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Abstract
Background: The number of answer options is an important element of multiple-choice questions (MCQs). Many MCQs contain four or more options despite the limited literature suggesting that there is little to no benefit beyond three options. The purpose of this study was to evaluate item performance on 3-option versus 4-option MCQs used in a core curriculum course in veterinary toxicology at a large veterinary medical school in the United States. Methods: A quasi-experimental, crossover design was used in which students in each class were randomly assigned to take one of two versions (A or B) of two major exams. Results: Both the 3-option and 4-option MCQs resulted in similar psychometric properties. Conclusion: The findings of our study support earlier research in other medical disciplines and settings that likewise concluded there was no significant change in the psychometric properties of three option MCQs when compared to the traditional MCQs with four or more options.
Highlights
Knowledge about a subject area remains an important framework for evaluating progress in the medical profession [1]
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate item performance on 3-option versus 4-option multiple-choice questions (MCQs) used in a core curriculum course in veterinary toxicology taught at North Carolina State University (NCSU)
This study evaluated the performance of examination items administered to two classes of veterinary students enrolled in a semester-long veterinary toxicology course taught at NCSU’s veterinary college in the Spring semester of 2017
Summary
Knowledge about a subject area remains an important framework for evaluating progress in the medical profession [1]. Multiple choice questions (MCQs) are widely used in medical curricula to assess the acquisition of factual knowledge in a subject area [2,3]. Other attractions to using MCQ format exams include the ability of an examiner to test large numbers of students with minimal resources, ease of grading including the use of non-expert and machine graders, high content coverage, and the ability to obtain highly reliable and accurate scores [2]. One challenge educators face in creating MCQs relates to the development of high-quality incorrect answer options, or “distractors” as they are commonly referred in the psychometrics literature [4]. The number of answer options is an important element of multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate item performance on 3-option versus 4-option MCQs used in a core curriculum course in veterinary toxicology at a large veterinary medical school in the United States. Conclusion: The findings of our study support earlier research in other medical disciplines and settings that likewise concluded there was no significant change in the psychometric properties of three option MCQs when compared to the traditional MCQs with four or more options
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