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MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
Multiple choice items is the most widely used and useful type of objective test item.
It measures a variety of more complex outcome in the knowledge, understanding and application areas.
CHARACTERISTICS OF MCQ ITEMS:
A MCQ consists of a problem and a list of suggested solutions.
The problem may be stated as a direct question or incomplete statement AND is called the stem of the
items.
The list of suggested solutions may include words, numbers, symbols, or phrases and are called
alternatives.
The correct alternative in each item is called the answer or key and the remaining alternative are called
distracters.
USES OF MCQ:
It can measure a variety outcomes from simple to complex.
It is adaptable to most types of subject matter content.
Measuring knowledge outcomes and measuring outcomes at the understanding and application levels
are the main uses of MCQ.
SUGGESTIONS FOR CONSTRUCTING MCQ:
The stem of the item should be meaningful by itself and should present a definite problem.
The item stem should include as much of the item as possible and should be free of irrelevant material.
Use a negatively stated item stem only when significant learning outcomes require it.
All of the alternatives should be grammatically consistent with the stem of the item.
An item should contain only one correct or clearly best answer.
The relative length of the alternatives should not provide a clue to the answer.
Use sparingly special alternatives such as “none of the above” or “all of the above”
ADVANTAGES:
It can effectively measure various of knowledge and complex learning outcomes.
Ensure objectively, reliability and validity.
Easy and rapid score.
The wide applicability of the MCQ.
Provide feedback from students and teachers.
DISADVANTAGE:
Takes a long time to construct items.
Careful preparation to avoid questions testing only recall.
Costly, when the group is small to respond.
Not shared by the other items.
Limited outcomes at the verbal level.
It is not ideal with problem solving skills.
TWO FORMS OF THIS TYPE QUESTION
Multiple choice – one answer is selected from a number and plausible ones. It may be
correct answer, the best of several correct answers or the one in correct answer.
Multiple Response – several correct responses are possible and the selections is based on
the best combination of responses.
PARTS OF MULTIPLE CHOICE ITEMS
THE STEM:
Consisting of the direct question or an incomplete statement, that is answered or completed by one
of the alternatives.
THE OPTIONS:
There will be two or more alternative consisting answers to questions or completion of the
statement.
VARIOUS FORMS OF MULTIPLE CHOICE ITEMS
CORRECT ANSWER FORM:
It contains three or more choices but only one of them is correct. E.g. Stem. What is normal body
temperature?
Response a) 35.20C b) 36.40C c) 370C d) 380C
BEST ANSWER FORM:
One or more or all choices may be correct but one of them is the best answer. The examinee
is required to select the best one. Eg. Direction put a
Mark against the best entry.
).
tick( Stem- the value of can be accurately given.
Response a) 3.00 b) 2217 c) 3.1 d) 3.142.
MULTIPLE RESPONSE FORM:
The correct answer may consist of more than one choice and the examinee is asked to identify
all those which are correct
INCOMPLETE STATEMENT FORM
The stem is incomplete and can be completed by the correct response. The examinee is asked
to select the correct one.
SUBSTITUTION FORM
The word outlined in the stem is to be substituted by the correct response, response are
given and the examine is asked to select the one which can substitute the desired word.
COMBINED RESPONSE FORM
The choices are different phrases or sentences of a paragraph. The examinee is required to
correct order of the phrases or sentences.
MERITS OF MULTIPLE-CHOICE FORM
1. They can measure from the most elementary knowledge level to the most
complex level, understanding & judgment & ability to solve problems.
2. They are relatively efficient, reliable than other objective test types items.
3. They can be conveniently used for numerous subject matter areas.
4. They reduce the effect of guessing because there are three or four choices.
5. They are objective in scoring because the key for the correct answer is prepared along with
the test.
LIMITATION OF MULTIPLE CHOICE ITEMS
1. They are very difficult to construct teachers cannot always think of plausible distractors
more time required to construct such items.
2. It is very difficult to find four choices for each items out of which there may be
plausible incorrect answers.
3. They do not permit the examinees to express their own views.
4. They cannot measure attitude or motor skills.
5. Element of guess work is not entirely eliminated.
GUIDELINES FOR CONSTRUCTING MULTIPLE CHOICE
The stem should include the following
The clearly stated problem
Only material which is essential for clarity
Novel material to test higher level
The essence of the problem should be stem, which should be meaningful in and of itself.
The stem must consist of a statement that contains a verb and should be a good short answer item.
The option should
Be three or more to limit guessing
Be in topical or quantitative order
Be as short as possible but clear
Avoid repetition of words to save reading time
Be homogenous
Make limited use of negative form
Avoid “all of these” and “none of these”
MATCHING TYPE TEST:
These items require students to match information in two columns. Items of left hand column
are called premises and those in the right hand column are called responses. Students are required to locate
the correct response for each premise.
A matching exercise present the students with a list of premises a list of responses and
a set of directions for matching the elements of these two tests.
e.g Column A Column B
a) Dr. Almudaliar -Committee on MPHW’S
b) Sir Joseph Bhore -Health manpower, planning, products
c) Kartar Singh -Health survey and development committee
ADVANTAGES:
1. Matching test can be constructed relatively easily & quickly.
2. Comparatively the scoring is also easier
3. There is less scope for guessing as compared with T/F test
4. A great deal of space can be saved and the student usually of less reading to do.
DISADVANTAGES:
1. If sufficient care is not taken is their preparation, they may encourage serial
memorization rather than association
2. Generally they provide clues, items are likely to include irrelevant clues to the
correct answer.
ADVANTAGES OF OBJECTIVE TYPE TEST
Easy for scoring.
objectivity in scoring.
It is not vary from time to time or from examiner to examiner.
It measures the higher mental processes of understanding,
application, analysis, prediction and interpretation.
DISADVANTAGES OF OBJECTIVE TYPE TEST
Takes a lot of time and effort in preparing the test.
provides little or no opportunity for measurement of students ability to organize
and to express thoughts.
LIMITATION OF OBJECTIVE TYPE TEST
Ability to organize matter, ability to provide matter logically coherence fashion
cannot be evaluated.
Guessing is possible.
The construction of items is difficult, requires special abilities and is time
.