If you are a hiring manager trying to evaluate dozens of candidates quickly, you’re going to want some kind of standardized way to assess them. Multiple choice questions (MCQs) can be an efficient way to do this.
But there’s a tension between the need for efficiency and the risk of missing important abilities. As a hiring manager, it’s essential that you understand what makes a strong multiple choice question example because that will help you make fair assessments.
What Makes a Good Multiple Choice Question Example
A well-crafted multiple choice question has three parts: a stem, which is the actual question or statement; distractors, which are plausible but incorrect answers; and the correct answer. The stem frames the problem, while the distractors test for knowledge gaps.
Well-designed multiple choice questions avoid ambiguity and cultural bias, but poorly written ones can lead to misinterpretation and unfair assessment. Let’s consider an example from medicine: “Anxiety disorders are characterized by all of these symptoms except…” This question provides a clear context and asks the examinee to identify the exception among four choices.
Multiple Choice Questions Example: Python Skills Assessment
Now let’s look at a scenario in which a company wants to test its applicants’ knowledge of Python, a popular programming language. For such a skills-based position, the company could ask:
“Which of the following is not a valid variable name in Python?
A. my_var
B. 2ndVar
C. _temp
D. userName”
This question tests whether the candidate understands that variables cannot start with a number. Answer B would be a good distractor if someone thought numbers were okay at the beginning of a variable name. Answer D would be a good distractor if someone thought that underscores weren’t allowed in variable names. Answer C would be a good distractor if someone thought that underscores were not allowed as the first character in a variable name.
In this case, only one answer is correct. Well-designed questions like this reveal genuine understanding rather than rote memorization.
However, there is a danger that if the question is too tricky or ambiguous, those who have the necessary skills may interpret it differently than the question-writer intended, and thus fail to demonstrate their competence.
When interpreting the results of such a test, hiring managers should pay attention to patterns in responses, noting which answers are selected most frequently and which seem to be guesses. High performers tend to get the right answers consistently, whereas others might be drawn to the wrong answers or guess randomly.
It is important to remember that multiple choice questions often don’t measure reasoning ability, so they shouldn’t be used alone. They should be combined with other types of assessments.
Common Pitfalls in Writing Multiple Choice Questions
There are many pitfalls in designing good multiple choice questions. One common mistake is using double negatives, which confuse the examinees. Another is providing implausible distractors. A third is including content that reflects cultural or linguistic bias.
For example, consider the question: “What is the capital of France?” It might seem straightforward, but the answer depends on how the question is phrased. If it says “the capital city of France,” the answer is Paris. But if it says “the capital of France,” the answer is Paris, too. If it says “the capital of France is located in which region? A. Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur B. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes C. Occitanie D. Hauts-de-France,” then the answer is Paris, located in Île-de-France, a region that is not listed. In fact, Paris is the capital of the Île-de-France region.
The problem here is that the question assumes knowledge of regions, which is likely to exclude those who grew up outside of France. In addition, it requires more background information than necessary.
One solution is to pilot questions with a small group of people to see if they work as intended. Another is to use peer review.
Ultimately, multiple choice questions examples for hiring and assessment depend on clear question stems, carefully constructed distractors, and alignment with the targeted skills or knowledge. When developing your own multiple choice questions or selecting them from existing banks, focus on clarity, fairness, and job relevance. Combine them with other assessment formats to capture a fuller picture of your candidates’ abilities.
And finally, keep reviewing your questions and updating them based on feedback and changes in the industry.