Multiple Choice Quizzes

• Can test a wide range of course material in a single assessment and are relatively quick for the student to answer. 
• Are quick to mark, and/or can be marked automatically. 
• Can be combined with other questions types in the same exam. 
• Can be analysed for reliability and validity. Most MCQ assessment software will generate statistics about the ‘performance’ of questions and their components. Two standard approaches are classical test construction and latent train analysis. 
• Can provide valuable information on student learning by cohort, by showing whether a specific question or cluster of questions has proved more difficult for all students. 
• Cohort feedback on specific questions can be given to whole groups, saving time while promoting learning. 
• When used for formative assessment or self-assessment, students appreciated receiving marks quickly and understanding their mistakes and achievements. 

• May be limited in their capacity to test higher-order learning, including analysis and synthesis (Liu et al., 2023). 
• Writing good questions can be challenging and time-consuming, particularly questions that test higher-order learning. Questions need great clarity and plausible incorrect answers.  
• It is possible for students to guess correct answers, but this can be discouraged through ‘negative marking’. 
• MCQs can encourage the atomisation and decontextualisation of knowledge, and memorisation by students. 
• Students need practice before taking a summative MCQ exam so that they are being tested on their knowledge of the material and not on their understanding of the question type. 

Piloting questions with colleagues (or other students) can highlight ambiguity in phrasing, and check for the type of learning that is being assessed: do answers require students to build on prior learning and applying concepts and theories? Are students making judgements about cases or scenarios?  Finally, have the questions been written in an inclusive and accessible manner in terms of language, examples and clarity (Lyon et al., 2023)?  

Questions should be changed for each iteration of the course, but once used, questions can be added to re-usable question banks and used for formative or self-assessment. 

Questions can be randomised so that candidates attempt the same questions but in a different sequence. This can help prevent collusion. 

Eden Digital Education guidance on setting up a quiz in Moodle 

Liu, Q., Wald, N., Daskon, C., & Harland, T. (2023). Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) for higher-order cognition: Perspectives of university teachers. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 61(4), 802–814. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2023.2222715 

Lyon, K., Roberson, N., Lam, M., Riccardi, D., Lightfoot, J., & Lolliot, S. (2022). A Sociological Lens on Linguistic Diversity: Implications for Writing Inclusive Multiple-Choice Assessments. Teaching Sociology, 51(4), 336-348. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X221134126 (Original work published 2023)