Multiple Choice, Multiple Benefits by Liliana

Multiple Choice, Multiple Benefits by Liliana - June 2015 Scholarship Essay

A test, by definition, is a procedure intended to establish the quality, performance, or reliability of something, especially before it is taken into widespread use. As long as students have been in school, we have been taking tests. For us, they measure our readiness to venture into the adult world, and make sure the world is ready for us. Personally, my ideal form of testing is multiple choice.
To begin with, there is always a right answer with a multiple choice test. One usually picks an answer, and it is either right or wrong, no gray area or subjectivity. For example, a teacher I once knew would review his tests after his students had taken them, looking for mistakes and anomalies. If a question seemed to have more than one right answer, he would throw the question out. This way, he knew his test was fair to his students. Multiple choice tests come with correct answers; students just need to recognize and choose them. This is one facet of this type of testing that alleviates stress in students, giving them more confidence. I like to connect this observation to a more personal philosophy that everything will eventually work out. I know there will always be a right answer in life; I know I will always be okay.
In the same thread, multiple choice tests also make guessing easier than other types of tests, like free response or essays. Students are able to utilize their deductive reasoning skills and use process of elimination. My fellow students and I can put our prior knowledge to the test as we answer difficult questions. According to Jason Koebler of the U.S. News and World Report, “By asking lots of multiple choice questions, test makers are able to more accurately judge a student’s breadth of knowledge” (Koebler). It is a fact that multiple choice tests are the quickest, cheapest, and easiest way to assess a student’s wide range of knowledge. I attach this reasoning with a bigger meaning in life: we may not have all the answers, but we can make it work using our wits and personal experiences.
In essence, multiple choice tests are by far my favorite form of testing. They have clear correct answers and allow students to showcase a wide array of knowledge. Subconsciously, multiple choice tests foretell that everything in life will be okay. They tell us we can survive using our wits and common sense. All in all, multiple choice tests are the right choice every time.