Crafting Effective Multiple Choice Questions
How this will help
Creating multiple choice questions may seem simple, yet it is far more complex than asking a question and providing a few options. Wordy, ambiguous questions will leave students scratching their heads, trying to decipher the question instead of tapping into their understanding of the material.
Crafting a good multiple choice question takes more than knowledge — it requires clarity, fairness, and the empathy to anticipate missteps without setting traps.
Start With the Learning Objectives
An effective multiple choice question always begins with clarity on assessment goals, i.e. what should this question assess? In a student-centered classroom, learning objectives, activities, and assessments are tightly integrated. Revisiting the learning objectives helps narrow down the focus of your question – recalling facts, identifying misconceptions, or applying concepts- and ensures you are truly measuring what students have learned.
Choose an Effective Structure and Forma
The base of a multiple choice question consists of two parts – (1) the stem, in the form of a question or partial sentence, and (2) alternatives that include both the correct and incorrect answers. The incorrect answers are also known as distractors.
The example shows what a conventional multiple choice question looks like.
STEM: According to Keynesian economic theory, which of the following fiscal policies would be most effective in stimulating economic growth during a recession:
ALTERNATIVES:
A. increasing taxes
B. reducing government spending
C. lowering interest rates
D. increasing government spending on infrastructure projects?
Alternatives A through C are known as distractors; D is the correct answer.
However, with that basic structure, multiple choice questions can take on different formats such as alternate choice, true or false, or matching questions. You may also group several questions within a written context to create a question set, which is a particularly effective approach for assessing higher-order thinking and addressing more complex problems (Haladyna et al., 2002).
Below are examples of different multiple choice question formats.
Example: Alternate choice
Which of the following would most effectively slow down the process of respiration in plants?
A. Cold weather
B. Stormy weather
Example: Matching
Match each term on the top with its description on the bottom.
A. Cytoplasm
B. Nucleus
C. Mitochondria
1. The powerhouse of the cell
2. The control center of the cell
3. The jelly-like substance where cell activities occur
Example: True-False
The capital of Uruguay is Montevideo.
A. True
B. False
Example: Context-dependent question set
Imagine you are a delegate from Massachusetts to the Constitutional Convention. You have been authorized to act on behalf of your state.
You would most likely approve of the
A. New Jersey Plan
B. Virginia Plan
You would oppose the three-fifths compromise because
A. Your state, as a rule, is strongly abolitionist
B. You will be grossly overrepresented in Congress by northern states
C. You want only a single representative house
You support the suggestion that Congress tax
A. Imports
B. Exports
Because of your state’s experience with Shays’ Rebellion, you feel
A. Farmers should not have to carry the tax burden for townspeople
B. Native Americans must be pacified before there can be peace
C. Tories ought to pay reparations
One format to avoid is the complex multiple choice question format, which requires respondents to evaluate multiple items simultaneously, and identify which combination of these is correct. While this format increases the difficulty of the questions, it often shifts the focus away from solving the problem to navigating the complex format (Haladyna et al., 2002).
If you have one of these, consider converting it into a multiple true-false question.
Here are examples of a poorly constructed question, followed by an improved version.
Bad complex multiple choice question
Which of the following are animals?
1. Cat
2. Apple
3. Bird
A. 1&2
B. 1&3
C. 2&3
Better complex multiple choice question
Below is a list of things. Mark A if it is an animal. Mark B if it is not.
1. Cat
2. Apple
3. Bird
Factors determining best question format
Learning objectives and validity – Use context-dependent questions to assess application skills or single-answer multiple choice questions for factual recall.
Time constraints – Use conventional or true-false questions format for quick tests.
Reliability – Use conventional multiple choice questions instead of true-false format to prevent students from guessing.
Construct Effective Questions
After selecting one or more formats, the next step is to craft a multiple choice question with an effective stem and feasible yet discerning alternatives.
Construct an Effective Stem
- The stem should be meaningful and provide a definite problem.
- The stem should preferably be a focused question, or a partial sentence completed by the alternatives.
- The stem should not contain irrelevant material.
- The stem should be phrased positively in most cases. Negation should only be done when required by significant learning outcomes (e.g., recalling what to avoid).
Construct Effective Alternatives
- Three alternatives are sufficient for most cases. While including more options isn’t inherently harmful, it makes the question more difficult.
- All alternatives should be plausible and discriminating. Each option should appear to be a reasonable choice while being distinct enough. Common errors made by students are great sources for such alternatives.
- Alternatives should be stated clearly and concisely, using as few words as possible.
- Alternatives should be mutually exclusive.
- Alternatives should be homogenous in content and grammatical structure. It helps students to focus on the main difference among the options and improve discrimination of the MCQ.
- Alternatives should be free from clues about which response is correct.
- The alternative “all of the above” should be avoided. It cues the students that more than one option is likely to be correct, increasing the chance of guessing.
- Alternatives should be formatted vertically, rather than horizontally.
- Alternatives should be placed in logical or numerical order.
While the many guidelines for multiple choice question writing might seem daunting, they are practical and highly applicable. Familiarizing yourself with these principles and applying them as a checklist to review can be a helpful strategy for test writers.
Practical Tips
When crafting multiple choice questions, you should:
- Start with learning objectives
- Choose the most suited format
- Construct effective stems and alternatives
Writing effective multiple choice questions is both an art and a science. It requires clarity, fairness, and a deep understanding of how students think. Your first draft will rarely be perfect, but that’s the point. Distance and revision are your best allies, turning your questions into something sharper, more focused, and undeniably better.
Resources
Multiple choice question guidelines
References
Brame, C. (2013) Writing good multiple choice test questions. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
Haladyna, T.M., & Rodriguez, M.C. (2013). Developing and Validating Test Items (1st ed.). Routledge.
Haladyna, T. M., Downing, S. M., & Rodriguez, M. C. (2002). A review of multiple-choice item-writing guidelines for classroom assessment. Applied Measurement In Education, 15(3), 309-333.
