Guidelines in

constructing multiple
choice items
PREPARED BY:
MAYMY M. DE LEON
BSED MATHEMATICS
1. Do not use unfamiliar words, terms and
phrases.
Example:
What would be the system reliability of a
computer system whose slave and
peripherals are connected in parallel
circuits and each one has a known time to
failure probability of 0.05?
2. Do not use modifiers that are vague and whose
meanings can differ from one person to the next
such as: much, often, usually, etc.
Example:
Much of the process of photosynthesis takes place
in the:
A. Bark
B. Leaf stem
C. Stem
3. Avoid complex or awkward word arrangement.
Also, avoid use of negatives in the stem as this
may add unnecessary comprehension difficulties.
Example:
(Poor) As President of the Republic of the
Philippines, Corazon C. Aquino would stand next
to which President of the Philippine Republic
subsequent to the 1986 EDSA Revolution?
4. Do not use negatives or double negatives as
such statements tend to be confusing. It is best to
use simpler sentences rather than sentences that
would require expertise in grammatical
construction.
Example:
(Poor) Which of the following will not cause
inflation in the Philippine economy?
5. Each item stem should be as short as
possible; otherwise you risk reading and
comprehension skills.
6. Distracters should be equally plausible and
attractive.
Example:
The short story: May Day’s Eve, was written by
which Filipino author?
A. Jose Villa C. Robert Frost
B. Nick Joaquin D. Edgar Allan Poe
7. All multiple choice options should be
grammatically consistent with the stem.
Example:
As compared to the autos of the 1960s autos in the
1980s ___________
A. traveling slower C. to use less fuel
B. bigger interiors D. contain more safety measures
8. The length, explicitness, or degree of
technicality of alternatives should not be
the determinants of the correctness of the
answer.
Example:
If the three angles of the two triangles are
congruent, then the triangle are
A. Congruent whenever one of the sides of the
triangles are congruent
B. Similar
C. Equiangular and therefore, must also be
congruent
D. Equilateral if they are equiangular
9. Avoid stems that reveal the answer to another
item.
Example:
Which group will most strongly focus its teaching
on the interest of the child?
A. Progressivist C. Perrenialist
B. Esssentialist D. Reconstructionist
Who will most strongly disagree with the
progressivist who claims that the child should be
taught only that which interest him and if he is
interested, wait till the child gets interested?
A. Essentialist C. Progressivist
B. Empiricist D. Rationalist
10. Avoid alternatives that are synonymous with
others or those that, include or overlap others.
Example:
A. Change in temperature
B. Changes in pressure
C. Changes in chemical composition
D. Change in heat levels
11. Avoid presenting sequenced items in
the same order as in the text.
12. Avoid use of assumed qualifiers that
many examinees may not be aware of.
13. Avoid use of unnecessary words or phrases,
which are not relevant to the problemat hand
(unless such discriminating ability is the primary
intent of the evaluation). The item’s value is
particularly damaged if the unnecessary material
is designed to distract or mislead. Such items test
the student’s reading comprehension rather than
knowledge of the subject
14. Avoid use of non-relevant sources of difficulty such as
requiring a complex calculation when only knowledge of
a principle is being tested.
15. Pack the question in the stem. Here is an example of a
question which has no question. Avoid it by all means
Example:
The Roman Empire________________________.
A. had no central government
B. had no definite territory
C. had no heroes
D, had no commonreligion