What could I use multiple choice questions for?

• traditional summative exams – Webb (2002) describes summative assessment as “(1) summative in purpose, ie it is used to make a final judgment on a student’s performance, and (2) often (though not necessarily), summative in time, ie it occurs at the end of a module”. MCQs could form part or whole of a summative assessment.
• formative exercises – Webb (2002) describes formative assessment as that “which normally takes place during the module, the purpose of which is developmental”. This could take the form of regular self-assessment exercises with feedback (see later on feedback) and may be particularly useful for revision purposes.
• as a means of diagnosing prior learning at the beginning of a module or unit and/or progress throughout a module or unit through tutor analysis of results (see What can I learn from student responses to MCQs).

Increasing student numbers and greater assessment burdens may make use of MCQs particularly attractive, especially if marking and provision of feedback can be automated (for example online). As with any form of assessment, the key is working out what is suitable for your module/unit and your intended learning outcomes to ensure that an MCQ assessment is an effective mechanism for testing what you want your students to achieve.

Last Modified: 20 July 2010