1. Writing Effective Multiple Choice Questions
Your Name

2. Objectives When you reach the end of this session you will be able to:
Identify when it is appropriate to use multiple choice
questions
Write questions that assess defined objectives
Use clear and understandable language when writing questions
Minimise the risk that the answers to your questions will be
easy to guess
Provide meaningful and timely feedback to people who
answer multiple choice questions e 2

3. Guess Your Way to Success?
Number of Multiple Choice Questions (4 alternative answers per question)
Chances of scoring 70% or higher by Blind Guessing 5
1 out of 64 10
1 out of 285 20
1 out of 33,885 25
1 out of 942,651

4. Types of Assessment
Formative Assessment
Summative Assessment

5. Structure of Questions
What is the capital of England?
Birmingham
Manchester
London
Winchester
Distracter
Answer
Distracter
The Stem
Distracter

6. Four Principles Multiple Choice Questions Start With the Objectives
Clear and Understandable
No Soft Clues
Meaningful Feedback
Multiple Choice Questions

7. What are you trying to assess?
Multiple choice questions work well
They are relatively easy to write
Knowledge
Possible to assess with multiple choice questions
Problem solving questions based on real situations can work well
They are more difficult to write
Comprehension, Understanding or Application
Multiple choice questions can be used to test the theory
Another form of assessment will be needed to assess the practice
Oral Written or Practical Skills

8. Driving Test

9. 3 Components of Objectives
Performance
Criterion
Conditions

10. Data Protection Compliance
The purpose of this assessment is to establish whether our call centre employees are able to handle personal information in accordance with our Data Protection procedures in all telephone conversations with members of the public

11. Data Protection – Possible Questions
When did the Data Protection Act come into force? 1
What is the first identity check question you should ask at the start
of a telephone conversation with a customer? 2
How many Data Protection principles are set out in the Data
Protection Act? 3
A man phones claiming to be your customer’s husband. He wants
to discuss his wife’s account. What should you do? 4
A customer asks to see all of the records we hold about him. How
should you deal with this request? 5

12. Clear and Understandable
Clear Instructions
Write a Question
More Words in the Stem
One Problem per Question
Avoid Negatives
Plain Language

13. Question 1
According to the Richter Scale what was the magnitude of the San Francisco Earthquake in 1906?
8.0
8.2
8.1
8.3

14. Which is the nearest planet to the Sun?
Question 2
Which is the nearest planet to the Sun?
Earth
Mars
Mercury
Venus

15. Which of these types of company is the easiest to set up?
Question 3
Which of these types of company is the easiest to set up?
Chartered Company
Limited Liability Company
Co-operative Retail Society
Partnership

16. Question 4
What is the management process which identifies, anticipates and supplies customer requirements profitably?
Advertising
Negotiating
Marketing
Selling

17. Gold
Which ‘test’ was originally used to determine whether something was made of gold?
Acid Test
History Test
Cricket Test
Spelling Test

18. Gustavus Vasa was the king of which Scandinavian country?
England
Italy
Panama
Sweden

19. The common name for loxodonta africana is an…?
Which Animal?
The common name for loxodonta africana is an…?
Baboon
Elephant
Lion
Warthog

20. I’ve finished the exam

21. I want to know… Which questions did I get wrong? Did I pass?
What were the right answers?
What was my score?

22. Feedback
Correct
Incorrect No
Nice
try
Nonsense

23. Are there any other answers?
Meaningful Feedback
Feedback
Was I right?
Was I close?
Why was I right?
Are there any other answers?
How can I use this?
Where can I learn more?

24. Objectives When you reach the end of this session you will be able to:
Identify when it is appropriate to use multiple choice
questions
Write questions that assess defined objectives
Use clear and understandable language when writing questions
Minimise the risk that the answers to your questions will be
easy to guess
Provide meaningful and timely feedback to people who
answer multiple choice questions e 24