Definition
Multiple-choice questions require students to select the most appropriate answer(s) from a set of options. When carefully designed, they can go beyond assessing simple recall to reveal both understanding and misunderstanding across a class.
When used in formative assessment, multiple-choice questions:
- provide quick insights into individual and whole-class understanding
- identify specific errors in thinking through plausible distractors that reflect common misconceptions
- enable efficient evidence collection across groups, helping teachers spot patterns and adjust teaching in the moment
- target different levels of understanding, from factual recall to application and interpretation.
Design considerations
When designing multiple-choice questions, use the identified formative focus to consider:
- whether the question-and-answer options are directly aligned with the intended curriculum content or concept
- what common misconceptions or typical errors can be built into distractors to reveal student thinking
- whether the answer options include one best or correct response and plausible alternatives that provide useful diagnostic evidence.
For you and your students, consider:
- whether instructions and scaffolds are clear, accessible and supportive for all students
- whether the wording is clear, unbiased and accessible so that errors reflect misunderstanding of the concept rather than the language
- what digital tools can streamline assessment design, delivery, marking and adaptation.
Aim
Multiple-choice questions help assess students’ ability to:
- remember facts or terms, or use a skill they’ve learnt
- understand an idea or concept, or how or why a process works.
Timing
Multiple-choice questions are helpful:
- before teaching to check prior learning or uncover misconceptions
- during the lesson to check student learning and guide teacher response in real time
- after learning when time between lessons is needed to analyse evidence and decide whether to revisit or move forward.
Evidence
Students demonstrate their learning by selecting right or wrong responses.
In the classroom
These examples show how assessment with multiple-choice questions can provide quick insights into student understanding. Multiple-choice assessment can be made more efficient using digital surveys and quiz tools.
- Best answer questions: students evaluate partially correct options to choose the strongest response, showing depth of reasoning and judgment.
- Data or graph interpretation questions: students analyse visual information and select the correct explanation, demonstrating interpretation and application skills.
- Multiple answer questions (select all that apply): students identify several correct options, revealing nuanced understanding and distinguishing between similar ideas.
- Single answer questions: students select the most accurate response to demonstrate recall or understanding of key concepts.
- Two-part questions: students answer paired prompts that check both content knowledge and reasoning, revealing how they justify their choices.
