How can I write good Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)?

What are MCQs for?

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are one of Applied's initial assessment methods, along with short answer sift questions.

MCQs...

• ... are best suited for high volume roles (200+ applications)
• ... do not block candidates from answering sift questions (i.e. they are an additional way you can assess a candidate's performance to help ease your decision making.)
• ... are best suited for early career or entry level roles to sift out the bottom 10-20% of candidates
• ... can be timed, to add another layer of difficulty

What do they look like on the platform?

 MCQs can be set up in exactly the same way as sift questions on the Build page, except you will need to list out answers to the questions and select which answer is the correct one. You will also have the option of adding a time limit to questions. 

Once candidates have submitted their applications, you'll be able to see their results for the MCQs in the candidate management  page, under the column titled "MCQ". See the image below for reference. 

You can determine an MCQ cut-off point for applications, or you can use a combination of their scores for MCQs and their scores at the initial sift to make a decision on whether to keep candidates in the assessment process. 

What are some good MCQs?

You can write MCQs based on:

General knowledge that might be useful for the role e.g. maths, terminology, logical thinking, data interpretation.

For example:

1. Which of the following pieces of information would be sufficient / necessary to ...
2. Which of the following is not likely to have an impact on...
3. Which of these help explain....

Knowledge about your organisation e.g. how familiar they are with your work and mission. These questions could be timed, so candidates have to answer them in a certain time without additional research

Situational judgement, by giving candidates a challenging situation and offer some alternative solutions 

For example:

1. Select the best response to this situation.
   You are working on a project that requires specialist information. You email the individual with access to this information but they say they are too busy to respond to your request. What do you do? .... 
2. You have two very important deadlines to meet by the end of your working day. However, it's becoming clear in your final two hours of working that you are in danger of missing both deadlines. Select your LEAST preferred response...

If you have any questions or have any ideas for other content that could be helpful, please get in touch with our team at [e-mail].