MCQ
Education & Academia abbreviation · Standardized Test
| Stands for | Multiple-choice question |
|---|---|
| Categories | Education & Academia |
MCQ stands for Multiple-choice question, a standardized test abbreviation.
Test item that asks the examinee to choose the correct answer from a set of options, usually four or five, the format used in most standardized tests because answers can be scored quickly and consistently. Medical, nursing and licensing exams rely heavily on long MCQ papers.
Example: The final exam has 60 MCQs and two short essay questions.
Usage notes
The question text is called the stem, and the wrong options are distractors. Variants include "single best answer" questions, common in medical exams, and "select all that apply" items used by the NCLEX. Well-written MCQs avoid clues such as "all of the above".
Related abbreviations
More standardized test abbreviations
- LNAT – National Admissions Test for Law
- LSAT – Law School Admission Test
- MAP – Measures of Academic Progress
- MAT – Miller Analogies Test
- MCAS – Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System
- MCAT – Medical College Admission Test
- NAEP – National Assessment of Educational Progress
- NAPLEX – North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination
- NAVLE – North American Veterinary Licensing Examination
- NCE – National Counselor Examination
- NCLEX-PN – National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses
- NCLEX-RN – National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses