what is most often seen in standardized testing.Alternate choice answers only presents two possible options.
This raises a student’s probability of guessing the correct answer.
It may be useful, however, in highlighting concepts that are similar or often confused.
Matching formats give students a set of terms on one side and a set of definitions or descriptions on the other side.
Students must then match the items correctly.
Note that this falls on the lower end of Bloom’s Taxonomy, as it only requires recognition and recall.
A complex multiple choice includes a question and three to five responses, several of which are correct.
Beneath the responses are answer choices that list two to three answers as correct.
This requires students to recall several pieces of specific information about a given topic.Although the format of the answer is complex, the depth of knowledge it requires is not necessarily as challenging. , Take the exam and time yourself.
Allow students double or triple the time it took you to complete the test.
Timing often depends on the level of student understanding, how well students prepare, and the level of difficulty of the exam.If you write an exam for college students studying advanced French, for example, you may only need to double the time it took you to complete the exam.
It is generally expected that college students have good study habits and good understanding of a topic, especially at the higher levels. , All questions might be worth the same amount of points or some may weigh more than others.
Decide what is appropriate for the types of questions you wrote., You may have students with disabilities or special needs in your class.
This means that you may have to modify the exam itself or the way in which students take the exam.
Review any legal mandates for students with disabilities before you administer the exam.
Modify the content of the exam by reducing the number of questions or changing the level of complexity of the questions.
Modify the process by allowing students to use scrap paper, use highlighters, or take extra time to complete the test.
About the Author
Natalie Gutierrez
Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.
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