Writing MCQs

A good multiple question is made up of four parts:

1. Question Objective – how does this question relate to the skills/abilities needed for someone in the job you are hiring for?
2. Stem – introduce your scenario.
3. Response Options – generally, 4 or 5 answer choices are given, with one correct answer and three distractors.
4. Rationale – what is the correct answer and why is it correct?

The question objective and rationale will not be visible to test-takers, but they will help guide you in drafting your questions and will be beneficial to have if your recruitment case must ever be justified to the central review boards or auditors.

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