Abstract
Despite the attractive characteristics of multiple-choice questions - efficient to mark, not subjective, etc. - they are rarely considered a suitable substitute for traditional essay-type questions. This is especially true for final year honours degree examinations. This paper introduces a new form of assessment: the Permutational Multiple-Choice Question (PMCQ). Results of trials in final year degree examinations indicate that these questions are as good as essay-type questions at discriminating among candidates. They also offer many benefits:• consistency and reliability in marking• reduced need for cross checking among assessment teams, or between franchised institutions,• objective and reproducible results;• efficiency in marking• quicker to mark,• can be automated;• broad coverage of syllabus.Unlike traditional multiple-choice questions, PMCQs are not susceptible to candidates guessing the correct answer. Candidates who guessed the answers in a PMCQ test could expect a mark of only 3% (compared with 25% in a "choose one from four" test), and the likelihood of gaining a 40% pass mark in a test of ten PMCQs would be only 1:4500 (rather than approx. 1:5).
- 1 Ebel, R L. Measuring educational achievement. ih'entice Hall, Englewood Cliffs NJ, 1965Google Scholar
- 2 Haladyna, T M. Developing and validating multiplechoice test items. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale NJ, 1994Google Scholar
- 3 Bennett, R E; Rock, D A & Wang, W C. Equivalence of free-response and multiple choice items. Journal of Educational Measurement, Vol.28, No.l, pp77-92, 1991Google Scholar
Cross Ref
- 4 Bridgeman, B & Rock, D A. Relationships among multiple-choice and open-ended analytical questions. Journal of Educational Measurement, Vol.30, No.4, pp 313-329, 1993Google Scholar
Cross Ref
- 5 Bennett, R E & Ward, W C (Eds). Construction versus choice in cognitive measurement. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale NJ, 1993Google Scholar
- 6 Large, A; Beheshti, J; Breuleux, A; & Renaud, A. Effect of animation in enhancing descriptive and procedural texts in a multimedia learning environment. Journal American Society for information Science, Vol.47, No.6, pp.437-448, 1996 Google Scholar
Digital Library
- 7 Fenderson, B A; Damjanov, I; Robeson, M R; Veloski, J; & Rubin, E. The virtues of extended matching and uncued tests as alternatives to multiple choice questions. Human Pathology, Vol.28, No.5, pp.526- 532, 1997Google Scholar
Cross Ref
- 8 Schuwerth, L W T; Vandervleuten, C P M; & Donkers H It L M. A closer look at cueing effects in multiplechoice questions. Medical Education, 1996, Vol.30, No.l, pp.44-49, 1996Google Scholar
Index Terms
Permutational multiple-choice questions: an objective and efficient alternative to essay-type examination questions
Recommendations
Permutational multiple-choice questions: an objective and efficient alternative to essay-type examination questions
ITiCSE '98: Proceedings of the 6th annual conference on the teaching of computing and the 3rd annual conference on Integrating technology into computer science education: Changing the delivery of computer science educationDespite the attractive characteristics of multiple-choice questions - efficient to mark, not subjective, etc. - they are rarely considered a suitable substitute for traditional essay-type questions. This is especially true for final year honours degree ...
Comparison of examination methods based on multiple-choice questions and constructed-response questions using personal computers
The aim of the present research was to compare the use of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) as an examination method, to the examination based on constructed-response questions (CRQs). Despite that MCQs have an advantage concerning objectivity in the ...
Comparison of oral examination and electronic examination using paired multiple-choice questions
The aim of the present research was to compare the use of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) as an examination method against the oral examination (OE) method. MCQs are widely used and their importance seems likely to grow, due to their inherent ...






Comments