types of multiple choice questions

types of multiple choice questions

Exploring the Effectiveness of Different Types of Multiple Choice Questions in Educational Assessment

1. Introduction to Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

MCQs can be classified into both selected and constructed response formats. Typically, MCQs ask a question and then offer a choice of answers. The selected response format entails recognizing the correct answer from various options. The construction format requires the student to answer questions or respond to prompts. A typical type of MCQ is the multiple-choice question where one question is answered with one out of multiple answers. Furthermore, there are multiple true-false questions where several questions are asked, and each is addressed independently with a choice between a correct and an incorrect answer.

Effective assessment is the cornerstone of good education and is required to measure knowledge acquisition, application, and analysis, and to inform teaching and learning. The Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) assessment is being increasingly used in education, particularly in international higher education. However, there is a paucity of literature exploring the effectiveness of MCQs in practice, let alone in different subjects as well as the type of question that works best at different thresholds. This is the first comprehensive study to explore the effectiveness of five types of multiple-choice questions and eight possible thresholds in an educational setting in a specific subject: the principles of economics.

1. Introduction to Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

2. Types of MCQs: A Comprehensive Overview

To use MCQs as more than content assessments, a common research problem thus emerges: how can developers design better MCQs that facilitate learning and, as a byproduct, assessment? Our research focused on one plausible answer to this problem – the alignment of item and distractor function with higher order cognitive processes. Specifically, we were interested in innovative MCQ designs – understanding more about their impact on item and distractor functionality, results for candidate performance, and, above all, their possible relationship with test-taker instructional/assessment feedback correspondence. The purpose of this study is as follows: to compare question types in terms of their source of discriminative information, as discerned from distractors; to establish a model for categorizing MCQ topic focus; to analyze whether certain hierarchically structured question types have differential effects on informing subject pupils’ performance in a test; to analyze the instructional value of MCQs based on test-taker perceptions of difficulty; and to ascertain whether certain question types are better indicators of reliability and validity in a test. If MCQs are to generate useful formative assessment feedback, they must comply, to a certain degree, with a set of identifiable characteristics linked to attributes present in individual question types differing in level of complexity.

Research on multiple choice question (MCQ) design suggests that certain types of MCQs may better facilitate current assessment objectives and better interact with effective feedback principles. Furthermore, well-constructed distractors can serve as more effective measuring instruments and learning tools due, in part, to their close relationship with cognitive processes like recall, encoding, and storage. This goal of using distractors to better assess knowledge and guide learning rests on the idea that, to fulfill their assessment objectives and pedagogic use, MCQs must draw on higher order thinking processes that challenge test takers. So, not only can we measure different levels of knowledge with MCQ items but those items are valuable teaching tools students can use for learning. It is, in essence, a cycle that works toward developing a student’s ability to apply their knowledge to a specific task based on cognition-based learning objectives.

3. Advantages and Disadvantages of Different MCQ Formats

However, the use of MCQs has some problems: answers may be unreasonable, standardized answers may be very difficult to agree upon, difficult knowledge may be tested in a superficial manner, there may be some element of guessing, they can support only a narrow range of cognitive skills and those being assessed may be misled into a poor style of learning. Despite these deficiencies, MCQs retain some key important uses and, if well constructed, can cover much of the content of a knowledge or skills-based learning objective, encourage effective study by using selective highlighting and deep learning, providing uncorrelated item testing and simple, rapid machine-marked assessment of specified rather than sampled content.

A large advantage of multiple choice questions (MCQs) over constructed response format tests is that they can be marked quickly and accurately, unlike constructed response items, which require human assessment with its potential for inconsistency within and between assessors. That apart, the costs of paper assessment can be considerably reduced by the use of the automated optical reading techniques that provide multiple choice response data. Students are undoubtedly attracted to courses that are formally assessed in a large part by MCQ and the techniques and knowledge tested in such a way are frequently those that are assimilated first by any keen student.

4. Best Practices for Designing and Implementing MCQs

– Use common language: Complicated language or convoluted structures are not useful and are likely to confuse the writer. The sentence should be straightforward, with a simple sentence construction focusing on a single idea and free from extraneous material.

– Pose a positive question and use the absolute on negative (i.e., “not”): Items that use a negative stem tend to confuse the students.

– Pose a question: The question should be meaningful and complete without having the examinee refer to the alternatives. The question should be focused in that only one alternative is unquestionably correct. The item stem should be neutral (e.g., “none of the above” in the US).

– Start writing the stem: It is best to start writing the question with the stem, followed by the alternative. Item writing should commence with the test item stem, keeping in mind that the stem should pose a clear and concise question with proper grammatical structure and be relevant to the content being tested.

There are different approaches test developers and instructors can adopt to create high-quality MCQs:

Designing and implementing high-quality multiple choice questions (MCQs) is not an easy feat. In this final section, practical recommendations to help improve the multiple choice question writing process are suggested. Many of these recommendations are also applicable for other types of question formats, but we will emphasize their importance in designing and implementing MCQs. We also generally share principles inspired by the guidelines for constructing choice items in a “user-friendly administration of professional development and certification programs” from a commercial testing company. Many of these considerations apply equally to teachers who are developing items for their own use.

5. Case Studies and Examples of Effective MCQ Utilization

These studies, partially focused on MCQ types, reviewed frequency, practice, process, or outcomes of MCQ utilization. It was usually reported that high frequency of touch with MCQs is available in the curricula, test practice, and assignment setting in most subjects and year levels/grade levels for corresponding compulsory education. It becomes more prevalent in the E-G4 context. A few studies addressed the frequent recognition of single-select and MCQs’ dichotomy in paper-based MCQ practice. Then, the corresponding MCQ practice is often teacher-centric, student-centric, student interaction, or item-centric with the dimension of content.

The study of teachers’ practices to utilize paper and pencil or electronic-based MCQs into their subject domains is, to some extent, executed in various countries. In some cases, it is utilized to draw a basis for MCQ utilization. In other cases, it is utilized to evaluate effectiveness from the MCQs’ perspectives. Underlying the design of the corresponding studies is the real-world school context of MCQs in examinations and assignments. Some focus more on MCQs without recognition of single-select MCQs or the dichotomy in the corresponding research. Curriculum/journal study, teacher/student surveys, teacher interviews, or other methods of data collection have often been used to acquire this kind of real-world data.