WRITING EFFECTIVE
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
INTRODUCTION
Multiple-choice questions are used commonly in online courses. They are versatile and efficient, and most course
management systems provide a tool that automatically grades this type of question. Multiple-choice tests are
reliable, and the higher number of questions a test has, the more reliable it is. For example, in a 25-question test, a
student has a 1-out-of-942,651 chance of scoring 70% by guessing alone. These advantages are severely
undermined, however, if the questions aren’t well written.
Well-written multiple-choice questions can measure given objectives, whereas poorly written questions may
confuse students and, therefore, lack validity in their measure of academic achievement.
A CLOSER LOOK
Breaking down the parts of a multiple-choice question will help you construct a well-written question.
The stem should be meaningful and present a clear problem. Alternatives should be plausible, stated clearly, and
free of clues about which response is correct.
© 2022 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System Tip sheets website: [Link] 1
WRITING EFFECTIVE
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
Checklist for Reviewing Multiple-Choice Questions • Are multiple-choice questions an
• Does the question test learners’ mastery of key terms and appropriate way to assess mastery
concepts that relate to the learning objective(s)? of the learning objective?
• Are the question and alternatives stated clearly and
concisely? • Are alternatives plausible, or is it
• Do the alternatives sound plausible?
obvious they are incorrect?
• Is there one and only one correct or clearly best answer?
• Has the answer been randomly assigned to A, B, C, or D?
EXAMPLE
The learning objective is “Learners will create an effective, asynchronous online course.” In order to create a
course, it will be important to acquire knowledge about the development process.
What is the most important part of a course?........unclear (most or single most important), could be subjective
a. Learning objectives.................................................................................................................................could be correct
b. Your favorite sports team............................................................clearly incorrect, no relevance to course design
c. Assessments............................................................................................................................................could be correct
d. All of the above...................................................................should be avoided (as should “None of the above”)
Hint: If you typically use all or none of the above as a fourth answer choice, consider using only three answer choices,
which research shows results in higher scores and shorter quiz/exam completion times.
Let’s try this again:
What learners achieve as a result of the course are called:.............................clear, reinforces teaching of the term
a. Assessments...................................................................................................incorrect, but related to course design
b. Learning objectives...................................................................................................................................correct answer
c. Learning resources........................................................................................incorrect, but related to course design
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• How to Prepare Better Multiple-Choice Test Items: Guidelines for University Faculty by Brigham Young University
• Writing Good Multiple-Choice Test Questions by Vanderbilt University
• 10 Rules for Writing Multiple-Choice Questions by the eLearning Coach
© 2022 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System Tip sheets website: [Link] 2