Multiple choice facts for kids
Multiple choice questions are a popular way to ask people to pick the right answer from a list of choices. You often see them in Tests at school, in elections when people vote, or in surveys to gather opinions. This type of question is very common, especially in the United States.
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What Are Multiple Choice Questions?
A multiple choice question gives you a question or a statement, and then several possible answers. Your job is to choose the best answer from the options given. Usually, only one answer is correct, but sometimes there can be more than one correct choice.
How Do They Work?
Imagine you have a question like "What is the capital of France?" You might see options like:
- A) London
- B) Paris
- C) Rome
- D) Berlin
You would then pick the letter that matches the correct city. This makes it easy to check answers quickly.
Examples of Multiple Choice Questions
Here are some simple examples to show you how multiple choice questions look:
1. What is the sum of 2 plus 2? A) 0 B) 22 C) 4 D) 2
2. In which city can you find the famous Eiffel Tower? A) London B) Paris C) Singapore D) New York
The correct answers are: 1. C) 4 2. B) Paris
Who Invented Multiple Choice Questions?
The very first multiple choice questions were created by a man named Frederick J. Kelly. He introduced them in 1914 at the University of Kansas. He wanted a faster and more consistent way to grade tests for many students. His idea quickly became popular, especially in education.
Why Are Multiple Choice Questions Used?
Multiple choice questions are used for many reasons:
- Easy to Grade: They are very quick and easy to grade, especially with computers. This saves a lot of time for teachers and test makers.
- Fairness: Everyone gets the same choices, which can make tests feel fairer.
- Cover Many Topics: You can ask many questions in a short time, covering a lot of different subjects.
- Surveys and Polls: They are great for surveys because people can quickly pick an option, making it easy to collect information from many people.
- Elections: In some elections, voters choose a candidate from a list, which is a form of multiple choice.
Are There Any Downsides?
While multiple choice questions are useful, they do have some challenges:
- Guessing: Sometimes, people can guess the correct answer even if they don't know it.
- Limited Answers: They don't let you explain your thoughts or show how you solved a problem. You just pick an answer.
- Careful Design Needed: It can be tricky to write good multiple choice questions. The wrong answers (called "distractors") need to seem possible but still be clearly incorrect.
Images for kids
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A multiple choice question, with days of the week as potential answers
See also
In Spanish: Pregunta de opción múltiple para niños
