essay writing skills mcqs

• Essay Writing MCQs

Important Essay Writing MCQs. All of these are types of essays, except? (A). Narrative essay (B). Personal essay (C). Argumentative essay (D). Descriptive essay (E). None of these Answer: b The introductory paragraph of an essay requires the topic, thesis and (A). main ideas (B). supporting details (C). both a and b (D). a and b (E). None of these Answer: a An essay is a (A). song with a novel or a story (B). poem that has multiple stanzas (C). some kind of writing that has organized paragraphs (D). some kind of writing that requires research (E). None of these Answer: c Which of the following essays describes a subject? (A). Narrative essays (B). Reflective essays (C). Argumentative essays (D). Expository essays (E). None of these Answer: d A good essay has the characteristics except? (A). Fakeness (B). Dignified style (C). Brevity (D). Personal touch (E). None of these Answer: a Which of the following is the essay that uses to increase the imagery of the setting? The five senses means the sense of taste, sound, touch, smell, and sight. (A). Narrative essays (B). Expository essays (C). Descriptive essays (D). Argumentative essays (E). None of these Answer: c Which of the following essay tells a Story? (A). Argumentative essay (B). Descriptive essay (C). Reflective essay (D). Narrative essay (E). None of these Answer: d We can write a short or long essay. (A). True (B). False (E). None of these Answer: a Which of the followings essays are a set of one’s thoughts. (A). Reflective (B). Expository (C). Argumentative (D). Narrative (E). None of these Answer: a A good write must avoid in a good essay? (A). Brevity (B). Dignified words (C). Slang (D). Unity (E). None of these Answer: c Descriptive essays explains a person or a place. (A). True (B). False (E). None of these Answer: a The writer concludes by logical reasoning in ____ essays. (A). Narrative essays (B). Reflective essays (C). Argumentative essays (D). Descriptive essays (E). None of these Answer: c

Narrative Essay MCQs

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Center for Teaching

Writing good multiple choice test questions, constructing an effective stem, constructing effective alternatives.

• Additional Guidelines for Multiple Choice Questions

Considerations for Writing Multiple Choice Items that Test Higher-order Thinking

Additional resources.

Multiple choice test questions, also known as items, can be an effective and efficient way to assess learning outcomes. Multiple choice test items have several potential advantages:

Reliability: Reliability is defined as the degree to which a test consistently measures a learning outcome. Multiple choice test items are less susceptible to guessing than true/false questions, making them a more reliable means of assessment. The reliability is enhanced when the number of MC items focused on a single learning objective is increased. In addition, the objective scoring associated with multiple choice test items frees them from problems with scorer inconsistency that can plague scoring of essay questions.

Validity: Validity is the degree to which a test measures the learning outcomes it purports to measure. Because students can typically answer a multiple choice item much more quickly than an essay question, tests based on multiple choice items can typically focus on a relatively broad representation of course material, thus increasing the validity of the assessment.

The key to taking advantage of these strengths, however, is construction of good multiple choice items.

A multiple choice item consists of a problem, known as the stem, and a list of suggested solutions, known as alternatives. The alternatives consist of one correct or best alternative, which is the answer, and incorrect or inferior alternatives, known as distractors.

1. The stem should be meaningful by itself and should present a definite problem. A stem that presents a definite problem allows a focus on the learning outcome. A stem that does not present a clear problem, however, may test students’ ability to draw inferences from vague descriptions rather serving as a more direct test of students’ achievement of the learning outcome.

2. The stem should not contain irrelevant material , which can decrease the reliability and the validity of the test scores (Haldyna and Downing 1989).

3. The stem should be negatively stated only when significant learning outcomes require it. Students often have difficulty understanding items with negative phrasing (Rodriguez 1997). If a significant learning outcome requires negative phrasing, such as identification of dangerous laboratory or clinical practices, the negative element should be emphasized with italics or capitalization.

4. The stem should be a question or a partial sentence. A question stem is preferable because it allows the student to focus on answering the question rather than holding the partial sentence in working memory and sequentially completing it with each alternative (Statman 1988). The cognitive load is increased when the stem is constructed with an initial or interior blank, so this construction should be avoided.

1. All alternatives should be plausible. The function of the incorrect alternatives is to serve as distractors,which should be selected by students who did not achieve the learning outcome but ignored by students who did achieve the learning outcome. Alternatives that are implausible don’t serve as functional distractors and thus should not be used. Common student errors provide the best source of distractors.

2. Alternatives should be stated clearly and concisely. Items that are excessively wordy assess students’ reading ability rather than their attainment of the learning objective

3. Alternatives should be mutually exclusive. Alternatives with overlapping content may be considered “trick” items by test-takers, excessive use of which can erode trust and respect for the testing process.

4. Alternatives should be homogenous in content. Alternatives that are heterogeneous in content can provide cues to student about the correct answer.

5. Alternatives should be free from clues about which response is correct. Sophisticated test-takers are alert to inadvertent clues to the correct answer, such differences in grammar, length, formatting, and language choice in the alternatives. It’s therefore important that alternatives

• have grammar consistent with the stem.
• are parallel in form.
• are similar in length.
• use similar language (e.g., all unlike textbook language or all like textbook language).

6. The alternatives “all of the above” and “none of the above” should not be used. When “all of the above” is used as an answer, test-takers who can identify more than one alternative as correct can select the correct answer even if unsure about other alternative(s). When “none of the above” is used as an alternative, test-takers who can eliminate a single option can thereby eliminate a second option. In either case, students can use partial knowledge to arrive at a correct answer.

7. The alternatives should be presented in a logical order (e.g., alphabetical or numerical) to avoid a bias toward certain positions.

8. The number of alternatives can vary among items as long as all alternatives are plausible. Plausible alternatives serve as functional distractors, which are those chosen by students that have not achieved the objective but ignored by students that have achieved the objective. There is little difference in difficulty, discrimination, and test score reliability among items containing two, three, and four distractors.

Additional Guidelines

1. Avoid complex multiple choice items , in which some or all of the alternatives consist of different combinations of options. As with “all of the above” answers, a sophisticated test-taker can use partial knowledge to achieve a correct answer.

2. Keep the specific content of items independent of one another. Savvy test-takers can use information in one question to answer another question, reducing the validity of the test.

When writing multiple choice items to test higher-order thinking, design questions that focus on higher levels of cognition as defined by Bloom’s taxonomy . A stem that presents a problem that requires application of course principles, analysis of a problem, or evaluation of alternatives is focused on higher-order thinking and thus tests students’ ability to do such thinking. In constructing multiple choice items to test higher order thinking, it can also be helpful to design problems that require multilogical thinking, where multilogical thinking is defined as “thinking that requires knowledge of more than one fact to logically and systematically apply concepts to a …problem” (Morrison and Free, 2001, page 20). Finally, designing alternatives that require a high level of discrimination can also contribute to multiple choice items that test higher-order thinking.

• Burton, Steven J., Sudweeks, Richard R., Merrill, Paul F., and Wood, Bud. How to Prepare Better Multiple Choice Test Items: Guidelines for University Faculty, 1991.
• Cheung, Derek and Bucat, Robert. How can we construct good multiple-choice items? Presented at the Science and Technology Education Conference, Hong Kong, June 20-21, 2002.
• Haladyna, Thomas M. Developing and validating multiple-choice test items, 2 nd edition. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1999.
• Haladyna, Thomas M. and Downing, S. M.. Validity of a taxonomy of multiple-choice item-writing rules. Applied Measurement in Education , 2(1), 51-78, 1989.
• Morrison, Susan and Free, Kathleen. Writing multiple-choice test items that promote and measure critical thinking. Journal of Nursing Education 40: 17-24, 2001.

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English Board Exams: Writing Skills & MCQs Overview

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10 questions, what do mcqs in english board exams primarily test, what fundamental skills are required for mastering writing, how can students improve their vocabulary for english mcqs, which task in an english board exam assesses your ability to communicate through letters, which activity is not recommended for preparing for english board exams, what type of writing task focuses on creativity, imagination, and expression, what should students do to excel in mcqs based on the text, which task requires presenting a clear thesis and supporting it with evidence, which strategy is not mentioned for organizing exam preparation, in an english board exam, which writing task involves telling a story based on a given prompt, english board exams: a focus on writing skills and multiple-choice questions (mcq).

The English board exam is a crucial part of your academic journey, as it assesses your proficiency in the English language. In this article, we'll dive into the subtopics of writing skills and multiple-choice questions (MCQ) that make up a significant part of an English board exam.

Writing Skills

Writing is a fundamental skill that requires mastery of grammar, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and coherence. In the context of an English board exam, writing skills are assessed through tasks like:

Essay Writing: This involves presenting a clear thesis and supporting the statement with relevant evidence. Essay questions may require you to discuss a concept, an author's perspective, or analyze a text.

Letter Writing: This task tests your ability to communicate effectively through formal or informal letters. You may be required to write a job application letter, a letter of complaint, or a letter of invitation.

Creative Writing: In this task, you are assessed on your creativity, imagination, and expression. You might be asked to write a short story, a poem, or a script for a play or movie.

Narrative Writing: This task requires you to tell a story in a coherent and engaging manner, often by presenting a narrative based on a given prompt.

To excel in writing skills, it's essential to practice regularly, revise your work, and seek feedback from teachers and peers.

Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ)

MCQs are frequently included in English board exams to test your understanding of grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension of texts. Common types of MCQs include:

Grammar: These questions test your knowledge of grammar rules, such as subject-verb agreement, article usage, and sentence structure.

Vocabulary: These questions test your ability to use words correctly in context and define their meanings.

Comprehension: These questions test your ability to understand the main ideas, details, and inferences in a text.

To excel in MCQs, it's essential to:

• Know the rules and exceptions in grammar.
• Expand your vocabulary by reading books, magazines, and articles.
• Practice comprehension exercises regularly.
• Understand the types of questions likely to appear in your exam.

Tips for Preparing for English Board Exams

• Practice writing: Write essays, letters, and creative pieces regularly to develop your writing skills.
• Read widely: Read books, magazines, and online articles to expand your vocabulary and improve your comprehension skills.
• Answer practice questions: Use past papers or online resources to practice MCQs and improve your familiarity with the types of questions likely to appear in your exam.
• Revise regularly: Review the content you've learned to reinforce your understanding and prepare for your exam.
• Seek feedback: Ask teachers or peers to review your work and provide constructive feedback.
• Stay organized: Keep track of exam dates, create a study schedule, and break down your work into manageable tasks.

Preparing for English board exams requires dedication, hard work, and a systematic approach. By focusing on writing skills and multiple-choice questions, you can improve your chances of success in these assessments. Good luck!

Description

Explore the essential components of English board exams focusing on writing skills and multiple-choice questions (MCQs). Dive into topics such as essay writing, letter writing, creative writing, and narrative writing for building writing proficiency. Understand grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies for excelling in MCQs. Get valuable tips on preparing for English board exams to enhance your skills and boost your exam performance.

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• Peterborough

Writing Multiple Choice Exams

• The key to multiple choice questions
• Exam basics
• Types of multiple choice questions
• Analyze the prompt and responses
• Consider Qualifiers

Strategic Elimination

• Revisit your answers

The Key to Multiple Choice Questions

Most people have very clear feelings about multiple choice exams. Students may love them because they don’t have to write lengthy answers and they know the correct answer is there on the page. However, many students fear the multiple choice question because this type of question is right or wrong – there is no room for error.  Often, students perceive this type of question to be “tricky.”

The key: remember that the best response is the correct response; more than one response may be partially correct, but only one answers the question completely and directly.

Exam Basics

Read the instructions.

Every examination requires you to do different things in different ways.  It is essential that you read all of the instructions very carefully before you begin to respond to the questions. Where are you to record your answers? How many questions or sections are you required to answer? Are you to submit both the exam booklet and a scantron sheet? Also ensure that you have clearly labelled all exam papers with your full name, student number, and instructor’s name because papers can be lost, and you do not want to have to write an exam a second time.

Manage your Time

While you review the examination instructions and questions, it is important to consider how each section or question is graded.  Multiple choice questions are often worth one half or full marks. Short answers may be worth five or ten marks, and essays can be worth up to 50 marks. Establish priorities for response and set parameters for the amount of time you need to spend on each section and each question. Often you can try to spend one minute per mark in a two- or three-hour exam.

For example, for 60 multiple choice questions, you should need about an hour.  Rather than tell yourself that you have sixty minutes to complete a section, use the clock to set a deadline: after reviewing the exam, you may begin your multiple choice section at 2:10, so mark on your booklet that you need to be finished answering questions in this section at 3:10.  You can also break down a large section like this: questions #1-15 finished at 2:25, #16-30 at 2:40, and so on. Remember that some questions will take only 20 seconds, while others may require more time, but it all averages out in the end. Be sure to leave time for review and to complete the answer sheet while you work through the multiple choice exam.

Manage your Stress

You will be better able to control any stress you feel for the exam by taking a few moments to review and plan your approach.  Take some deep breaths.  Jot a few notes about items you do not wish to forget.  And then remember, you are in control, so approach with an eye for detail and a clear direction to show what you have learned in the course.

Types of Multiple Choice Questions

Factual questions.

Factual Questions require simple recall of a definition, formula, place, name or date.

The first hominid species to populate Europe and Asia was most probably

• Homo erectus
• Homo radiensis
• Homo habilis
• Homo sapiens

Conceptual Questions

Conceptual Questions can be tougher than factual questions because they test your knowledge of definitions, theories, and process by asking questions that require you to think about them, often in a way that is different from how the concept was discussed in the text or in class. These questions generally address one part of a larger concept.

The number of patrons at Tim Hortons in a given time period is an example of which level of measurement?

Use your knowledge of how each of these terms is defined to correctly respond to the question. Focus on the key words in the question – “number of patrons” and “given time period” – and match it to the term which is defined the same way.

Applied Questions

Applied Questions require you to use what you have learned to identify the appropriate response for a question using a new situation or scenario.

A systems review of Mr. Lawson, a 101 year old man in Peterborough, reveals wrinkled skin, pear-shaped body, 10 pound weight loss in the last decade, diminished appetite, “pasty” mouth, dentures, and constipation. Mr. Lawson has edematous, cool feet and is unable to go up one flight of stairs without shortness of breath. A possible explanation for Mr. Lawson’s edematous feet is:

• constricted arteries.
• use of diaphragm for expiration.
• dilated and tortuous veins.
• an increase in anteroposterior chest diameter.

To respond to this question, first consider common causes of edema, and then consider the current state of the patient, identifying key factors that match the causes for edema. More than one of the responses may correctly identify a cause for edema, but only one will correctly identify its cause for this particular patient. Be sure to answer with the presented case in mind.

Be systematic in your approach

A multiple choice question may seem straight-forward, but it is essential that you read very closely and carefully to understand the question and the possible answers.

Analyze the Prompt and Responses

Use another paper to cover the responses in order to focus on the stem or the question.  Underline key words to correctly establish what the question asks.

Then reveal each response one at a time, identifying the decoy, the possible answer(s), and the correct answer. This allows you to avoid confusion and to consider each option for its own merits, rather than in opposition to the other, similarly-worded responses.

You may find it helpful to mark each response with a check or an x.  Alternatively, you can guess the answer to the question prior to revealing the responses and then look for your initial response in the listed options.

For Example

1.  Read the question first.  Highlight key words.

Which evidence best supports the hypothesis that the presence of toxic latex in leaves deters insects from feeding on a plant?

2.  Reveal each answer one at a time. Assess responses based on your knowledge about requirements for evidence: precision and detail. They are somewhat similar – more than one response may support the hypothesis, but one response is better than the others.

• Many insects do not feed on latex-producing plants.
• Latex-producing plants release milky latex when their leaves are damaged.
• Beetles that drain latex out of part of a leaf can then feed on that part.
• Beetles that cut veins in the leaves can then feed on the latex released.
• Latex-producing plants have high survival rates.

Consider the Qualifiers

Relative terms like often, seldom, perhaps, sometimes, generally, may, and tend, usually indicate a degree of play; the statement involved doesn’t have to be unconditionally true. Absolute terms — always, never, only, necessary, must — have the opposite effect; the statement must meet all conditions. So in the example below, although all of the responses could be correct, only one response is the most important fact and the right answer.

The most important fact about administering medication to a toddler is the child’s

• body surface area

Questions in the negative form – as well as questions that contain double negatives – can also cause students some distress. In this case, you may find it helpful to flip the question to make it positive. Ask “what are the consequences of adopting agriculture?” By identifying the responses which list the consequences, you will be able to determine which options list answers which are not the consequences of adopting agriculture.

Which of the following is not a consequence of adopting agriculture?

• greater leisure time, more economic security and better health
• more independence for individuals, freedom to move, greater security
• better education, poorer health, greater variety in diet
• all of the above

Another hint: it’s easy to eliminate the response “all of the above” once one response is deemed incorrect. Likewise, if “none of the above” is an option, and one or more of the options above it is correct, then “none of the above” can be eliminated.

When you are unsure of the correct answer for a particular question, mark it and move on. You can come back to it once you have answered the remaining questions, and you may have a new perspective on what the question is asking or what the responses are stating. It is almost always in the student’s best interest to guess the response for a tough question; only if the instructor is using negative marking should you leave the response blank.

Consider the following strategies to strategically eliminate incorrect answers:

• Eliminate a response that does not match the sentence structure of the question or prompt; if an option leads you to a grammatically incorrect sentence, it is probably not the correct response.
• Eliminate a response that seems out of synch with the rest of the options; if an option is not written in the same style as all the other choices – for example, a response that is a list when the others are not, it is probably not correct.
• Eliminate two responses if the other two are very similar in wording. In the example below, options b and c list similar responses; one of these options is more likely to be correct than a or d.

Three features cultures must possess before they are deemed states are

• food surplus, ceramic technology, wheeled vehicles
• food surplus, formal government, mobile settlements
• food surplus, urban cores, formal government
• food surplus, social equality, fine art

Revisit all your Answers

Although disproven by many educational psychologists, students continue to cling to the misconception that they should not change an answer once they have selected it. Your first instinct is not always correct; you are more likely to select the correct response when you take the time to review your responses and select the best answers. With time to think, some of the pressure of the exam is alleviated, and you may have a clearer head which will allow you to thoughtfully consider the question and select the response that is complete and correct.

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This page continues from our page: Planning an Essay , the essential first step to successful essay writing.

This page assumes that you have already planned your essay, you have taken time to understand the essay question, gathered information that you intend to use, and have produced a skeleton plan of you essay – taking into account your word limit.

This page is concerned with the actual writing of your essay, it provides some guidelines for good practice as well as some common mistakes you'll want to avoid.

Structuring Your Essay

An essay should be written in a flowing manner with each sentence following on logically from the previous one and with appropriate signposts to guide the reader.

An essay usually takes the following structured format:

• The introduction
• The main body: a development of the issues
• A conclusion
• A list of references of the sources of information you have used

The Introduction

The function of the introduction is simply to introduce the subject, to explain how you understand the question, and describe briefly how you intend to deal with it.

You could begin by defining essential terms, providing a brief historical or personal context if appropriate, and/or by explaining why you think the subject is significant or interesting.

Some people are far too ambitious in writing their introductions. Writing a lengthy introduction limits the number of words available for the main body of the assignment.

Keep the introduction short, preferably to one or two paragraphs and keep it, succinct, to the point.

Some students find it best to write a provisional introduction, when starting to write an essay, and then to rewrite this when they have finished the first draft of their essay. To write a provisional introduction, ask yourself what the reader needs to know in order to follow your subsequent discussion.

Other students write the introduction after they have written the main body of the essay – do whatever feels right for you and the piece of work you are writing.

The Main Body: A Development of the Issues

Essays are generally a blend of researched evidence (e.g. from additional reading) and comment.

Some students' essays amount to catalogues of factual material or summaries of other people's thoughts, attitudes, philosophies or viewpoints.

At the opposite extreme, other students express only personal opinions with little or no researched evidence or examples taken from other writers to support their views.  What is needed is a balance.

The balance between other researchers’ and writers’ analysis of the subject and your own comment will vary with the subject and the nature of the question.   Generally, it is important to back up the points you wish to make from your experience with the findings of other published researchers and writers.

You will have likely been given a reading list or some core text books to read. Use these as your research base but try to expand on what is said and read around the subject as fully as you can. Always keep a note of your sources as you go along.

You will be encouraged and expected to cite other authors or to quote or paraphrase from books that you have read. The most important requirement is that the material you cite or use should illustrate, or provide evidence of, the point you are making. How much evidence you use depends on the type of essay you are writing.

If you want a weight of evidence on some factual point, bring in two or three examples but no more.

Quotations should not be used as a substitute for your own words. A quote should always have an explanation in your own words to show its significance to your argument.

When you are citing another author's text you should always indicate exactly where the evidence comes from with a reference, i.e. give the author's name, date of publication and the page number in your work.  A full reference should also be provided in the reference list at the end.

See our page: Academic Referencing for more information.

A Conclusion

At the end of an essay you should include a short conclusion, the purpose of which is to sum up or draw a conclusion from your argument or comparison of viewpoints.

In other words, indicate what has been learned or accomplished. The conclusion is also a good place to mention questions that are left open or further issues which you recognise, but which do not come within the scope of your essay.

Neither the conclusion, nor the introduction, should totally summarise your whole argument: if you try this, you are in danger of writing another assignment that simply repeats the whole case over again.

You must include a reference list or bibliography at the end of your work.

One common downfall is to not reference adequately and be accused of plagiarism. If you have directly quoted any other author's text you should always indicate exactly where the evidence comes from in a reference. If you have read other documents in order to contrast your argument then these should also be referenced.

See our page: Academic Referencing for a more comprehensive look at the importance of referencing and how to reference properly.

Signposting or Guiding your Reader

When writing an essay it is good practice to consider your reader.

To guide the reader through your work you will need to inform them where you are starting from (in the introduction), where you are going (as the essay progresses), and where you have been (in the conclusion).

It is helpful to keep the reader informed as to the development of the argument. You can do this by using simple statements or questions that serve to introduce, summarise or link the different aspects of your subject.

Here are a few examples:

There are two reasons for this:  first,... second,...

Moreover, it should not be forgotten that...

With regard to the question of...

Another important factor to be considered is...

How can these facts be interpreted? The first point...

There are several views on this question. The first is...

Finally, it is important to consider...

Constructing Paragraphs

One important way of guiding the reader through your essay is by using paragraphs.

Paragraphs show when you have come to the end of one main point and the beginning of the next.  A paragraph is a group of sentences related to aspects of the same point.  Within each individual paragraph an idea is introduced and developed through the subsequent sentences within that paragraph.

Everyone finds it easier to read a text that is broken into short paragraphs.

Without paragraphs, and the spaces between them, the page will appear like an indigestible mass of words.

You should construct your essay as a sequence of distinct points set out in a rational order.

Each sentence and paragraph should follow logically from the one before and it is important that you do not force your reader to make the connections. Always make these connections clear signposting where the argument or discussion is going next.

Although the points you are making may seem obvious to you, can they be more clearly and simply stated?

It is also worth bearing in mind that the marker of your work may have a lot of other, similar pieces of work to mark and assess. Try to make yours easy to read and follow – make it stand out, for the right reasons!

Essay Style

There are two general misconceptions about essay style:

• One is that a good essay should be written in a formal, impersonal way with a good scattering of long words and long, complicated sentences.
• The other misconception is to write as we talk. Such a style is fine for personal letters or notes, but not in an essay. You can be personal, but a certain degree of formality and objectivity is expected in an academic essay.

The important requirement of style is clarity and precision of expression.

Where appropriate use simple and logical language and write in full or complete sentences.  You should avoid jargon, especially jargon that is not directly connected to your subject area. You can be personal by offering your own viewpoint on an issue, or by using that view to interpret other authors' work and conclusions.

Drafts and Rewriting

Most essays can be improved by a thorough edit.

You can cross out one word and substitute another, change the shape or emphasis of a sentence, remove inconsistencies of thought or terminology, remove repetitions and ensure there is adequate referencing.

In short, you are your first reader, edit and criticise your own work to make it better. Sometimes it is useful to read your essay out loud.

Another useful exercise is to ask someone else to read the essay through. A person proofreading the essay for the first time will have a different perspective from your own and will therefore be better placed to point out any incoherence, lack of structure, grammatical errors, etc.

Ideally find somebody to proofread who has a good grasp of spelling and grammar and at least a casual interest in your subject area.

One or two edits should be sufficient. It is best not to become involved in an unproductive multiplicity of drafts. The remedy is to analyse the question again and write another, simple, plan based on how to organise the material you are not happy with in the draft of your essay. Rewrite the essay according to that revised plan and resist the tendency to panic in the middle, tear it up and start all over again. It is important to get to the end and then revise again. Otherwise you will have a perfect opening couple of paragraphs and potentially the rest of the essay in disarray.

You will learn and improve much more through criticising and correcting your work than by simply starting again.

Don't Panic!

A few students can get so anxious about an assignment that they find themselves unable to write anything at all.

There are several reasons why this can happen. The primary reason is usually that such students set themselves too high a standard and then panic because they cannot attain it. This may also be due to factors such as the fear of the expectations of others or placing too high an expectation on themselves.

Whatever the reason, if you cannot write an assignment, you have to find a way out of your panic.  If you find yourself in this position, do not allow the situation to drift; try to act swiftly.  Discussing your worries with your tutor and/or peers, or simply writing them down, will help you clarify why you might feel stuck.

Another trick is to dash off what you consider to be a 'bad' essay, hand it in and see what happens, or decide to write the assignment in two hours without notes or references and see how that goes. You can always come back to enter the references later.

Students often say that their hurried and most casual essay got a higher mark than one which they struggled with for weeks; in fact this happened because they got down to essentials and made their points quickly.  The experiment might be worth a try.

If, despite study and good intentions, you cannot seem to get your essay written, or even started, you should let your tutor know as soon as possible.

Your tutor will have encountered such problems many times, and it is part of his/her job to help you sort them out.

Continue to: Assignment Finishing Touches Academic Referencing

See also: The Do’s and Don’ts of Essay Writing Effective Reading Note-Taking for Reading

12 Ways to Quickly Improve Your Academic Essay Writing Skills

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Written by  Scribendi

Anyone can learn to produce an academic essay if they begin with a few basic essay-writing rules. 

An academic essay must be based upon a solid but debatable thesis, supported by relevant and credible evidence, and closed with a succinct and thorough conclusion.

By adhering to the best way to write an essay, you can create valuable, persuasive papers even when you're under a time crunch!

What Makes a Good Essay?

As previously noted, the foundation of any good academic essay is its thesis statement. 

Do not confuse your thesis with your opening sentence. There are many good ways to start an essay , but few essays immediately present their main ideas.

After you draft your thesis, you can begin to develop your essay around it. This development will include the main supporting points of your essay, which will scaffold its main body. 

Essays also typically include a relevant and compelling introduction and conclusion.

Learn How to Write a Great Thesis Statement .

Understanding How to Write a Good Essay

When writing an academic essay, you must take a number of qualities and characteristics into careful consideration. Focus, development, unity, coherence, and correctness all play critical roles when it comes to distinguishing an exceptional essay from one that is less than perfect.

The following essay-writing tips can help writers organize, format, and support their essays in ways that fit their intended purpose and optimize their overall persuasiveness. Here are 12 essay tips for developing and writing your next academic paper.

1. Know What You Are Going to Write About Before You Start Writing

While untrained writers might just sit down and start typing, educated and experienced writers know that there are many steps to writing an essay.

In short, you should know what you want to say before you type a single word. The easiest way to narrow down a thesis and create a proper argument is to make a basic outline before you begin composing your essay.

Your outline should consist of rough notes that sketch out your introduction (including your thesis), the body of your essay (which should include separate paragraphs that present your main supporting points with plenty of evidence and examples), and your conclusion (which ties everything together and connects the argument back to your thesis).

2. Acquire a Solid Understanding of Basic Grammar, Punctuation, and Style

Before getting into more refined essay-writing techniques, you must have a solid grasp of grammar, punctuation, and style. Without these writing fundamentals, it will be difficult to communicate your ideas effectively and ensure that they are taken seriously.

Grammar basics include subject and verb agreement, correct article and pronoun use, and well-formed sentence structures. Make sure you know the proper uses for the most common forms of punctuation. Be mindful of your comma usage and know when a period is needed.

Finally, voice is tremendously important in academic essay writing. Employ language that is as concise as possible. Avoid transition words that don't add anything to the sentence and unnecessary wordiness that detracts from your argument.

Furthermore, use the active voice instead of the passive whenever possible (e.g., "this study found" instead of "it was found by this study"). This will make your essay's tone clear and direct.

3. Use the Right Vocabulary and Know What the Words You Are Using Actually Mean

How you use language is important, especially in academic essay writing. When writing an academic essay, remember that you are persuading others that you are an expert who argues intelligently about your topic.

Using big words just to sound smart often results in the opposite effect—it is easy to detect when someone is overcompensating in their writing.

If you aren't sure of the exact meaning of a word, you risk using it incorrectly. There's no shame in checking, and it might save you from an embarrassing word misuse later!

Using obscure language can also detract from the clarity of your argument—you should consider this before pulling out a thesaurus to change a perfectly appropriate word to something completely different.

4. Understand the Argument and Critically Analyze the Evidence

While writing a good essay, your main argument should always be at the front of your mind. While it's tempting to go off on a tangent about an interesting side note, doing so makes your writing less concise.

Always question the evidence you include in your essay; ask yourself, "Does this directly support my thesis?" If the answer is "no," then that evidence should probably be excluded. 

When you are evaluating evidence, be critical and thorough. You want to use the strongest research to back up your thesis. It is not enough to simply present evidence in support of an argument. A good writer must also explain why the evidence is relevant and supportive.

Everything you include should clearly connect to your topic and argument.   

5. Know How to Write a Conclusion That Supports Your Research

One of the most overlooked steps to writing an essay is the conclusion. Your conclusion ties all your research together and proves your thesis. It should not be a restatement of your introduction or a copy-and-paste of your thesis.

A strong conclusion briefly outlines the key evidence discussed in the body of an essay and directly ties it to the thesis to show how the evidence proves or disproves the main argument of your research.

Countless great essays have been written only to be derailed by vague, weakly worded conclusions. Don't let your next essay become one of those.     

6. Build a Solid Thesis to Support Your Arguments

A thesis is the main pillar of an essay. By selecting a specific thesis, you'll be able to develop arguments to support your central opinion. Consider writing about a unique experience or your own particular view of a topic .

Your thesis should be clear and logical, but it should also be debatable. Otherwise, it might be difficult to support it with compelling arguments.

7. Develop an Interesting Opening Paragraph to Hook In Readers from the Get-Go

No matter how you begin your essay, you must strive to capture the reader's interest immediately. If your opening paragraph doesn't catch the eye and engage the brain, any attempt at persuasion may end before the essay even starts. 

The beginning of your essay is crucial for setting the stage for your thesis.

8. Always Remember to Edit and Proofread Your Essay

Any decent writer will tell you that writing is really rewriting. A good academic essay will inevitably go through multiple drafts as it slowly takes shape. When you arrive at a final draft, you must make sure that it is as close to perfect as possible.

This means subjecting your essay to close and comprehensive editing and proofreading processes. In other words, you must read your paper as many times as necessary to eliminate all grammar/punctuation mistakes and typos.

It is helpful to have a third party review your work. Consider consulting a peer or professional editing service. Keep in mind that professional editors are able to help you identify underdeveloped arguments and unnecessarily wordy language, and provide other feedback.

Get Critical Feedback on Your Writing

Hire an expert academic editor , or get a free sample, 9. when developing your essay's main body, build strong and relevant arguments.

Every sentence in the main body of your paper should explain and support your thesis. When deciding how much evidence to include in an academic essay, a good guideline is to include at least three main supporting arguments.

Those main supporting arguments, in turn, require support in the form of relevant facts, figures, examples, analogies, and observations. 

You will need to engage in appropriate research to accomplish this. To organize your research efforts, you may want to develop a list of good research questions . 

10. Choose the Format of Your Essay before Writing It

The final shape that your essay takes depends a great deal on what kind of format you use. Popular college essay format types include the Modern Language Association of America ( MLA ), American Psychological Association ( APA ), and Chicago Manual of Style ( Chicago style).

These formats govern everything from capitalization rules to source citation. Often, professors dictate a specific format for your essay. If they do not, you should choose the format that best suits your field.

11. Create Clear Transitions between Your Ideas

Although unnecessary transition words are the enemy of clarity and concision, they can be invaluable tools when it comes to separating and connecting the different sections of your essay. 

Not only do they help you express your ideas but they also bring a cohesive structure to your sentences and a pleasant flow to your writing. Just be sure that you are using the right transition words for the right purpose and to the proper effect.

12. Always Include an Organized Reference Page at the End of Your Essay

As a key component of MLA, APA, and Chicago Style formatting, the reference or Works Cited page is an essential part of any academic essay.

Regardless of the format used, the reference page must be well organized and easy to read so that your audience can see exactly where your outside information came from. 

To produce a properly formatted reference page, you may have to familiarize yourself with specialized phrases and abbreviations, such as " et al ." 

How to Write a Good Hook for an Essay

The key to a good hook is to introduce an unexplored or absorbing line of inquiry in your introduction that addresses the main point of your thesis. 

By carefully choosing your language and slowly revealing details, you can build reader anticipation for what follows. 

Much like an actual worm-baited fishing hook, a successful hook will lure and capture readers, allowing the writer to "reel them in."

How to Get Better at Writing Essays

You can get better at writing essays the same way that you improve at anything else: practice, practice, practice! However, there are a few ways that you can improve your writing quickly so you can turn in a quality academic essay on time.

In addition to following the 12 essay tips and guidelines above, you can familiarize yourself with a few common practices and structures for essay development. 

Great writing techniques for essays include brainstorming and tree diagrams, especially when coming up with a topic for your thesis statement. Becoming familiar with different structures for organizing your essay (order of importance, chronological, etc.) is also extremely helpful.

How to Write a Good Introduction for an Essay

To learn how to write a good essay, you must also learn how to write a good introduction. 

Most effective essay introductions begin with relatively broad and general subject matter and then gradually narrow in focus and scope until they arrive at something extremely specific: the thesis. This is why writers tend to place their thesis statements at the very end of their introductory paragraph(s).

Because they are generally broad and often relate only tangentially to an essay's main point, there is virtually no limit on what the beginning of a good introduction can look like. However, writers still tend to rely on somewhat cliché opening sentences, such as quotations and rhetorical questions.

How to Write a Good Conclusion for an Essay

Briefly put, a good conclusion does two things. It wraps up any loose ends and drives home the main point of your essay. 

To learn how to write a good conclusion, you will want to ensure that no unanswered questions remain in the reader's mind. A good conclusion will restate the thesis and reinforce the essay's main supporting points.

Take Your Essay from Good to Great

About the author.

Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing turn into a great one after the editing process. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained nearly 20 degrees collectively. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

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Academic Writing MCQ (Questions) with answers

A cademic Writing MCQ (Multiple Choice Question) : In this blog post (Academic Writing Quiz), we have written important multiple-choice questions on Academic writing.

These Writing Skills MCQs are very important to researchers to improve their writing skills .

Academic Writing MCQ with answers

1.  Which is the most important and of having the most weightage among the followings

 Research paper

 Conference paper

 Patent

2.  The prime focus of academic writing is

 Language

  Reader friendliness

 Tables

 Figures

3. Which is the right flow of action in academic writing?

 Critical Reading-outline-first draft-multiple drafts- final draft- communicate- follow up

 Outline-first draft-multiple drafts- final draft- Reading-communicate- follow up

 Reading-writing draft-communicate-follow up

 Writing the First draft- checking-final draft-communicate- follow up

4. Academic writing is important to students for

 A better understanding of the topic

 Triggering critical thinking

 Improving CV

 All of the above

5. Which is the correct statement?

 You can not do academic writing if you are not doing research

 Teacher’s don’t need academic writing skills

 Academic Writing is the benchmark to assess the academic proficiency

6. Which is the right flow of action in academic writing

 Reading-writing draft-communicate-follow up-revision

7. Which of the two terms can be used together in a research article as per journal requirement?

 Introduction and acknowledgment

 Results and discussion

 Methods and reference

 Materials and discussions

8. Title of the paper should be?

 Simple

 Reader-friendly

 Representative of study

9. Targeting of journals should be done on the basis of

 Scope of journal

 Impact factor of the journal

 Quality of the work in the manuscript

10. Conclusion of an article gives information on

 Future perspective of research work

 Correlation of results with the previous study

 The central idea of the research work

 Sources of the study

11. The abstract must not contain

 Abbreviations

 Aim of the study

 Results

 Conclusion

12. Comma must be thereafter

 Therefore

 Otherwise

 For instance

13. Passive voice should be made

 To emphasize on the object rather than the subject

 To illustrate a universal or general truth

 To be polite in tone

14. In academic writing it should be avoided

 Writing in first person

 Writing in reader-friendly way

 Writing in the third person

15. Cohesion is

 Technical aspect

 Grammatical aspect

 Phonetic aspect

16. cohesive writing is

 Easy to follow

 Containing ornamental language

 a & b both

17. The language services and software is/are

 Origin

18.  ‘Expectancy relation’ between lexical items

 Repetition

 Collocation

 Synonymy

19. Which should be avoided in academic writing?

 Acronym

 Slang

 Idiomas

20. A good and simple technique to identify the language error

 Rely on a spell checker

 Getting checked from friends

 Reading aloud

 None of the above

21. Which of the following is correct? Team and group are same things. Team is a group having common goals. Team is a group with different goals. None of the above

22. In an organization, a team is involved in testing of software. This type of team is known as Software Team Quality Team Work Team Organization Team

23. Which of the following is correct? Honesty is important for team work. Enthusiasm is important for effective teamwork. Both, honesty and enthusiasm are important for team work. Team is dependent on team leader’s guidance.

24. Which of the following is correct? A team is possible with one member.   A team needs at least two members. Number of members are not defined to call a group as team. None of the above

25. Which of the following is correct? There is no significant difference between formal and informal accountability in a team.   There is need to understand concept of accountability for team leaders. There is need to understand concept of accountability for team members. Both (b) and (c) are correct.

26. Which of the following is a challenge in developing good communication environment in a team? Language difference Premature judgement Information overload All of the above

27. Which of the following is correct? Writing research paper in top journals need international team. Writing research papers in top journals need large team. Writing research papers in top journals need team with complementary skills. All of the above

28. Which of the following is a possible conflict in team while doing academic writing? Sequence of authorship Who will be corresponding author? Addition/ deletion of an author’s name All of the above

29. Which of the following is a cause of conflict in team? Communication problems Different perspectives Role ambiguity All of the above

30. Which of the following is a suitable way to resolve conflict in academic writing teams? By discussion By collaborating By accommodating All of the above

31. Methodology in grant proposal Must be addressed in detail Must be brief Need not to discussed Just need the name of method

32. What thing you must have before grant proposal writing Related prior publications/ experience Already done the work Both 1 & 2 Equipment quote

33. The research project/ grant proposal may be related to PG dissertation Ph D work Both 1 & 2 Any routine work

34. What should be the first expected outcome in any science grant proposals Publications in high impact Thesis as output Both 1 & 2 Patent

35. Participation in conferences are needed for Sharing your research on national and international platform Exchanging ideas and updating knowledge and ideas Basis for collaboration All of the above

36. What is / are to be studied before planning a book Competition Target readers a & b Research articles

37. Points for targeting publisher for book is/are Reputation, experience, policy Geographical coverage a & b Time to publish

38. The images with the following licence can only be used without permission Copyright license Creative common license Patent All of the above

39. Standard you tube licence is A kind of copyright of Youtube Free licence Creative common licence None of the above

40. Condition applied to attribute source and use the same licence CC BY SA CC CC BY NC CC BY ND

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2022 AP English Language Multiple Choice Help (MCQ)

4 min read • december 6, 2021

Introduction

Multiple-choice seems to be inescapable from any English-related test. Whether it's the ACT, SAT®, or AP® Lang, you'll have to take on the challenge of multiple reading passages 📖

Fortunately, Fiveable has your back with help on the AP Lang multiple-choice section. Let's take a look at what the multiple-choice section entails and then dive into the two types of questions.

Overview of AP Lang Multiple Choice

Let's break down how the multiple choice section functions:

45 Multiple Choice Questions—45% of Your Score

23-25 reading questions

20-22 writing questions

Reading questions will cover rhetorical analysis, style, and the function of specific devices; on the other hand, writing questions make you "think like a writer" and revise sentences that could be improved.

While you likely won't be taking your Lang multiple choice tests in a park, you can try placing yourself there when taking on writing questions. Image Courtesy of Pixabay

For more information about the concepts covered in the multiple choice section in addition to the structure of questions, check out our Lang multiple choice study guide .

There are different strategies for reading and writing questions though—let's start with reading!

Reading Questions

One of the best tools that you have at your disposal is your pencil. In fact, using your writing utensil effectively is the first tip for reading questions.

1. Annotate all over your reading passages

Many AP Lang teachers will agree that the best way to prepare yourself for any multiple choice question is by effectively annotating. It's likely that you'll have little time to re-read any passage with just 45 minutes; therefore, it's important your first read is your best read.

Note that whenever you annotate, it's crucial to make notes and identify some key things:

Author's purpose

Rhetorical devices

This is a great example of annotations; even though it's an essay passage, you can apply the same strategies to reading passes on multiple choice. Image Courtesy of Sincerely CWIK

The purpose of annotation is to foreshadow possible questions you may have to answer later on. By making notes early on, you are proactively helping yourself to score higher on reading questions!

2. Understand the types of questions and how to answer them

You may be wondering: what are the different types of reading questions?

The reading section of multiple-choice breaks down into these categories of questions:

Comprehension of the passage

Inference [The author implies___/suggests___]

Relationship between content

Identification of rhetorical strategies

Analysis of rhetorical strategies

Function of lines/paragraphs

Effect of syntax

Moreover, the multiple choice section typically covers nonfiction content of different disciplines including science and history. Here's some advice from one AP Lang student:

"Do the passages that you’re more confident first. You can get those points guaranteed, and you’ll be left with the passage you’re not as confident with for the end." —Muni Bondu

3. Practice questions on skills that you're weak on

A great way to ace the multiple-choice section is to practice efficiently . What that means is that you are not just taking practice tests, grading them, and throwing away your test.

My recommendation is that you make a journal, Google Doc, or even a sheet of notebook paper to track the types of questions you're getting wrong. Here's advice from another great AP Lang student:

"Try doing one section every week or so and mark the ones you got wrong. Then, make sure you practice those skills." —Diane Fakinlede

The most important part of multiple-choice practice is understanding what the questions are actually asking. Here's the advice from a high-scoring AP Lang student:

"For multiple-choice, make sure that you UNDERSTAND why you’re getting them right or wrong." —Avery Nelson

Ultimately, permanent practice makes perfect . By keeping track of what you're getting right or wrong and aligning your practice to skills that you're weaker in, your multiple-choice raw score will improve significantly in the long run 📈

Writing Questions

1. don't read the passage in-depth.

AP Lang writing questions are brand new for the 2021 exam; however, the concept of revising writing shouldn't be new for you! As you may already remember from previous revising & editing tests, you shouldn't spend time reading through the entire passage 📖

Just like this person skipping in the woods, you can skip reading through the entire passage on AP Lang writing multiple-choice questions! Image Courtesy of Unsplash

2. Use process of elimination when you're unsure

Rather than trying to find the best answer, eliminate the wrong answers until you get to the best possible choice. Often times, you'll have two answer choices narrowed down. In that instance, directly compare them and pick the better choice!

3. Always answer in context.

This is the most important aspect of the AP Lang writing section! Many writing questions will likely ask which of the following four sentences would best serve a certain function.

In that case, make sure that you're always plugging in the answer choices in context to see which answer choice does the best job!

Multiple Choice Resources

Here are some great resources if you need to practice multiple choice:

Course & Exam Description Practice MC [pg 115]

Official Practice Questions from the College Board.

Unofficial AP Lang practice tests & MC passages.

Khan Academy SAT English

Official SAT English resources that could serve helpful for AP Lang Writing MC practice.

AP Lang's multiple-choice section isn't too bad—you got this! Through effective practice, the process of elimination, and good test-taking practices, you will score high on the AP Lang MC section, helping you earn the coveted 5️⃣ on the AP Lang exam.

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Argumentative Essay MCQ Quiz Questions And Answers

An argumentative essay is a genre of essay writing widely practiced by scholars, educationists, and students. Check out this argumentative essay quiz and test your knowledge of argumentative style! Writers are given a topic to investigate and must do ample research before choosing the opposing or supporting side. However, an argumentative essay is widely known for the presentation of facts by the writers to the audience. Good luck, and don’t forget to challenge your friends and classmates to see who can get the highest score!

What is the first part of an argumentative essay?

Introduction 

Conclusion 

Topic Presentation 

Greetings 

Rate this question:

Which of these types of essays is closely related to the argumentative essay?

Argumentative essay 

Descriptive essay 

Expository essay 

Narrative essay 

Which of these describes the topic of an argumentative essay?

Thesis statement 

Theoretical statement 

Expository statement 

Action statement 

How many parts is an argumentative essay made up of?

Which of these is required to be chosen before working on an argumentative essay.

Topic 

Type of essay 

Number of paragraphs

Number of the readers 

Which of these is the odd one out, meaning it does not belong in an argumentative essay?

Body of the write-up

Signature of the writer 

How many paragraphs should an argumentative essay have? 

Which of these supports the writer's claim .

Reasoning 

What is the main argument of an essay?

Claim 

Explanation 

What is the information that supports the writer's reasoning?

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Academic Writing MCQs with Answers

Welcome to the Academic Writing MCQs with Answers. In this post, we have shared a Test Preparation for Academic Writing Online Test for different competitive exams. Find practice questions with answers of the Academic Writing test online multiple choice questions with answers here. Each question offers a chance to enhance your knowledge regarding Academic Writing.

Academic Writing MCQs with Answers Quiz

By presenting 3 options to choose from, Academic Writing Quiz which cover a wide range of topics and levels of difficulty, making them adaptable to various learning objectives and preferences. Whether you’re a student looking to reinforce your understanding our Student MCQs Online Quiz platform has something for you.

• Test Name:  Academic Writing Online Test
• Type:  MCQ’s
• Total Questions:  40
• Total Marks:  40
• Time:  40 minutes

Note:  Questions will be shuffled each time you start the test. Any question you have not answered will be marked incorrect. Once you are finished, click the View Results button.

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If you are interested to enhance your knowledge regarding  English, Physics , Chemistry , Computer , and Biology please click on the link of each category, you will be redirected to dedicated website for each category.

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Knowledge Base

Writing effective multiple choice questions.

Last Revised 02/01/2022 by bjg

This post provides guidelines for constructing multiple choice assessment questions.

While multiple choice questions can be used to measure a number of different learning outcomes, the validity of these assessments is greatly influenced by how well the questions are constructed.  Use this guide to write multiple choice questions for both lower and higher level learning outcomes.

First, let’s break down the components of a multiple choice question:

The Question Stem:

• Align the stem with a learning outcome (see Writing Learning Objectives ) – assessment questions should only measure the skills you have articulated for the students.  In addition, don’t use a multiple choice question when a different type of question would better assess an outcome.

• Write the stem simply and clearly.  This is particularly important for international students whose first language may not be English.

• Write Questions with only one correct or best answer.
• Make sure your grammar and spelling is correct so as not to confuse students. Students will tend to select the answer most grammatically correct, which may not be the correct answer.

The Distractors or Alternatives:

Distractors or alternatives are the answers other than the correct answer. 

• Distractors should be plausible. Easy or silly distractors reduce the validity of the assessment.
• Distractors should all be roughly the same length and level of detail. Students who are good at test-taking use answer length as a hint to the correct answer. Longer answers are often the correct answer – some students know this.
• Choose an optimal number of distractors.  While there may still be some debate about this, research shows that students perform just as well on quizzes with three options (1 correct answer and two distractors) as they do with four or five options. Why?  Many distractors are not chosen by students because they are not plausible, making them non-functional.  Having to write fewer distractors makes constructing the quiz easier and takes less time.
• Avoid double negatives. Negatively worded questions and double negative questions “Which of the following is least unlikely to be a speculative purchase?” are confusing for students, particularly for non-native English speakers. Survey scientists recommend avoiding the double negative question as a way to keep the assessment valid.
• Avoid “all of the above” and “none of the above.”  Test-takers who can identify that there are more than one correct choice will know that the answer is “all of the above.” When “none of the above” is used, the test-taker simply needs to identify whether one of the answers is correct, and if so, they know it cannot be “none of the above.” Students don’t have to look any further or think about the problem. In either case, students can use partial knowledge to arrive at a correct answer, making the quiz less valid.

• Avoid trick questions. The purpose of an assessment is to test a learners knowledge, not to trick students. Making a test question and answers overly complicated does NOT make the assessment more rigorous and may interfere with test validity.

Measuring higher order thinking in multiple choice questions

While many multiple choice questions are written to assess skills of knowledge and comprehension, it is also possible to write questions for higher order thinking skills.

To measure higher order thinking, consider the following:

• Write a stem which aligns with a higher level learning objective (application, analysis, evaluation, creation – Bloom’s Taxonomy framework) 
• Write a stem which requires multilogical thinking: multilogical thinking requires knowledge of more than one fact to apply to the problem.
• Distractors should require a high level of examination.

A couple of ways to write higher order multiple choice questions:

• In this type of question, present the main item in the stem, and ask the learner to identify the underlying rule or concept in the options. The learner will need to have a complete understanding of the distractor concepts to answer the question correctly.
• All distractors should be plausible with no hints so students are forced to evaluate each answer.
• Ask the learner to select the “best” answer, rather than the correct option. Make sure the correct answer is ‘more correct’ than the distractors.
• Ask students to explain the correct answer choice or why the incorrect answers do not apply using interpretation of graphical information, e.g. data of a relevant experiment.

References:

Chiavaroli, Neville (2017) “Negatively-Worded Multiple Choice Questions: An Avoidable Threat to Validity,” Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation: Vol. 22 , Article 3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7275/5vvy-8613 Available at:

Haladyna, Thomas M., Steven M. Downing, and Michael C. Rodriguez. “A review of multiple-choice item-writing guidelines for classroom assessment.” Applied measurement in education 15.3 (2002): 309-333.

Kent State University. Lightner, J. (2017). Writing Effective Multiple Choice Questions. Retrieved September 24, 2020 from https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/file/Teaching%20Tools%20in%20A%20Flash%20-%20Writing%20Good%20Multiple%20Choice%20Questions%20-%20Final.pdf

Raymond, M. R., Stevens, C., & Bucak, S. D. (2019). The optimal number of options for multiple-choice questions on high-stakes tests: application of a revised index for detecting nonfunctional distractors. Advances in health sciences education : theory and practice , 24 (1), 141–150. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-018-9855-9

Scully, Darina (2017) “Constructing Multiple-Choice Items to Measure Higher-Order Thinking,” Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation : Vol. 22 , Article 4. DOI: Available at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/pare/vol22/iss1/4

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Essentials of Nursing Practice

Student resources, chapter 4: academic writing and assessment skills, multiple choice.

1. What/whose is the most important ‘voice’ in essay writing?

• the evidence
• your patient
• There should be no distinct voice.

2. What words would you NOT use when signposting?

• firstly…secondly…thirdly…finally…
• moving on now to…
• research evidence suggests that …
• to summarise…

3. What shape should you aim for in the structure of your essay writing?

• an hourglass

4. In what order should you try to present material when writing a paragraph about a patient’s care?

• evidence – point – apply – nursing
• nursing – apply – point – evidence
• point – evidence – apply – nursing
• point – apply – evidence – nursing

5. What are fundamental qualities in good written expression?

• precision and clarity
• description
• long, academic-sounding words
• long sentences

6. Which of the following is not a good feature of conclusion writing?

• discussing the meaning of the work
• identifying how it helped you to understand the patient or subject better
• reflecting on how the work can inform your nursing practice
• describing again all the points you have made already

7. Which of the following assessments is not an example of summative assessment?

• a quiz at the end of a lecture
• written assignment

8. What should you avoid doing during a classroom presentation?

• reading from a script
• using just headings and images on a powerpoint presentation
• speaking spontaneously from key points
• engaging your audience by devising interactive activities

9. Select the material that does not belong in a professional portfolio

• critical incident analyses
• copies of your practice assessments, together with any written supporting evidence
• reflection on your overall progress during the course
• interesting articles that you have found in the library

10. What is the least appropriate issue to discuss with your academic advisor?

• academic work
• practice experiences and concerns
• your social life
• additional information and help for students provided by the university