Recommended Reading for Creating Multiple choice tests

Modified on: Wed, 18 Jun 2025 10:11 AM

Introduction

Occasionally, inquiries about scoring multiple choice tests begin with the more basic question: "Can you suggest some references that provide advice on construction of multiple choice tests?"

This article will provide a list of textbooks and resources recommended by Test Scoring and Questionnaire Services (TSQS) as a response to this question.

Applicability

This article was written primarily for instructors and support staff at the University of Alberta, although it may also be useful to students in the Faculty of Education.

Details

The following textbooks provide advice on construction of multiple choice tests:

Haladyna, Thomas M. Developing and Validating Multiple-Choice Test Items. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1994.Haladyna, Thomas M. Writing Test Items to Evaluate Higher Order Thinking. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1997.Jacobs, Lucy Cheser & Chase, Clinton I. Developing and Using Tests Effectively: a Guide for Faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc., 1992.

Osterlind, Steven J. Constructing Test Items. 2nd ed. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998.

See also:Writing Multiple-Choice Test Items, and IDEA Papers from Kansas State University such as No. 16: Improving Multiple-Choice Tests Jacobs, Lucy C. How to Write Better Tests: A Handbook for Improving Test Construction Skills. Indiana University, Bloomington

Keywords: Multiple choice tests, Recommended Reading, test, multiple choice