Manual for ESTRO Teachers
9
Strengths and Limitations of MCQs
Strengths:
• Scoring is easy, objective and reliable.
- Scores are more reliable than subjectively scored items (e.g essays)
- Scores are less influenced by guessing than true-false
• Can cover a lot of material very efficiently (about one item/minute of testing
• Capable of assessing learning outcomes that cover different cognitive learning levels.
• Achievement and progress can be compared amongst persons, groups, years.
• Electronic manipulation to vary the order in which questions are presented to the candidates reduces the chance of cheating.
Limitations:
• Constructing good questions is time consuming.
• Frequently difficult to find plausible distractors
• Sometimes there is more than one defendable “correct” answer.)
• Often the focus is on testing factual information (failing to test higher levels of cognitive thinking.)
• Can be ineffective in assessing some types of problem solving situations.
• Scores can be influenced by reading (and/or language) ability.
• May encourage guessing.
“Anatomical” Parts of a MCQ
The figure above depicts the components of a typical multiple choice question (or item). The traditional MCQ is one in which a student
chooses one answer from a number of choices (options) supplied. Typically the item presents a set amount of factual information, called
the “stem,” followed by a lead in question and usually 4-5 options as possible answers. Too few options means guessing is rewarded more
frequently and too many options means the student wastes time. The multiple choice item is unique in that the standard by which the
best answer is selected is contained in the
stem
. It is important to realize that the best answer does NOT have to be the one and only
indisputably correct response to the question, as long as the subject matter experts who reviewed the question agree it is the best answer
of those presented.
(see annex 13 – A Guide to successfully writing MCQs) (see annex 14 – Presentation on successfully writing MCQs)