Question design
Write multiple-choice questions that test understanding
A strong multiple-choice question has a clear task, one defensible scoring rule and alternatives that reflect meaningful misunderstandings. Difficulty should come from the subject, not from deciphering the wording.
Ask one complete, focused question
Write the stem so that a prepared participant can predict the kind of answer before reading the options. Remove background that does not affect the decision. Prefer a direct positive question; if a negative is necessary, make it conspicuous. Avoid mixing two independently true statements into one option, because an answer then becomes a test of interpreting the combination.
Build distractors from real misunderstandings
Use incorrect approaches you have seen in practice: a sign error, the wrong unit, a similar concept or a step applied in the wrong order. Keep options grammatically parallel and reasonably similar in length. Do not make the correct answer the only precise or qualified option. Check that a distractor cannot become correct under an unstated but reasonable assumption.
Separate question difficulty from grading policy
Decide whether the task has one answer or several. For multiple-select questions, explain whether incomplete selections can receive credit and what happens when an incorrect option is selected. Work through a few answer combinations yourself. Weight a question according to the evidence and work it requires, rather than making it valuable simply because many people might get it wrong.
Review the question after the first group
Inspect the distribution of chosen options, including omissions. If capable participants split between two answers, revisit the key and wording before calling the question difficult. If a distractor is never chosen, replace it with a more plausible misconception. Keep a short revision note so that a score change after editing is not confused with a change in learning.
Before you publish
- The stem asks a single task without unnecessary clues.
- Every incorrect option represents a plausible error.
- The answer key and scoring have been checked independently.
Questions, answered
- Is an all-of-the-above option useful?
- It can reward recognising a pattern instead of evaluating each statement. Prefer independent alternatives unless the combination itself is the learning goal.
- Should a hard question be removed?
- Not automatically. First check the intended learning goal, wording, key and group preparation. A low correct rate alone does not identify the cause.
