Med Educ October 2014 PMID 25200022

Reducing the number of options on multiple-choice questions: response time, psychometrics and standard setting.

Stephen D Schneid, Chris Armour, Yoon Soo Park, Rachel Yudkowsky, Georges Bordage

Download social card

Mentions

11
Peak: 6 in Feb 2021
across 2 sources since Jan 2021

Extended reach

8,999
potential audience

Total likes

29

Video views

288

Mentions per month

Jan 2021 – May 2022

Where it's discussed

  • X / Twitter9 posts
  • YouTube2 videos

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The discussions reflect a generally positive reception to the idea that three options can be as effective as four or five, exemplified by assertions like '3 option is better' and references to reliability and validity. The tone ranges from supportive to inquisitive, with users engaging through questions, references to official letters, and endorsements of the potential benefits, indicating moderate but meaningful interest and influence.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most posts support the idea that reducing options to three can maintain reliability, though some acknowledge existing recommendations for four or five options.

InterestHigh interest

The discussions show high interest, with multiple posts highlighting the benefits and debates around MCQ design, indicating engagement with the topic.

EngagementModerate engagement

Comments include references to specific articles, quotes, and justifications for three options, demonstrating a moderate level of thoughtful interaction.

ImpactModerate impact

The posts suggest that the research could influence exam design practices, though the tone remains cautiously optimistic rather than revolutionary.

Abstract in brief

  • Reducing the number of options in multiple-choice questions from four or five to three can save students about 5 seconds per question without affecting the overall difficulty or reliability of the exam.
  • Using three-option MCQs may lead to higher cut scores (by about 8%) when setting standards, which could result in more students failing the exam.
  • Overall, switching to three-option MCQs can make exams more efficient by allowing students to answer more questions in the same amount of time, potentially improving content coverage and test reliability.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Adam Persky
@AdamPersky · X

Construct multiple choice questions with 3 options (correct, 2 distractors). It does not hurt validity/reliability and leads to less exam time (or more questions for better sampling). https://t.co/ORh06NzHm8

Feb 17, 2021 · 8 likes · 5 shares · 784 followers View post →
Medical Education Flamingo, MD, PhD
@MedEdFlamingo · X

New Video! How many options should be there in a Multiple-Choice Question? Five, four or three options? 3 option is better than 5 option for multiple-choice questions in terms of validity and reliability. Here is why. #MedEd https://t.co/nZ165b0F2c

Sep 15, 2021 · 5 likes · 1 share · 1,333 followers View post →
Medical Education Flamingo, MD, PhD
@MedEdFlamingo · X

A research is saying that 3 option is more reliable for MCQs: https://t.co/nZ165b0F2c Letter from Tavakol published yesterday: "Although three-options can produce adequate reliability in select tests, the four- and five- options persist as recommended." https://t.co/RZ7neJK455

May 30, 2022 · 2 likes · 1,333 followers View post →
Conan MacDougall
@ConanMacDougall · X

RT @AdamPersky: Construct multiple choice questions with 3 options (correct, 2 distractors). It does not hurt validity/reliability and lead…

Feb 17, 2021 · 5 shares · 2,586 followers View post →
John Bossaer
@PharmDeetinib · X

RT @AdamPersky: Construct multiple choice questions with 3 options (correct, 2 distractors). It does not hurt validity/reliability and lead…

Feb 17, 2021 · 5 shares · 1,150 followers View post →
Wes Kufel
@WesKufel · X

RT @AdamPersky: Construct multiple choice questions with 3 options (correct, 2 distractors). It does not hurt validity/reliability and lead…

Feb 17, 2021 · 5 shares · 621 followers View post →

All mentions

Medical Education Flamingo, MD, PhD
@MedEdFlamingo · X

A research is saying that 3 option is more reliable for MCQs: https://t.co/nZ165b0F2c Letter from Tavakol published yesterday: "Although three-options can produce adequate reliability in select tests, the four- and five- options persist as recommended." https://t.co/RZ7neJK455

May 30, 2022 · 2 likes · 1,333 followers View post →
Dr Thao Vu
@drthaovuedu · X

RT @MedEdFlamingo: New Video! How many options should be there in a Multiple-Choice Question? Five, four or three options? 3 option is b…

Sep 15, 2021 · 1 share · 196 followers View post →
Medical Education Flamingo, MD, PhD
@MedEdFlamingo · X

New Video! How many options should be there in a Multiple-Choice Question? Five, four or three options? 3 option is better than 5 option for multiple-choice questions in terms of validity and reliability. Here is why. #MedEd https://t.co/nZ165b0F2c

Sep 15, 2021 · 5 likes · 1 share · 1,333 followers View post →
Tim Bloom (also on
@BJDSOP_ADAA · X

RT @AdamPersky: Construct multiple choice questions with 3 options (correct, 2 distractors). It does not hurt validity/reliability and lead…

Feb 17, 2021 · 5 shares · 209 followers View post →
Amber B Clemmons
@ABC_PharmD · X

RT @AdamPersky: Construct multiple choice questions with 3 options (correct, 2 distractors). It does not hurt validity/reliability and lead…

Feb 17, 2021 · 5 shares · 435 followers View post →
John Bossaer
@PharmDeetinib · X

RT @AdamPersky: Construct multiple choice questions with 3 options (correct, 2 distractors). It does not hurt validity/reliability and lead…

Feb 17, 2021 · 5 shares · 1,150 followers View post →
Wes Kufel
@WesKufel · X

RT @AdamPersky: Construct multiple choice questions with 3 options (correct, 2 distractors). It does not hurt validity/reliability and lead…

Feb 17, 2021 · 5 shares · 621 followers View post →
Conan MacDougall
@ConanMacDougall · X

RT @AdamPersky: Construct multiple choice questions with 3 options (correct, 2 distractors). It does not hurt validity/reliability and lead…

Feb 17, 2021 · 5 shares · 2,586 followers View post →
Adam Persky
@AdamPersky · X

Construct multiple choice questions with 3 options (correct, 2 distractors). It does not hurt validity/reliability and leads to less exam time (or more questions for better sampling). https://t.co/ORh06NzHm8

Feb 17, 2021 · 8 likes · 5 shares · 784 followers View post →