Style Guides

Multiple Choice Exam Style Questions

Multiple choice exam questions are commonly used in testing knowledge comprehension and application. Creating high-quality, effective multiple choice questions requires understanding of the subject matter and careful attention to detail.

This guide outlines some best practices for generating multiple choice questions, with an emphasis on creating logical distractor options.

Creating the Stem (Question Posed)

Focus on a single concept: Each question should focus on a single concept or idea, making sure it is clear, concise, and not overly complex.
Do not include hints: The stem should not contain hints to the correct answer or the distractors.
Include as much of the concept as possible in the stem: The stem should carry the bulk of the content. This makes it easier for students to understand the question.

Designing the Options

Homogenous options: The options should be homogenous in content and length. If an option significantly stands out from the others, it can be a giveaway.
Number of options: Typically, there should be four or five options. More options can make the question unnecessarily difficult, while fewer options may make it too easy.
Avoid "all of the above": This can be confusing for students, and it can sometimes give away the correct answer.
Randomize the correct answer position: The correct answer should not always be in the same position. This avoids creating patterns that can be exploited.

The Correct Option (Answer)

The correct answer should directly address the question and be indisputably correct. It should be based on the study design (syllabus), and not require the student to make unwarranted assumptions or guesses.

Here are some guidelines for creating the correct answer:

Unambiguous: The correct answer should be clear and precise, leaving no room for different interpretations.
Aligned with the course content: The correct answer should reflect the learning objectives and content of the course.
In scope: The correct answer should not reflect learning objectives and content from beyond the scope of the course.

The Incorrect Options (Distractors)

Distractors should be carefully crafted to ensure that they are plausible, and to test students' understanding and critical thinking skills.

Plausible distractors: Distractors should be plausible but clearly incorrect upon careful reading. If the distractors are implausible, the question becomes too easy.
Common misconceptions: Incorporate common misconceptions or errors as distractors.
Similar in form to the correct answer: Make sure distractors are similar in form, length, and syntax to the correct answer.
Consistent with the stem: Distractors should be consistent with the information or context presented in the stem.
Distinct: Distractors should not overlap in meaning with each other nor the correct answer be so similar that both could be correct.
Avoid humor: Although humor can make the test more engaging, it can distract students and make the correct answer obvious.

Crafting Explanations

Explanations for both the correct answer and distractors can serve as valuable learning tools. They give students insights into their mistakes and reinforce their understanding of correct response. Here's how to craft them:

For Correct Option (Answer):

Reiterate the fact or concept: Reinforce the main point or concept the question is testing with a brief statement of fact.
Explain the context: Describe why the correct answer is correct. This might include explaining the context or the reasoning behind the answer.

For Incorrect Options (Distractors):

Identify the misconception: If the distractor is based on a common misconception, point this out. Explain why this thinking is incorrect.
Explain why it's wrong: Don't just say that the answer is incorrect, explain why. Contrast it with the correct answer to clarify the difference.
Redirect to correct thinking: Guide students towards the correct answer. This might involve explaining the correct principle, fact, or concept that should have been applied.

Remember, the goal of providing explanations isn't just to justify the answer key, but to facilitate learning. Good explanations help students understand their mistakes, correct misconceptions, and reinforce their understanding of the material.

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Short Answer Exam Style Questions

Short answer questions are a valuable component of many exams. They allow for quick assessments of student understanding and can test both basic recall and simple synthesis or application of concepts. Crafting these questions and their explanations requires a particular approach.

This guide outlines the best practices for generating short answer questions and creating effective explanations.

Crafting the Questions

Single Concept Focus: Each question should center around a single concept or idea to avoid confusion and ensure the question is concise.
Alignment with Learning Objectives: The question should assess a specific learning objective from the course. Make sure the question requires students to demonstrate the type of understanding or skill that the objective outlines.
Clarity in Language: The question should be written using clear and simple language. Avoid unnecessary jargon or overly complex sentence structures.
Avoid Leading Questions: Do not include hints or leading information in the question. The question should challenge the student's understanding of the topic, not their ability to pick up on subtle hints or cues.

Crafting Explanations

Clear and Concise: Explanations for short answer questions should be direct and concise. They should clearly demonstrate why the answer is correct and how it addresses the question.
Elaboration on the Concept: Don't stop at just explaining why the answer is correct. If possible, elaborate on the overall concept being tested to provide students with a deeper understanding of the topic.

Grading Short Answer Questions

Criteria-based Grading: Establish clear grading criteria for each question. This helps ensure fairness and consistency in grading.
Partial Credit: Be open to the idea of partial credit. If a student's response shows partial understanding of the concept, that should be acknowledged in the grading process.

Remember, the goal of these questions is not just to assess, but also to facilitate learning. By providing clear, effective explanations, you can help students understand their mistakes, correct misconceptions, and deepen their understanding of the course material.

Check out this neat N7 Community example

Multi-Part Extended Response Exam Style Questions

Multi-part extended response questions are excellent tools for assessing a student's depth of knowledge and their ability to build on concepts in a progressive manner. These questions usually contain several parts that are interrelated and increase in complexity and difficulty.

This guide outlines some best practices for generating extended response questions, with a focus on creating a progressive structure and effective explanations.

Crafting the Questions

Focus on interconnected concepts: Each part of the question should build on the last and relate to the overarching concept or theme. This promotes a coherent, step-by-step exploration of a complex topic.
Progressive difficulty: The difficulty should increase with each part of the question. This should allow most students to demonstrate some understanding, while challenging advanced students to show a deeper level of knowledge.
Clarity and precision: Each part of the question should be clear, concise, and precise. Avoid ambiguity that could confuse students and detract from what you're trying to assess.
Guidelines for answering: Provide clear instructions on how to answer each part of the question, and indicate how many marks each part is worth to guide students' time allocation.

Crafting Explanations

For Each Part of the Question:

Step-by-step approach: The explanations should reflect the progressive nature of the question. Explain each part separately, focusing on how the answer builds on previous parts and the main theme.
Clear and direct: Each explanation should directly answer the corresponding part of the question. Avoid providing unnecessary or tangential information.
Common errors and misconceptions: Highlight common errors or misconceptions that students might have had in each part. Explain why they are incorrect and guide students towards the correct understanding.

Guidelines for Grading

Grading criteria: Clearly outline the criteria that will be used to grade each part. This helps students understand what is expected and can guide their studying.
Partial credit: Be prepared to give partial credit. Since the questions are progressive, an incorrect or only partially correct result in one part should not necessitate loss of marks in subsequent parts. A well designed question will mitigate this complexity by partially decoupling parts such that specific results need not flow between them.
Consistency: Ensure that grading is consistent across different students. Use the grading criteria as a rubric to ensure fairness.

Remember, the goal of multi-part extended response questions is to assess a student's ability to understand and connect complex concepts. By crafting clear, progressive questions and providing thorough explanations, you can effectively measure competencies in more sophisticated contexts and facilitate deeper learning.

Check out this neat N7 Community example

Review & Revise

After creating the questions, review and revise them to ensure they meet the criteria outlined above. Involve others in the review process to get different perspectives and catch any mistakes or ambiguities. Pay close attention to the feedback from students, and revise the questions based on their performance and feedback.

We hope these guidelines will help you to create impactful N7 practice questions - good luck and thanks in advance for supporting your community!