Multiple choice questions: An introductory guide

This is a condensed version of a short guide by Bone and Prosser (2020). For the full version click here.

Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are commonly used in higher education as they are an efficient method of assessing student learning at scale and can be reliably and objectively marked without the need for a rubric. They also serve as valuable tools for providing formative feedback to students and staff in lectures and online activities. However, poorly designed MCQs can have drawbacks, such as promoting surface learning approaches (e.g., rote learning) and assessing only lower-level learning outcomes (e.g., information recall). The guidelines below outline how to design valid, reliable and productive MCQs.

Writing Effective MCQs

Effective MCQs consist of a well-constructed stem (the question or prompt) and a series of plausible alternatives (answer choices), with only one that is correct. This may seem simple, but writing MCQs requires careful consideration to ensure they are valid (accurately measuring intended knowledge) and reliable (yielding consistent results). Key principles include:

1. Plausibility: All alternatives should be plausible and relate to the subject matter. This increases reliability of the assessment, since it’s more likely that students who choose the correct answer are meeting the learning objective.
2. Consistency: Alternatives should be grammatically consistent and similar in length, language and form, reducing unintentional clues that could reveal the correct answer. This increases validity.
3. Clarity: Avoid using trick questions and limit the use of negatives (e.g., ‘not’, ‘never’) in stems and alternatives as these can confuse students. If negatives are necessary, they should be clearly signposted (e.g., using bold text). This assists with validity, since selecting the correct answer is not a function of a student’s linguistic deconstruction skills.
4. Simplicity: Avoid overly complex stems, excessive jargon and extraneous language, which can lead to misunderstandings and distraction from the intended focus of the question. Use terms and symbols that are familiar to the students and have been covered in the course content.
5. Diversity: Use a mixture of question types within a single quiz or exam. As demonstrated in the next section, different structural forms can be used to assess both low-level (e.g., recall, comprehension) and higher-level learning outcomes (e.g., analysis, evaluation and synthesis).

Examples of MCQ Types

Type of learning outcomes	Question	Evaluation
Lower level (e.g., recall, comprehension)	Choose the best answer: From where do most fungi obtain nutrients? A. Nonliving organic matter* B. Living plants C. Living animals D. Photosynthesis	✓ Stem is posed as a question and relates to general topic. ✓ Each alternative answer is plausible. ✓ Alternatives are about the same length. ? Avoid including concepts that require clarification or imply restrictions or absolutes, e.g. ‘only’, ‘most’, ‘always’.
	Fill in the blank Autotrophs use ________ as an energy source to drive photosynthesis. A. Sunlight* B. Hydrogen ions C. O2 D. CO2	✓ Each alternative answer is a single item. ✓ All alternative choices should be familiar terms to the students. ? Alternatives are in different forms – both words and molecular formulae. Use consistent formats. X The question stem does not stand alone – students will need to evaluate sentence for each alternative.
Higher level (e.g., analysis, evaluation, synthesis)	Choose the best answer: (apply knowledge to content) Which of the following functions is associated with dense riparian tree cover along narrow streams? A. Deposition of fine sediment into stream B. Bank destabilisation C. Increased productivity of aquatic algae D. Filtration of sediment from overland flow*	✓ Each alternative answer is plausible and contains familiar terms. ✓ Alternatives test students’ understanding of concepts. ✓ Students need to interpret importance of descriptors in the stem to determine the best answer.
	Choose the best answer: (evaluate outcomes of a scenario) In an experimental study, one species of algal grazer was removed from a patch of rocky shoreline and a different species of algal grazer moved into the cleared area, where it did not occur prior to the experimental removal. This finding shows that: A. Predation may be important for zonation of animals across rocky intertidal zones B. Disturbance from waves has no effect on animal zonation in rocky intertidal zones C. Competition between species may be important for zonation of animals across rocky intertidal zones* D. Differences in resources between microhabitats is the only factor influencing zonation of animals across rocky intertidal zones	✓ Each alternative answer is plausible and contains familiar terms. ✓ Alternatives test students’ understanding of concepts and their ability to synthesise knowledge. ✓ Students need to analyse scenario within the stem to determine the best answer. ? Be careful that alternatives are not too long. ? Avoid using negative and absolute language unless appropriate to the intended learning outcomes.
	Choose the best answer: (analyse poetry and identify patterns and relationships) [poem included here] The chief purpose of stanza 9 is to: A. Delay the ending to make the poem symmetrical B. Give the reader a realistic picture of the return of the cavalry C. Provide material for extending the simile of the bridge to a final point D. Return the reader to the scene established in stanza 1*	✓ Each alternative answer is plausible and contains familiar terms. ✓ Alternatives test students’ ability to examine and analyse external material within the context of concepts and theory presented in class. ? Be careful that external material is not too complex or will take too long to read and comprehend within the exam time.

Dr Elisa Bone & Associate Professor Michael Prosser, Centre for the Study of Higher Education
Last updated: April 2025