These tests are well known in the teaching field. They consist of several options (three to five), from which the student has to choose the correct answer. Usually, one of the answers is correct, and the rest are called “distracters,” because they may seem possible answers but are incorrect. It takes patience and deep knowledge of the subject to build intelligent questions and tricky answers that challenge students.

As streamlined as choice-based tests can be, many educators feel that they’re also too limited in structure to be able to test nuance well. If you’re unconvinced that choice-based tests would best serve your students, check out our other articles on what makes for good classroom assessment and what options you have in structuring your evaluations.