What should I think about before I design an MCQ test?

Is your test to be formative or summative?

Summative: there are particular issues with marking schemes/scoring and meeting intended learning outcomes (see question 5 and
question 6)

Formative: provision of effective feedback is essential. Where combining formative MCQs with non-MCQ summative assessment, remember to make explicit any differences in knowledge/skills required (see question 5)

What are you trying to assess? What are your intended learning outcomes?

Knowledge – these are quite easy to set, but check carefully against your intended learning outcomes

Comprehension/understanding/application – possible to test, but more challenging to set

Oral or written skills – MCQs can test the theory but not the practice

How will students complete the test?

On paper? Online? If online, in their own time or at a set time in an IT lab? There are authenticity issues if the assessment is summative and they do it in their own time.

How will the test be marked?

By staff? As a peer assessment exercise by students? By optical reader? Via multimedia? If optical reader, ensure format is compatible.

How will the test be scored?

In summative assessments it may be appropriate to consider the use of negative scoring or normalisation to ensure comparability with other assessments in the same diet (see question 6).

Are students used to the MCQ format?

If not give them a sample paper – especially important where test forms part of summative assessment. If the test is online, students will need practice in using the software.

How will you pilot your questions?

Piloting is essential – enlist the help of colleagues to check your questions for difficulty, ambiguity and accuracy. It is preferable to test questions separately for subject accuracy/difficulty and for readability/comprehension.

Last Modified: 4 June 2010