mcqs on essay writing techniques

Essay Papers Writing Online

A comprehensive guide to essay writing.

Essay writing is a crucial skill that students need to master in order to succeed academically. Whether you’re a high school student working on a history paper or a college student tackling a critical analysis essay, having a solid understanding of the essay writing process is essential.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the essential tips and tricks that will help you improve your essay writing skills. From generating ideas and organizing your thoughts to crafting a strong thesis statement and polishing your final draft, we’ve got you covered.

Not only that, but we’ll also provide you with useful templates that you can use as a framework for your essays. These templates will help you structure your writing, stay focused on your main argument, and ensure that your essay flows smoothly from one point to the next.

The Ultimate Essay Writing Guides

Essay writing can be a challenging task for many students, but with the right guidance and tips, you can improve your writing skills and produce high-quality essays. In this ultimate guide, we will provide you with valuable advice, tricks, and templates to help you excel in your essay writing endeavors.

1. Understand the Prompt: Before you start writing your essay, make sure you fully understand the prompt or question. Analyze the requirements and key points that need to be addressed in your essay.

2. Create an Outline: Organize your ideas and thoughts by creating a detailed outline for your essay. This will help you structure your arguments and ensure a logical flow of information.

3. Research Thoroughly: Conduct extensive research on your topic to gather relevant information and evidence to support your arguments. Use credible sources and cite them properly in your essay.

4. Write Clearly and Concisely: Avoid using jargon or complex language in your essay. Write in a clear and concise manner to convey your ideas effectively to the reader.

5. Proofread and Edit: Before submitting your essay, make sure to proofread and edit it carefully. Check for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and ensure that your essay flows cohesively.

By following these ultimate essay writing guides, you can enhance your writing skills and produce outstanding essays that will impress your instructors and peers. Practice regularly and seek feedback to continuously improve your writing abilities.

Tips for Crafting an A+ Essay

1. Understand the Assignment: Before you start writing, make sure you fully understand the assignment guidelines and requirements. If you have any doubts, clarify them with your instructor.

2. Conduct Thorough Research: Gather relevant sources and information to support your arguments. Make sure to cite your sources properly and use credible sources.

3. Create a Strong Thesis Statement: Your thesis statement should clearly outline the main point of your essay and guide your readers on what to expect.

4. Organize Your Ideas: Create an outline to organize your thoughts and ensure a logical flow of ideas in your essay.

5. Write Clearly and Concisely: Use clear, concise language and avoid unnecessary jargon or complex sentences. Be direct and to the point.

6. Revise and Edit: Always proofread your essay for grammar and spelling errors. Revise your work to ensure coherence and clarity.

7. Seek Feedback: Ask a peer or instructor to review your essay and provide constructive feedback for improvement.

8. Use Proper Formatting: Follow the formatting guidelines provided by your instructor, such as font size, margins, and citation style.

9. Stay Focused: Keep your essay focused on the main topic and avoid going off on tangents. Stick to your thesis statement.

10. Practice, Practice, Practice: The more you practice writing essays, the better you will get at it. Keep practicing and refining your writing skills.

Tricks to Improve Your Writing Skills

Improving your writing skills can be a challenging but rewarding process. Here are some tricks to help you become a better writer:

1. Read widely: Reading a variety of genres and styles can help you develop your own voice and writing style.

2. Practice regularly: The more you write, the better you will become. Set aside time each day to practice writing.

3. Get feedback: Share your writing with others and ask for constructive criticism. Feedback can help you identify areas for improvement.

4. Study grammar and punctuation: Good writing requires a solid understanding of grammar and punctuation rules. Take the time to study and practice these essential skills.

5. Edit and revise: Writing is a process, and editing is an important part of that process. Take the time to edit and revise your work to improve clarity and coherence.

6. Experiment with different writing techniques: Try experimenting with different writing techniques, such as using metaphors, similes, or descriptive language, to enhance your writing.

7. Stay inspired: Find inspiration in the world around you. Whether it’s nature, art, or literature, draw inspiration from your surroundings to fuel your writing.

By following these tricks and practicing regularly, you can improve your writing skills and become a more confident and effective writer.

Step-by-Step Essay Writing Templates

When it comes to writing an essay, having a clear and structured template can be incredibly helpful. Here are some step-by-step essay writing templates that you can use to guide you through the process:

• Introduction: Start your essay with a hook to grab the reader’s attention. Provide some background information on the topic and end with a thesis statement that outlines the main argument of your essay.
• Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph should focus on a single point that supports your thesis. Start with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph, provide evidence to support your point, and then analyze the evidence to show how it relates back to your thesis.
• Conclusion: Summarize the main points of your essay and restate your thesis in a new way. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion and instead focus on tying together all the points you have made throughout the essay.

Expert Advice for Writing Top-Notch Essays

When it comes to writing a top-notch essay, it’s essential to follow expert advice to ensure your work stands out. Here are some key tips to help you elevate your writing:

1. Start with a strong thesis statement that clearly outlines your main argument.

2. Conduct thorough research to support your points with credible sources.

3. Organize your thoughts logically and ensure your essay flows smoothly from one point to the next.

4. Use a variety of sentence structures and vocabulary to keep your writing engaging.

5. Proofread and edit your essay carefully to eliminate errors and refine your arguments.

By following these expert tips, you can take your essay writing skills to the next level and produce work that is both informative and compelling.

Resources to Enhance Your Essay Writing Process

When it comes to improving your essay writing skills, there are a variety of resources available to help you enhance your process. Here are some valuable resources that can aid you in becoming a more effective and efficient writer:

• Writing Guides: There are countless writing guides and books that offer tips, tricks, and strategies for improving your writing skills. Whether you’re looking to enhance your grammar, structure, or argumentation, these guides can provide valuable insights.
• Online Writing Communities: Joining online writing communities can be a great way to connect with other writers, receive feedback on your work, and engage in writing challenges and prompts. Websites like Writing.com and Wattpad are popular platforms for writers to share their work and receive critiques.
• Writing Workshops and Courses: Participating in writing workshops and courses can help you hone your craft and develop your writing skills. Whether you prefer in-person workshops or online courses, there are many options available to suit your needs and schedule.
• Writing Apps and Tools: Utilizing writing apps and tools can streamline your writing process and help you stay organized. Tools like Grammarly can assist with grammar and spelling checks, while apps like Scrivener can help you organize your research and ideas.
• Libraries and Writing Centers: Visiting your local library or university writing center can provide access to valuable resources, such as writing guides, research materials, and writing tutors who can offer personalized feedback and support.

By taking advantage of these resources, you can enhance your essay writing process and become a more skilled and confident writer.

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How to master the art of writing expository essays and captivate your audience, convenient and reliable source to purchase college essays online, step-by-step guide to crafting a powerful literary analysis essay, tips and techniques for crafting compelling narrative essays.

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• 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

100+ Essays examples

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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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Academic Writing MCQs

These Academic Writing multiple-choice questions and their answers will help you strengthen your grip on the subject of Academic Writing. You can prepare for an upcoming exam or job interview with these Academic Writing MCQs. So scroll down and start answering.

1: A bibliography or list of works cited should appear:

A.   after the abstract, but before the body of the work begins

B.   in the appendices

C.   before the work's conclusion

D.   at the end of the work

2: What is included in an APA-style in-text citation?

A.   author and publisher

B.   author and publication date

C.   title and author

D.   title and page number

3: Which is a correct APA-style reference for the book "Life of Pi"?

A.   Martel, Y. (2001, Harcourt). Life of Pi: A novel.

B.   Martel, Yann. Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. Print.

C.   Martel, Y. Life of Pi: A novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001.

D.   Martel, Y. (2001). Life of Pi: A novel. New York: Harcourt.

4: All of the following may appear as a section in a piece of academic writing EXCEPT:

A.   Acknowledgements

B.   Debate

C.   Index or Indices

D.   Analysis

5: Views that are in opposition to your own should be addressed:

A.   in full, so that they are fully dispatched by the end of your paper.

B.   respectfully and with some brevity

C.   at length, and at each phase of your argument

D.   never

6: What is a thesis statement?

A.   a short statement of the main point

B.   an explanation of the importance of the argument

C.   a "hook" to capture the reader's attention

D.   a restatement of the most important evidence

A.   results

B.   abstract

C.   literature review

D.   conclusion

8: What is self-plagiarism?

A.   allowing colleagues or classmates to use ideas from one's own work

B.   reusing one's own work; for instance, by submitting the same paper to two classes

C.   deliberately misrepresenting the meaning of a quotation from a source

D.   directly quoting oneself, as if to imply one is an expert

9: Which is a standard order for the sections of a piece of academic writing?

A.   abstract, introduction, background, results, discussion, conclusion, references

B.   background, introduction, abstract, results, discussion, conclusion, references

C.   introduction, abstract, background, results, discussion, references, conclusion

D.   abstract, introduction, discussion, results, background, references, conclusion

10: Which of the following can be properly presented in an academic work without citation?

A.   information within the public domain

B.   paraphrasing

C.   a popular quotation

D.   common knowledge

11: While there are many acceptable structures for pieces of academic writing, all of them have in common:

A.   a thesis statement appearing at or very near the beginning of the work

B.   a 'results' section at the end of the paper, with all relevant experimental data

C.   no fewer than three large divisions within the work

D.   a description of experiments performed

12: The primary difference between an abstract and a thesis statement is:

A.   length: the thesis statement is always longer than the abstract

B.   length: the abstract is always longer than the thesis statement

C.   scope: the first summarizes the entire work, while the second clearly states the work's main purpose

D.   scope: the second summarizes the entire work, while the first clearly states the work's main purpose

13: Which of the following statements about plagiarism is true?

A.   verbatim copying of another person's writing without citation constitutes plagiarism

B.   plagiarism is always the result of deliberate dishonesty

C.   paraphrasing the ideas of another person constitutes plagiarism

D.   ideas from course lectures or discussion sections don't require citation

14: Which of the following is a form of plagiarism?

A.   not providing a citation for assertions that are common knowledge

B.   providing citations for works not directly quoted in your writing

C.   providing citations acknowledging contributions by colleagues or classmates

D.   not providing a citation for an online source without a clear author

15: What is the best pair of descriptors for academic tone?

A.   formal, impersonal

B.   formal, imperious

C.   formal, personal

D.   informal, impersonal

16: True or false: an academic argument is almost always strengthened when the author leaves out first-person pronouns.

A.   True

B.   False

17: What is the most appropriate structure for an academic essay?

A.   the inverted pyramid

B.   the appropriate structure depends on the assignment and topic

C.   the cause-and-effect model

D.   the five-paragraph essay

18: Which of the following is an example of common knowledge that would not require a citation?

A.   an interpretation of the meaning of a symbol in "The Great Gatsby"

B.   the name of the first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

C.   a long direct quotation from Shakespeare's "King Lear"

D.   a scholar's opinion of the efficacy of the Voting Rights Act

19: Where in an academic essay is the most common place to introduce the thesis statement?

A.   as the first sentence

B.   in the first paragraph

C.   after previewing the evidence

D.   in the conclusion

20: Which of the following is an example of plagiarism?

A.   failing to cite an appropriate source

B.   citing an inappropriate source

C.   citing a source too much

D.   citing a source whose authorship cannot be determined

21: Vocabulary should be selected in academic writing primarily for its:

A.   colloquiality

B.   opacity

C.   clarity

D.   formality

22: What is an abstract?

A.   a "hook" to capture the reader's attention

B.   a condensed summary of the entire work

C.   a restatement of the most important evidence

D.   a preface or introduction

23: If a novelist were to attempt a piece of academic writing, what changes in language and tone would she be advised to make?

A.   Use a more personal, less objective voice

B.   Place less emphasis on a clear, linear line of development from one section to the next

C.   Use a less personal, more objective voice

D.   Use fancier words.

24: What is the difference between plagiarism and copyright infringement?

A.   Plagiarism involves using someone else's work without attribution, while copyright infringement involves using someone else's work without permission.

B.   Plagiarism is the least severe form of copyright infringement.

C.   Plagiarism is a legal violation, while copyright infringement is an ethical violation.

D.   Plagiarism is always copyright infrigement, but copyright infringement is not always plagiarism.

25: Which section of an academic paper describes the design of the experiment or study?

A.   abstract

B.   results

C.   references

D.   methodology

26: How should you address sources that disagree with your argument?

A.   by not mentioning them; doing so would weaken your argument

B.   by dismissing them before you begin your own argument

C.   by listing them in a separate appendix

D.   by acknowledging them and rebutting their claims

27: Which of the following could be plagiarized?

A.   data and statistics

B.   computer code

C.   (All of these)

D.   written text

28: Which is most correct? "The professor presented her ideas to the panel of her ____."

A.   colleagues

B.   buddies

C.   extremely important colleagues

D.   extremely important buddies

29: From a style perspective, good academic writing should:

A.   be as florid as possible

B.   use language that reflects the historical prominence of the relevant universities or colleges.

C.   use as sophisticated vocabulary as possible

D.   be as clear and direct as possible

30: What type of academic paper should include a results section?

A.   one that relies on historical analysis

B.   one that develops a novel argument

C.   one that focuses on an experiment or other primary research

D.   one that lacks any other citations

31: Which element is necessary to a strong argument?

A.   a thesis statement that makes a claim

B.   evidence to support a claim

C.   an acknowledgment of opposing views

D.   (All of these)

32: Which are discouraged in many forms of academic writing?

A.   (All of these)

B.   colloquial language

C.   contractions

D.   abbreviations

33: What voice is most appropriate to adopt for academic writing?

A.   folksy and verbose

B.   pretentious and stylized

C.   impassioned and emotional

D.   objective and confident

34: Choose the most correct option for a piece of academic writing: "The complete data of experiment results were ____ in the New England Journal of Medicine later that year."

A.   unfurled

B.   put on display

C.   published

D.   put out

35: What is the best approach to using jargon or technical terms in academic writing?

A.   Jargon and technical terms should be used when appropriate for precision and authority.

B.   Jargon and technical terms should be used in the body of the writing, but never in an introduction or conclusion.

C.   It should be avoided; only vocabulary that will be familiar to the average person should be used.

D.   Technical language should be used as frequently as possible, to demonstrate your mastery of the subject.

36: Which section of an academic paper evaluates the current body of published work in the field?

A.   methodology

B.   literature review

C.   introduction

D.   works cited

37: What is deductive reasoning?

A.   reasoning from general premises to a specific conclusion

B.   reasoning from specific information to broader conclusions

38: What is the relationship between a thesis statement and a topic sentence?

A.   a thesis statement can appear anywhere in the work; a topic sentence must be at the beginning of a paragraph

B.   the work as a whole has a thesis statement; each paragraph has a topic sentence

C.   there can be many thesis statements, but only one topic sentence

D.   the thesis statement is implied and abstract; the topic sentence is the literal statement of the thesis

39: Which of the following is not included in an MLA-style reference for a book?

A.   place of publication

B.   page count

C.   publisher

D.   title and edition number (if any)

40: What is the primary difference between a Works Cited list and a Bibliography?

A.   (None of these)

B.   A Works Cited list is considered more formal than a Bibliography.

C.   APA style calls for "Works Cited"; MLA style calls for "Bibliography."

D.   A Works Cited list includes only references that are cited in the text, while a Bibliography includes all sources consulted.

41: Which is most likely to be an effective strategy for avoiding plagiarism when researching?

A.   never copying down direct quotations

B.   focusing on secondary sources

C.   keeping careful track of sources

D.   using the Cornell method for note-taking

42: Choose the best thesis statement:

A.   Mozart's work contains many masonic symbols.

B.   The masonic symbols within Mozart's works reveal a subtler, politically-minded artist than was originally thought.

C.   Mozart was a great composer.

D.   The masonic symbols in Mozart's work are significant in understanding his beliefs.

43: When is it permissible to copy verbatim from a source without citation or quotation marks?

B.   when the material is in the public domain (no longer under copyright)

C.   when the material is freely available online

D.   when the purpose of the copying satisfies the tests for fair use

44: Which style of citation would be most appropriate for academic work in the social sciences?

A.   MLA

B.   APA

C.   Chicago

D.   Bluebook

45: The correct APA reference format in Academic Writing out of the following

A.   Friedman, H. S. (Ed.). (1990). Personality and disease. New York.

B.   H.S. Friedman (Ed.). Personality and disease. New York: Wiley.

C.   Friedman, H.S. (Ed.). Personality and disease. New York: Wiley.

D.   Friedman, H. S. (Ed.). (1990). Personality and disease. New York: Wiley.

A.   the departmental faculty of one specific field, within one institution or more than one institutions within a geographical area

B.   an event or conference where scholars can come together and discuss developments in their field

C.   (none of these)

D.   a group of scholars who are primarily engaged and interested in a given field

47: What is the in-text citation format for Harvard style of formatting?

A.   Author and year; Author page no.; Author and publisher, Author and title

B.   Author, year, page no.

48: Which of the following is an acceptable way to cite a web source according to the Chicago Manual of Style?

A.   "http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Criminal-Investigation-Issues-Annual-Report" March 2014

B.   United States Internal Revenue Service. "IRS Criminal Investigation Issues Annual Report." Irs.gov. Accessed 10 March 2014. http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Criminal-Investigation-Issues-Annual-Report.

C.   "IRS Criminal Investigation Issues Annual Report" irs.gov 2014 Web 10 Mar 2014

D.   US IRS: "IRS Criminal Investigation Issues Annual Report," irs.gov, http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Criminal-Investigation-Issues-Annual-Report

49: What is a difference between "Works Cited" and "References"?

A.   MLA style calls for "Works Cited"; APA style calls for "References."

B.   (None of these)

C.   A Works Cited list is considered more scientific than References.

D.   A Works Cited list is only appropriate in legal and medical contexts.

50: What is the primary difference between the MLA and Chicago styles of citation?

A.   MLA requires a bibliography, while Chicago calls for a list of works cited.

B.   MLA generally uses parenthetical citations, while Chicago generally uses footnotes or endnotes.

C.   MLA is more appropriate for scholarly use.

D.   MLA is more focused on date of publication, while Chicago emphasizes authorship.

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10 Tips for Writing Multiple Choice Exam Questions

Tests don’t create themselves —  faculty spend hours writing exams each year. But if you still haven’t taken the plunge into writing multiple choice exam questions, starting from scratch can be a scary concept. I come to the office with heart palpitations just thinking about it (BP of 150/90, HR 110bpm).

Well-written test items do a number of things: they address important content, are well structured, have a stem with a clear question, and contain a set of good answer options. Putting together a question that has these elements isn’t that difficult. Stick to the following 10 tips and you’ll be well on your way to writing effective exam questions.

1. Remember the elements

A one-best-answer test question always has three major components:

A five-year-old boy is brought to the office by his father who reports a two-day history of low grade fever and coryza. The child awoke this morning with bright red cheeks. Physical examination reveals edematous, confluent plaques over the malar region of the face, and reticular rash over the child’s extensor surfaces.

* Lead-in question

Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

* List of answer options

A) Rubeola B) Parvovirus B19 C) Respiratory syncytial virus D) Epstein-Barr virus

– Remember these three elements, and you’ll be golden.

2.   The stem has all the answers

The stem is the first part of the item, includes relevant information needed to answer the question, and presents the item as a problem to be solved or a question asked of the respondent. In medical education, the stem typically consists of a clinical case presentation. For example:

A 49-year-old man is examined for a painful, swollen, and erythematous right great toe. Symptoms began 24 hours ago and have progressively worsened.

– Regardless of what type of question you’re writing —  whether it’s a medical knowledge question or a diagnosis question —  the stem should always be written such that the examinee can correctly respond to the question posed without seeing the answer options. Now to that same example, lets add a lead-in question:

A 49-year-old man is examined for a painful, swollen, and erythematous right great toe. Symptoms began 24 hours ago and have progressively worsened. Which of the following will definitively establish the suspected diagnosis?

 – In this particular case, with the information provided in the stem, a test-taker should be able to deduce that looking at the serum uric acid levels will definitively establish the suspected diagnosis (gout).

Since the stem is the part of the test item that stimulates higher order thinking, a good question stem contains all of the information that a student would need. The test-takers challenge is to process the information and apply what they know to arrive at the correct answer. This is difficult, if not impossible, if any of the necessary information is missing.

3. Be vogue, not vague

One of the worst things you can do when writing your test question is to be ambiguous. This vagueness can manifest in some of the following ways: using “may” and “may happen,” using “always” or “never,” posing negative questions, or writing a question in the format of “all of the options are correct, EXCEPT.” Instead, be specific and direct to create test questions that will give you a clear picture of your student’s knowledge and thinking skills.

4. When in doubt, go for a vignette

Clinical vignettes are a fabulous way to structure a question. Vignettes use realistic scenarios that touch on potential past or future experiences in practice. For example:

A 58-year-old man who is a known alcoholic comes to the office with acute onset of epigastric pain. The pain is worse when lying down and improves when sitting up and leaning forward. He has associated nausea and sweating but denies any vomiting. On examination, he is tachycardic and febrile. The abdominal exam reveals epigastric tenderness. Lab studies show leukocytosis. A plain film of the abdomen demonstrates a colon cutoff sign. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

– Just as with all stems, vignettes require enough information to be answered, but you also want to avoid adding extraneous information. Things to include in your vignette are: age, gender, care setting, duration, symptoms, physical exam findings, and diagnostic study results if indicated. Do not include information, such as race or ethnicity, unless it is relevant to the scenario and necessary to answer the question correctly.

5. Lead-in questions

Each stem should end with a lead-in question that the test-taker has to answer. Rather than saying:

The most appropriate diagnostic test is…

– Try phrasing it as a question that asks:

Which of the following is the most appropriate diagnostic test?

– The lead-in question of a stem is important because the test item needs to pose a clear question. Without this, the test-taker is unable to put forth an answer without looking at the answer options (see #2), which diminishes the evaluative nature of your question.

6. One, and only one, answer

Once you have your stem and lead-in question written, it’s time to focus on the list of answer options. First things first: make sure there is only one correct option! Choose your correct answer up front and make sure that, as you continue to build your list of options, they aren’t potential correct answers themselves. A good rule of thumb is to have one correct option and three or four incorrect options. Don’t throw in clearly wrong answers just to have more options. It’s better to have fewer good distractors then several poor distractors.

7. Answer options should be strategic

All of your options should come from a single category. It doesn’t make much sense to have one option be a diagnosis and the rest be clinical interventions, or one option a non-invasive therapy and the rest invasive procedures. For example, which one of these four options is an obvious outlier?

A) Deep brain stimulation B) Ibuprofen (Motrin) C) Prochlorperazine (Compazine) D) Sumatriptan (Imitrex)

– Depending on the stem, a savvy test-taker is going to rule out option A as implausible. To create high-quality test questions, it is important to create plausible distractors, or incorrect answer options, that force students to apply what they know in order to identify the correct option. Distractors that are obvious make the question a poor tool to assess a learner’s knowledge. For that reason, consider creating answer options that are similar in length and complexity, and that are grammatically parallel. Alphabetizing the options can also be a good tool to show that the order of answer options does not indicate the correct answer. Finally, use mutually exclusive options.

8. Avoid common mistakes

To write questions based on best practices, avoid making the correct answer too long, using implausible answer options, or using an “all of the above” option. While they may be commonly found in exam questions, they typically degrade the quality of a test item and hinder your ability to truly assess your learner.

9. Check your work

After you’ve written your stems and options, physically cover up all of your answer options and ask yourself, “Is the question still answerable?”

Also, take this time to ensure that your options are ordered on a single dimension and that the distractors are homogenous and plausible. For example, in the first set of options below, option D is unlike the other options — it’s a specific drug instead of a drug class, and it’s an over-the-counter drug instead of a prescription — all of which make it implausible. Note in the second set how much more homogenous the four options are as a whole:

A) Monamine oxidase inhibitor B) Selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor C) Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor D) St. John’s wort – – – – A) Monamine oxidase inhibitor B) Selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor C) Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor D) Tricyclic antidepressants

10. Peer review

Finally, send your questions to a colleague. Peer review is always the best way to create high quality exam questions. The more people you have review your work and provide feedback, the better the item becomes and the more effective it is as an assessment tool.

Follow these 10 simple tips, and you’re sure to develop a multiple choice test question worthy of a national exam.

The above information has been adapted from PAEA’s New Item Writer Workshop, which is attended by all new PAEA content experts on the Exam Development Boards, as well as from the National Board of Medical Examiner’s manual “Constructing Written Test Questions for the Basic and Clinical Sciences.”

I’d like to acknowledge Assessment Council Chair Kim Cavanagh, DHSc, PA-C, and Assistant Chief of Academic Affairs Olivia Ziegler, MS, PA, for their contributions.

Zachary Britt, MPH, MBA

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Essentials of Essay Writing in English

Essay writing in English is one of the most difficult task a student has to undertake. Our problem is how to translate our thoughts and feeling into correct and living English.

What is Essay?

The Word Essay means to Attempt.

“Essay is an attempt to compose the relevant ideas in correct, concise, comprehensive and concrete way.”  Essay is just a literary composition of any given Topic. It cannot be attractive unless you do not give lightness, grace and ease.

Mostly, students complain that they have no material for a topic or the other for essay writing in English.

Some are shy, while others approach their teachers for guidance, The only guidance that a teacher can give his student is that he should: Search, Read, Think and Practice writing .

From search we mean that a student must develop research attitude. The teacher can make use of the college library for that purpose.

A student must always be prepared to hunt his material wherever he can lay his hand upon.

Reading is most important requisite for writing. Reading will give you the material. But one has to make a healty selection in reading for some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed and some few of be chewed and digested.

There is saying, “One may lead a horse to water, but twenty cannot make him drink.” This means a teacher cannot ask a boy to think. It is just a personal experience which cannot be forced on the students. The power of thinking can be cultivated and then developed through questions as suggested by Socrates.

If you wish to write good English, reading is not enough; you must practice. Do write something every day, even if it is just a paragraph. But write as well as you can so that you may be able to improve upon what only yesterday you regarded as your best.

Essential qualities of an Essay Writing in English:

• What is written must be perfectly clear; there must be no doubt in the mind of the readers as to the meaning.
• It must be expressed in an attractive way; the language should fit in with the ideas. Beautiful thoughts must be clothed in beautiful words.
• There ought to be a logical sequences in what is written; one idea should lead quite naturally to another.
• it is essential to keep to the topic about which it is intended to write. This is especially important in an essay for examination purposes. A composition on Cricket will be treated quite differently from an exercise on “The Advantages of Cricket”.
• Care should be taken with the setting out of the composition: the exercise must be series of thoughts about the subject in question. Each distinct line of thought should be indicated by a paragraph. Let there be a margin of the left hand side or the paper an each paragraph be denoted by an indent.

Jump to techniques of Essay writing

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