How to Prepare Better Multiple-Choice Test Items


The purpose of this booklet is to present those guidelines with the intent of improving the quality
of the multiple-choice test items used to assess student achievement. Specifically, the booklet is
designed to help teachers achieve the following objectives:
1.
Distinguish between objectives which can be appropriately assessed by using multiple-
choice items and objectives which would be better assessed by some other means.
2.
Evaluate existing multiple-choice items by using commonly-accepted criteria to identify
specific flaws in the items.
3.
Improve poorly-written multiple-choice items by correcting the flaws they contain.
4.
Construct well-written multiple-choice items that measure given objectives.