CONSTRUCTING

MULTIPLE-CHOICE
QUESTIONS
By Marilyn H. Pacong
Assisted by Lyra Fe S. Mata
 OBJECTIVES
• DISTINGUISH BETWEEN:
a. OBJECTIVES THAT CAN BE
APPROPRIATELY ASSESSED BY
USING MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS
AND;
b. OBJECTIVES WHICH WOULD BE
BETTER ASSESSED BY SOME OTHER
 OBJECTIVES
• EVALUATE EXISTING MULTIPLE-
CHOICE ITEMS BY USING
COMMONLY-ACCEPTED CRITERIA
TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC FLAWS IN
THE ITEMS.
 OBJECTIVES

• IMPROVE POORLY-WRITTEN
MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS BY
CORRECTING THE FLAWS THEY
CONTAIN.
 OBJECTIVES

• CONSTRUCT WELL-WRITTEN
MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS THAT
MEASURE GIVEN OBJECTIVES.
ACTIVITY

Which will you

choose?
CHECK THIS OUT

Which one is
your favorite?
CHECK THIS OUT

Which drink do
you dislike?
CHECK THIS OUT

Which among the

drinks is good for
your health?
What did you notice
with your answers?
Were there drinks in the choices
that you weren’t able to choose?
 If you said yes, which of the
reasons below is applicable?
a. Illustration does not represent
the actual objects
b. The pictures look similar with
my choice/s.
c. Unclear picture
d. Unfamiliar with the other drinks
 INTRODUCTION
MULTIPLE-CHOICE
TYPE OF TEST
A
B
C
FORMATIVE CHOICE
S D
ASSESSMENT
 INTRODUCTION
It requires the students
to select from the
options that will make
the item complete or
correct.
Admin. “Bloom’s Taxonomy Wheel for Student Choice.” Teaching English
Language Arts, 24 Aug. 2022, https://teachingenglishlanguagearts.com/.

All incorrect or less appropriate responses are

called “distracters” or “foils”.
 INTRODUCTION
MULTIPLE-CHOICE
TEST
STIMULUS MATERIAL
(introductory material)

form of a chart, graph, poem stanza, or novel

pictorial.
STRUCTURE OF A MULTIPLE-CHOICE
ITEM
 STRUCTURE OF A MULTIPLE-CHOICE
ITEM
which identifies
the question or
problem

response
alternatives/
suggested
solutions
Students are asked to select one alternative that best completes the
statement or answers to the question.
 STRUCTURE OF A MULTIPLE-CHOICE
ITEM
Stem - the beginning part of
the item that presents the
item:
• a problem to be solved
• a question asked of the
respondent
The purpose of the distractors is to • or an incomplete
appear as plausible solutions to the statement to be completed
as well as any other
problem for those students who have relevant information
not achieved the objective being
measured by the test item.
STRUCTURE OF A MULTIPLE-CHOICE
ITEM
The list of alternatives contains
one correct or best alternative
(answer) and a number of
incorrect or inferior
alternatives (distractors).

Key – correct answers

Distractors – incorrect answers
Alternatives – other choices
ADVANTAGES AND
LIMITATIONS
 1
ADVANTAGES
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
VERSATILITY
Multiple-choice test items are appropriate for
use in many different subject-matter areas and
can be used to measure various educational
objectives.
 1
ADVANTAGES
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
VERSATILITY
They are adaptable to various levels of learning outcomes, from
simple recall of knowledge to more complex levels, such as the
student’s ability to:
• Analyze phenomena • Apply principles to new situations
• Comprehend concepts and principles • Discriminate between fact and opinion
• Interpret cause-and-effect relationships • Interpret charts and graphs
• Judge the relevance of the information
• Make inferences from given data
• Solve problems
 2
ADVANTAGES
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
VALIDITY
This feature enables the teacher to use multiple-choice
items to test a broader sample of course content in a
given amount of testing time.

Consequently, the test scores will likely be more

representative of the students’ overall achievement in the
course.
 ADVANTAGES
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
RELIABILITY
3
They are less susceptible to guessing than are true-false
test items and, therefore, capable of producing more
reliable scores.
Their scoring is more clear-cut than short answer test
item scoring because there
are no misspelled or partial answers to deal with.
 ADVANTAGES
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
EFFICIENCY
4
This expedites the reporting of test results to the
student so that any follow-up clarification of
instruction may be done before the course has
proceeded much further. On the other hand, essay
questions must be graded manually, one at a time.
 1
DISADVANTAGES
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
VERSATILITY
Since the student selects a response from a list of alternatives
rather than supplying or constructing a response, multiple-choice
test items are not adaptable to measuring specific learning
outcomes, such as the student’s ability to:
• Articulate explanations • Display thought processes
• Furnish information • Perform a specific task
• Organize personal thoughts • Produce original ideas
• Provide examples
 2
DISADVANTAGES
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
RELIABILITY
Although they are less susceptible to guessing than true
false-test items, multiple-choice items are still affected to
a certain extent. This guessing factor reduces the
reliability of multiple-choice item scores somewhat but
increases the number of items on the
test offsets this reduction in reliability.
 3
DISADVANTAGES
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
IFFICULTY OF CONSTRUCTION
Good multiple-choice test items are generally more
difficult and time-consuming to write than other test
items. Coming up with plausible distractors
requires a certain amount of skill.

This skill, however, may be increased through study,

practice, and experience.
 VARIETIES OF
MULTIPLE-CHOICE
ITEMS
1
SINGLE CORRECT ANSWER
Example:
In items of the single-correct-
answer variety, all but one of A market clearing price is a
the alternatives is incorrect; price at which:
the remaining alternative is
the correct answer. The a. Demand exceeds supply.
student is directed to identify *b. Supply equals demand.
the correct answer. c. Supply exceeds demand.
2 BEST ANSWER
Example:
In items of the best-answer Monopolies cause problems in a market
variety, the alternatives system because they:
differ in their degree of a. Create external costs and imperfect
correctness. Some may be information.
completely incorrect, and *b. Lead to higher prices and
some correct, but one is underproduction.
clearly more correct than c. Make such large profits.
the others. d. Manufacture products of poor
quality.
3
NEGATIVE
In items of the negative variety, the student is directed
to identify either the alternative that is an incorrect
answer, or the alternative that is the worst answer.
Example:
Which of the following is not true of George Washington?
a. He served only two terms as president.
b. He was an experienced military officer before the Revolutionary
War.
c. He was born in 1732.
*d. He was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
3
NEGATIVE
The negative word should be placed in the stem, not in
the alternatives, and should be emphasized by using:
 underlining
 Italics
 bold face, or
 CAPITALS
In addition, each alternative should be phrased
positively to avoid forming a confusing double negative
with the stem.
3
NEGATIVE
POOR EXAMPLE
All of the following are correct procedures
for putting out a fire in a pan on the stove
except:
a. Do not move the pan.
*b. Pour water into the pan.
c. Slide a fitted lid onto the pan.
d. Turn off the burner controls.
3
NEGATIVE
BETTER EXAMPLE
All of the following are correct procedures
for putting out a fire in a pan on the stove
except:
a. Leave the pan where it is.
*b. Pour water into the pan.
c. Slide a fitted lid onto the pan.
d. Turn off the burner controls.
 4 MULTIPLE RESPONSE
Example:
In items of multiple response Which of the following is a
variables, two or more of the characteristic of a virus?
alternatives are keyed as *a. It can cause disease.
correct answers; the
b. It can reproduce by itself.
remaining alternatives serve
as distractors. The student is c. It is composed of large living
directed to identify each cells.
correct answer. *d. It lives in plant and animal
cells.
5 Research.
MULTIPLE TRUE-FALSE

In a survey of 46 authoritative references in the field of educational

measurement, 32 of the 35 authors that discussed how many correct
answers to include in an item recommend using only one (Haladyna &
Downing, 1989a). In addition, items of the multiple-response variety are
lower in reliability, higher in difficulty, and equal in validity compared to
similar multiple true-false items (Frisbie, 1990).
Example: A virus:
*T F Can cause disease. T *F Can reproduce by itself.
T *F Is composed of large living cells. *T F Lives in plant and animal
cells.
6 COMBINED RESPONSE
In items of the combined-response variety,
one or more of the alternatives are correct
answers; the remaining alternatives serve as
distractors. The student is directed to identify
the correct answer or answers by selecting one
of a set of letters, each of which represent a
combination of alternatives.
6 COMBINED RESPONSE
Example:
The fluid imbalance known The correct answer is:
as edema is commonly a. 1, 2, and 3.
associated with:
1. Allergic reactions. b. 1 and 3.
2. Congestive heart failure. c. 2 and 4.
3. Extensive burns. d. 4 only.
4. Protein deficiency. *e. 1, 2, 3, and 4.
 Guidelines For
Constructing Multiple-
Choice Item Test
 Construct each item to assess a single
1 written objective.

Items that are not written Research

Although few studies
with a specific objective in have addressed this
mind often end up measuring issue, one study has
lower-level objectives found that basing items
exclusively, or covering on objectives makes the
items easier and more
trivial material that is of little homogeneous (Baker,
educational worth. 1971).
 Base each item on a specific problem
2 stated clearly in the stem.
Poor Example Better Example
What is the main reason so many
California:
people moved to California in
a. Contains the tallest mountain 1849?
in the United States a. Contains the tallest mountain
b. Has an eagle on its state flag. in the United States
c. Is the second largest state in b. Has an eagle on its state flag.
terms of area. c. Is the second largest state in
*d. Was the location of the Gold terms of area.
*d. Was the location of the Gold
Rush of 1849.
Rush of 1849.
 Base each item on a specific problem
2 stated clearly in the stem.
Direct Question Example Incomplete Sentence Example
Which of the following was
The principal keyboard
the principal keyboard
instrument in 16th century
instrument in 16th century
Europe was the:
Europe?
a. Clavichord.
a. Clavichord.
*b. Harpsichord.
*b. Harpsichord.
c. Organ.
c. Organ.
d. Pianoforte.
d. Pianoforte.
3
Include as much of the item as possible in the
stem, but do not include irrelevant material.
Poor Example Better Example
If the pressure of a certain amount If you increase the volume
of gas is held constant, what will of a certain amount of gas
happen if its volume is increased?
a. The temperature of the gas will while holding its pressure
decrease. constant, its temperature
*b. The temperature of the gas will will:
increase.
c. The temperature of the gas will
a. Decrease.
remain the same. *b. Increase.
c. Remain the same.
 Include as much of the item as possible in the
3 stem, but do not include irrelevant material.
Poor Example
Suppose you are a mathematics professor who wants to determine
whether or not your teaching of the unit on probability has had a
significant effect on your students. You decide to analyze their scores
from a test they took before the instruction and their scores from another
exam taken after the instruction. Which of the following t-tests is
appropriate to use in this situation?
*a. Dependent samples.
b. Heterogeneous samples.
c. Homogeneous samples.
d. Independent samples.
3 Include as much of the item as possible in the
stem, but do not include irrelevant material.
Better Example
When analyzing your students’ pretest and posttest
scores to determine if your teaching has had a
significant effect, an appropriate statistic to use is the
t-test for:
*a. Dependent samples.
b. Heterogeneous samples.
c. Homogeneous samples.
d. Independent samples.
4 State the stem in positive form (in general).
Negatively-worded items are those in which the student
is instructed to identify the exception, the incorrect
answer, or the least correct answer. Such items are
frequently used because they are relatively easy to
construct.

The teacher writing the item need only come up with

one distractor, rather than the two to four required for
a positively-worded item.
 Word the alternatives clearly and
5 concisely.
Poor Example
The term hypothesis, as used in research, as defined as:

a. A conception or proposition formed by speculation or deduction or by abstraction and

generalization from facts, explaining or relating an observed set of facts, given
probability by experimental evidence or by factual or conceptual analysis but not conclusively
established or accepted.

b. A statement of an order or relation of phenomena that so far as is known is invariable under

the given conditions, formulated based on conclusive evidence or tests
and universally accepted, that has been tested and proven to conform to facts.

*c. A proposition tentatively assumed to draw out its logical or empirical consequences and so test
its accord with facts that are known or may be determined, of such a nature as to be either proved
or disproved by comparison with observed facts.
5 Word the alternatives clearly and concisely.
Better Example
The term hypothesis, as used in research, is defined as:
a. An assertion explaining an observed set of facts that
has not been conclusively established.
b. A universally accepted assertion explaining an
observed set of facts.
*c. A tentative assertion that is either proved or disproved
by comparison with an
observed set of facts.
6 Keep the alternatives mutually exclusive.
Poor Example Better Example
How long does an annual plant How long does an annual
generally live?
plant generally live?
*a. It dies after the first year.
b. It lives for many years. *a. Only one year.
c. It lives for more than one b. Only two years.
year. c. Several years.
*d. It needs to be replanted
each year.
 7 Keep the alternatives homogeneous in
content.
Poor Example Better Example
Idaho is widely known as: Idaho is widely known for its:
*a. The largest producer of a. Apples.
potatoes in the United States. b. Corn.
b. The location of the tallest *c. Potatoes.
mountain in the United States. d. Wheat.
c. The state with a beaver on its
flag.
d. The “Treasure State.”
8 Keep the alternatives free from clues as to
which response is correct.
Poorly-written items often contain clues that help students who
need help knowing the correct answer eliminate incorrect
alternatives and increase their chance of guessing correctly.
Such items tend to measure how clever the students are at
finding the clues rather than how well they have attained the
objective being measured.

The following suggestions will help you detect and

remove many of these clues from your items.
 Keep the grammar of each alternative
8.1 consistent with the stem.
Poor Example Better Example
A word used to A word used to
describe a noun is describe a noun is
called an: called:
*a. Adjective. *a. An adjective.
b. Conjunction. b. A conjunction.
c. Pronoun. c. A pronoun.
d. Verb. d. A verb.
8.2 Keep the alternatives parallel in form.
Poor Example
You have just spent ten minutes trying to teach one of your new employees how to
change a typewriter ribbon. The employee is still having difficulty changing the
ribbon, even though you have always found it simple to do. At this point, you should:

a. Tell the employee to ask an experienced employee working nearby to change the
ribbon in the future.
b. Tell the employee that you never found this problematic, and ask what he or she
finds difficult about it.
*c. Review each of the steps you have already explained, and determine whether the
employee understands them.
d. Tell the employee that you will continue teaching him or her later because you are
becoming irritable.
8.2 Keep the alternatives parallel in form.
Better Example
You have just spent ten minutes trying to teach one of your new employees how to
change a typewriter ribbon. The employee is still having a great deal of difficulty
changing the ribbon, even though you have always found it simple to do. At this point,
you should:

a. Ask an experienced employee working nearby to change the ribbon in the future.
b. Mention that you never found this difficult, and ask what he or she finds difficult
about it.
*c. Review each of the steps you have already explained, and determine whether the
employee understands them.
d. Tell the employee that you will continue teaching him or her later because you are
becoming irritable.
8.3 Keep the alternatives similar in length.
Poor Example
Which of the following is the best indication of high morale in a
supervisor’s unit?
a. The employees are rarely required to work overtime.
*b. The employees are willing to give first priority to attaining
group objectives,
subordinating any personal desires they may have.
c. The supervisor enjoys staying late to plan the next day.
d. The unit gives expensive birthday presents to each other.
8.3 Keep the alternatives similar in length.
Better Example
Which of the following is the best indication of high morale in a
supervisor’s unit?
a. The employees are rarely required to work overtime.
*b. The employees willingly give first priority to attaining group
objectives.
c. The supervisor enjoys staying late to plan for the next day.
d. The unit members give expensive birthday presents to each
other.
8.4 Avoid textbook, verbatim phrasing.
Poor Example Better Example

The term operant conditioning refers to The term operant conditioning refers to
the learning situation in which: the learning situations in which:
a. A familiar response is associated with a a. A familiar response is associated with a
new stimulus. new stimulus.
b. Individual associations are linked b. Individual associations are linked
together in sequence. together in sequence.
*c. A response of the learner is *c. The learner’s response leads to
instrumental in leading to a subsequent reinforcement.
reinforcing event. d. Verbal responses are made to verbal
d. Verbal responses are made to verbal stimuli.
stimuli.
8.5 Avoid the use of specific determiners.
Poor Example Better Example
To avoid infection after receiving a To avoid infection after receiving a
puncture wound to the hand, you puncture wound to the hand, you
should: should always:
a. Always go to the immunization a. Go to the immunization center
center to receive a tetanus shot. to receive a tetanus shot.
b. Be treated with an antibiotic only b. Be treated with an antibiotic if
if the wound is painful. the wound is painful.
*c. Ensure that no foreign object has *c. Ensure that no foreign object
been left in the wound. has been left in the wound.
d. Never wipe the wound with d. Wipe the wound with alcohol
alcohol unless it is still bleeding. unless it is still bleeding.
 Avoid including keywords in the
8.6 alternatives.
Poor Example Better Example
When conducting library research in When conducting library research in
education, what is the best source to use education, which of the following is the
for identifying pertinent journal articles?best source to use for identifying
a. A Guide to Sources of Educational pertinent journal articles?
Information.
*b. Current Index to Journals in
a. A Guide to Sources of Educational
Education. Information.
c. Resources in Education *b. Education Index.
d. The International Encyclopedia of c. Resources in Education.
Education. d. The International Encyclopedia of
Education.
8.7 Use plausible distractors.
Poor Example Better Example
Which of the following Which of the following
artists is known for painting artists is known for painting
the ceiling of the Sistine the ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel? Chapel?
a. Warhol. a. Botticelli.
b. Flintstone. b. da Vinci.
*c. Michelangelo. *c. Michelangelo.
d. Santa Claus. d. Raphael.
8.7 Use plausible distractors.
The implausible distractors in the poor example have been replaced by more
plausible distractors in the better example. Plausible distractors may be created in
several ways, a few of which are listed below:

• Use common student misconceptions as distractors. The incorrect answers supplied

by students to a short answer version of the same item are a good source of material
to use in constructing distractors for a multiple-choice item.

• Develop your own distractors, using words that “ring a bell” or that “sound
official.” Your distractors should be plausible enough to keep the student who has
not achieved the objective from detecting them, but not so subtle that they mislead
the student who has achieved the objective.
9 Avoid the alternatives “all of the above”
and “none of the above” (in general)
10 Use as many functional distractors as are
feasible.
Functional distractors are those chosen by students that have yet to achieve the
objective and are ignored by students that have achieved the objective. In other
words, they have positive discrimination. The following table categorizes distractors
according to functionality:
10 Use as many functional distractors as are
feasible.
Poor Example Better Example
Obsidian is an example of Obsidian is an example
which of the following types of which of the following
of rocks?
types of rocks?
*a. Igneous.
b. Metamorphic. *a. Igneous.
c. Sedimentary. b. Metamorphic.
d. Transparent. c. Sedimentary.
e. None of the above.
11 Include one and only one correct or clearly best
answer in each item.
Poor Example
The United States should adopt a foreign policy based
on:
a. A strong army and control of the North American
continent.
b. Achieving the best interest of all nations.
c. Isolation from international affairs.
*d. Naval supremacy and undisputed control of the
world’s sea lanes.
11 Include one and only one correct or
clearly best answer in each item.
Better Example
According to Alfred T. Mahan, the United States should adopt a
foreign policy based on:
a. A strong army and control of the North American continent.
b. Achieving the best interest of all nations.
c. Isolation from international affairs.
*d. Naval supremacy and undisputed control of the world’s sea
lanes.
 Present the answer in each of the alternative
12 positions approximately an equal number of times,
in a random order.
13 Lay out the items in a clear and consistent
manner.
Well-formatted test items not only make taking the test less
confusing and less time consuming for students, they also make
grading the test easier, especially when the grading is done by
hand.
The following suggestions may help you improve the layout of
your items.
• Provide clear directions at the beginning of each section of the
test.
• Use a vertical format for presenting alternatives.
• Avoid changing pages in the middle of an item.
 13 Lay out the items in a clear and consistent
manner.
Poor Example
Your supervisor informs you that three of your fifteen employees
have complained to him about your inconsistent methods of
supervision. The first thing you should do is _____
a. ask if it is proper for him to allow these employees to go over
your head.
*b. ask what specific acts have been considered inconsistent.
c. explain that you’ve purposely been inconsistent because of the
needs of these three employees.
d. offer to attend a supervisory training program.
13 Lay out the items in a clear and consistent
manner.
Better Example
Your supervisor informs you that three of your fifteen
employees have complained to him about your inconsistent
methods of supervision. The first thing you should do is:
a. Ask if it is proper for him to allow these employees to go over
your head.
*b. Ask what specific acts have been considered inconsistent.
c. Explain that you’ve purposely been inconsistent because of
the needs of these three employees.
d. Offer to attend a supervisory training program.
14 Use proper
grammar,
15 Avoid using unnecessarily
difficult vocabulary.
punctuation, Use difficult and technical vocabulary
and spelling. only when essential for measuring the
objective.
This guideline should be
Analyze the effectiveness of each
self-evident. Adherence
to it reduces ambiguity 16 item after each administration of
the
in the item and test.
encourages students to Item analysis is an excellent way to periodically check the
effectiveness of your test items. It identifies items that are not
take your test more functioning well, thus enabling you to revise the items, remove
seriously. them from your test, or revise your instruction, whichever is
appropriate.
Do you have any
questions?
 Creating Choices
1.Group yourselves according to your
department.
2.Decide on a topic.
3.Create a multiple-choice test item
in 8 minutes.
4.Prepare to exchange your test item
to other departments for cross-
checking.
Working Time
Thank you for your
Maximum
participation!