how write multiple choice exams online course

by Elvera Luettgen 6 min read

What is the best way to answer multiple choice questions?

14 RULES FOR WRITING MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS 1. Use Plausible Distractors (wrong-response options) • Only list plausible distractors, even if the number of options per question changes • Write the options so they are homogeneous in content •.....

What is a good multiple choice question?

Dec 01, 2016 · Test Blueprint 10 Preparing to Write Items 11 Description of Multiple-Choice Items 12-15 Multiple-Choice Item Writing Guidelines 16-18 Guidelines to Writing Test Items 19 Sample Multiple-Choice Items Related to Bloom’s Taxonomy 21-23 More Sample Multiple-Choice Items 24-25 Levels of Performance and Sample Prototype Items 26

What are the types of multiple choice questions?

How to write good assessment questions?

How do you do online multiple choice tests?

How do you make an online test engaging?Make every question clear and concise for easy understanding.Add a description under each question to add more context.Make testing fun—add GIFS, videos or images to keep people entertained.Show the correct answer using clever logic features.More items...

How do you write a multiple choice exam?

14 RULES FOR WRITING MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS.Use Plausible Distractors (wrong-response options) ... Use a Question Format. ... Emphasize Higher-Level Thinking. ... Emphasize Higher-Level Thinking (continued) ... Keep Option Lengths Similar. ... Balance the Placement of the Correct Answer. ... Be Grammatically Correct.More items...

How long does online multiple-choice exam take?

How long should students have to complete online tests? 1-2 minutes per question is a recommended minimum, depending on how long/complex the questions are (e.g., if students are retrieving knowledge about multiple concepts or are asked to think critically or analytically, add time for that).

How do I create a multiple-choice question in Word?

A multiple-choice question can be formatted by typing the question number and question text. Below the question text, place each answer choice on its own line. The answer choices must begin with a letter (a-t), followed by a period, followed a space, followed by the answer wording.

What is a multiple choice question?

Multiple choice questions usually follow a specific format. There is the question or stem and the responses. As such, you can create templates to save time and ensure that each question sticks to the format. Ideally, your multiple choice questions should be in the form of an inquiry, instead of a fill-in-the-blank sentence. For example, "What are the primary benefits of our newest product?" is a clear and concise question. Online learners are able to process this format more effectively so that they can provide their answer.

Why do we use multiple choice questions in eLearning?

The point of multiple choice questions in eLearning is to determine online learners' progress and eLearning course effectiveness. Including tricky questions to deceive online learners doesn't achieve this objective. It only frustrates and confuses them. Even those who know the answers may be caught off guard.

Why is it important to review multiple choice questions?

Which is why it's important to review your multiple choice exam to ensure that the correct response isn't found elsewhere. For example, in another set of questions.

What are some examples of multiple choice mistakes?

One of the most common multiple choice mistakes is creating a pattern. For example, A is the correct response for all even numbered questions. You should randomize the correct answer to avoid lucky guesses. Alternatively, create a complex pattern that online learners are unable to decipher.

Should online learners look up words?

Online learners shouldn't have to look up any of the words in your eLearning assessment. This distracts them the task at hand, which is focusing on the correct answer. Complicated terminology is also challenging for online learners with special needs. For instance, individuals who speak English as a second language. For this reason, you should avoid technical jargon and complicated vocabulary. The exception to the rule is multiple choice questions that involve definitions and language mastery. As an example, asking online learners to choose the proper usage of a technical term.

What is workforce training?

In workforce training, most training is intended to teach people to do something. As in, perform a task or skill. And, in most cases, your goal for creating the training isn’t to have the employee later (a) demonstrate knowledge on the job or (b) correctly answer a multiple-choice question. So think hard before you sit down to write ...

Is feedback important in online learning?

This issue of feedback is key: feedback has been shown to have a significant influence on learning. This can be easier to do with online systems, and is a nice benefit of the kind of automation you can get with online learning management systems, but you can do it after a test is turned in if you’re grading by hand.

What should be the objective of a course?

Course objectives should contain clear statements about what the instructor wants to know by the end of the semester. If objectives are clearly and specifically defined, the instructor will have an effective means of evaluating what the students learned.

What are the three categories of item levels?

You can conceptualize item levels into three categories (low, middle, and high) as an alternative to Bloom’s taxzonomy. The type of performance students might be asked to demonstrate in a multiple-choice item for these three levels are: Lowest level

What is the purpose of evaluating information?

Examining information about many components of the thing being evaluated (e.g., student work, schools, or a specific educational program) and comparing or jud ging its quality, worth or effectiveness in order to make decisions

Which node is the pacemaker?

SA node is the normal pacemaker for the entire heart. AV node also has pacemaker potential, but is overshadowed by SA node. Medulla has pacemaker potential for breathing rhythm as well. Pons helps refine rhythm, but does not have pacemaker potential.

Which node is responsible for generating heart rate?

Normally the SA node is responsible for generating heart rate, and it is able to do this because of its intrinsic rhythm. The AV node also has an intrinsic rhythm, but it is “overshadowed” by that of the SA node.

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Constructing An Effective Stem

  • 1. The stem should be meaningful by itself and should present a definite problem. A stem that presents a definite problem allows a focus on the learning outcome. A stem that does not present a clear problem, however, may test students’ ability to draw inferences from vague descriptions rather serving as a more direct test of students’ achievement of the learning outcome. 2.The ste…
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Constructing Effective Alternatives

  • 1. All alternatives should be plausible.The function of the incorrect alternatives is to serve as distractors,which should be selected by students who did not achieve the learning outcome but ignored by students who did achieve the learning outcome. Alternatives that are implausible don’t serve as functional distractors and thus should not be used. Common student errors provide th…
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Additional Guidelines

  • 1. Avoid complex multiple choice items, in which some or all of the alternatives consist of different combinations of options. As with “all of the above” answers, a sophisticated test-taker can use partial knowledge to achieve a correct answer. 2. Keep the specific content of items independent of one another.Savvy test-takers can use information in one question to answer an…
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Considerations For Writing Multiple Choice Items That Test Higher-Order Thinking

  • When writing multiple choice items to test higher-order thinking, design questions that focus on higher levels of cognition as defined by Bloom’s taxonomy. A stem that presents a problem that requires application of course principles, analysis of a problem, or evaluation of alternatives is focused on higher-order thinking and thus tests students’ ability to do such thinking. In construct…
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Additional Resources

  1. Burton, Steven J., Sudweeks, Richard R., Merrill, Paul F., and Wood, Bud. How to Prepare Better Multiple Choice Test Items: Guidelines for University Faculty, 1991.
  2. Cheung, Derek and Bucat, Robert. How can we construct good multiple-choice items? Presented at the Science and Technology Education Conference, Hong Kong, June 20-21, 2002.
  1. Burton, Steven J., Sudweeks, Richard R., Merrill, Paul F., and Wood, Bud. How to Prepare Better Multiple Choice Test Items: Guidelines for University Faculty, 1991.
  2. Cheung, Derek and Bucat, Robert. How can we construct good multiple-choice items? Presented at the Science and Technology Education Conference, Hong Kong, June 20-21, 2002.
  3. Haladyna, Thomas M. Developing and validating multiple-choice test items, 2ndedition. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1999.
  4. Haladyna, Thomas M. and Downing, S. M.. Validity of a taxonomy of multiple-choice item-writing rules. Applied Measurement in Education, 2(1), 51-78, 1989.

General Tips For Writing Test Questions

  • Let’s cover some general tips for writing test questions (“assessment items”) before we zero in on multiple-choice questions. We’re going to separate these into Do’s and Don’ts.
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Tips For Writing Multiple-Choice Questions

  • Now that we’ve given some general tips on test and question writing, let’s give some tips that are specific to multiple-choice questions.
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Tips For Writing The Stem of A Multiple-Choice Question

  • Here are some tips for writing the stem: 1. Keep the stem short and simple. 2. Keep the wording precise. Don’t write something that’s vague, ambiguous, or confusing. 3. Try to write the stem as a complete question (such as “What color is the sky?”) instead of fill-in-the-blank (“The sky is _____.”) when possible. 4. If you do write a fill-in-the-blank-style question, put the “blank” space at the en…
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Tips For Writing The Answer Options of A Multiple-Choice Question

  • Here are some tips for writing the answer options: 1. All answer options should be “plausible.” This means they are all reasonable alternatives. Don’t write answer options that obviously can’t be correct. 2. Write all answer options in a simple, clear manner. 3. Aim for at least three answer options per question. 4. There’s no single “correct” number of answer options to include in a que…
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Tips For Writing The Correct Answer of A Multiple-Choice Question

  • Here are some tips for writing the correct answer: 1. Don’t copy the correct answer word-for-word directly from the training materials. Instead, paraphrase the correct answer so it means the same thing in slightly different words. 2. Double-check to make sure that the correct answer is written in a similar fashion as the other answer options. Correct answers are often written in a different m…
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Tips For Writing The Distractors of A Multiple-Choice Question

  • Here are some tips for writing the distractors: 1. Write distractors that could be correct (learning experts call this making the distractors plausible). Don’t write nonsense answer options. This can be hard, but dig deep and put in the work to come up with good distractors. 2. Don’t write joke distractors. There are other times to be funny. 3. Don’t include distractors that cover material tha…
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Conclusion: Writing Multiple-Choice Questions For Tests

  • Well, that’s what we’ve got for you. What are your own thoughts? About writing tests and test items in general? About writing multiple-choice questions? If you found this interesting, you might enjoy these other articles related to testing as well: 1. Testing Best Practices 2. Writing multiple-choice questions 3. Writing true/false, matching, dragging, and other types of questions 4. Usin…
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