Develop multiple choice questions from measurable learning objectives. With measurable learning objectives, once the student has mastered an objective, he should be able to demonstrate mastery. Measurable learning objectives begin with verbs such as "explain," "demonstrate," "draw," "recite," "create" or "analyze."
Write the multiple choice question in the form of a complete sentence that can be answered by the selection of answers provided. For example: "What is the name of the first planet in the solar system?"
Create multiple choice answers that are similar in meaning, with several of the choices having an element of information that is not totally correct. This practice helps the student differentiate among and compare the choices to select the most appropriate answer.
Keep the multiple choice answers the same length. Some students will not consider long answers if the other choices are fairly short. If all the answers are of the same length, the student will have to determine the best answer based on content and not the length of the answer.
Develop questions that assess different levels of understanding. For example, a question that asks the student to select the answer that defines a word reflects a lower level of understanding. A higher level of understanding would require the student to choose, from a selection of definitions, the definition that does not apply to the word provided. Here the student compares and contrasts word meanings.