DICHOTOM O U S A N D

MULTIPL E C H O IC E
DICHOTOMOUS
The dichotomous question is a question which can
have two possible answers. Dichotomous questions
are usually used in a survey that asks for a yes/no,
true/false or agree/disagree answers. They are used
for clear distinction of qualities, experiences or
respondent’s opinions.
CHARACTERISTICS
You can use dichotomous questions to determine if a
respondent is suited to respond to the next question.
This is called a filter or contingency question. Filters
can quickly become complex, so try not to use more
than two or three filter questions in a row.
ADVANTAGES

•They're easy to score - there are only one of two options.

•They're a good screener - if you're going to do a survey on
the best candy, you should throw out all the people who
don't like candy. (Or, maybe give them a different
questionnaire.)
DISADVANTAGES
•Little usable data - beyond the yes or no, it does not tell
you how much or how little. It is very black or white.
•Questions may blunt specifics - for instance, some days
you may not want to eat candy, so you will respond with a
no. Or, what if the person is diabetic? This type of
question does not take their specifics into account.
EXAMPLES
MULTIPLE CHOICE
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.
CHARACTERISTICS
Multiple-choice questions are probably the most widely used of
objective tests. Such questions are normally composed of four parts:

• STEM - question or incomplete statement

• OPTIONS - suggested answers or completions
• DISTRACTERS - incorrect responses
• KEY - correct response
In some cases, MCQs may be used to test higher abilities by
asking students to judge the most appropriate answers to a
problem from several "correct" ones. Obviously, great care is
required for the setting of such a question.

It is usual to have four or five options, with five options giving

the most reliable test. However, it may be difficult to provide
five plausible options and in this case it is better to stay with
four.
ADVANTAGES
• Quick and easy to score, by hand or electronically
• Can be written so that they test a wide range of higher-order
thinking skills

• Can cover lots of content areas on a single exam and still be answered
in a class period
DISADVANTAGES
• Provide unprepared students the opportunity to guess, and
with guesses that are right, they get credit for things they
don’t know
• Expose students to misinformation that can influence
subsequent thinking about the content
• Take time and skill to construct (especially good questions)
EXAMPLES
SOURCES
https://facultyinnovate.utexas.edu/teaching/check-learning/question-types/multiple-choice
http://www.iml.uts.edu.au/assessment/types/mcq/
http://content.wisestep.com/questionnaire-types-advantages-disadvantages/
https://www.questionpro.com/blog/what-is-a-dichotomous-question/
http://www.higherdoc.info/dichotomous-question-example/
https://infoactive.co/data-design/ch04.html