Chapter 2 MCQs

2.1 Two Types of Test Questions

There seem to be two categories of questions that students encounter. The first category is the multiple-choice question that we all know about. The second category is an “Other” category that includes short-answer, true-false, and fill-in-the-blank questions, among others. MCQ question types are ordered by their presence across courses’ materials.

2.1.1 Multiple choice questions (MCQs)

Students come across so many MCQs in their coursework! The major types of MCQs that I noticed are below. There could be some other types. For each type of MCQ, I give an example from a course document. I identified 18 types of MCQ in total.

2.1.1.1 Simple choice MCQs 18/30

The simple-choice MCQ is a catch-all category for all other type of MCQs. Students select a response, but there may be no pattern in the stem.

PCLN 302

Is good grammar still important? 

a.) Nope! 
b.) Only in education 
c.) Yes! 
d.) Is this a rhetorical question?

BIOL 220, BIOL 221, BIOL 320, BIOL 321, BIOL 331, BIOL 401, BIOL 441, BIOL 460, CHEM 122, CHEM 222, CHEM 224, CHEM 450, NUTR 301, PCLN 301, PCLN 302, PCLN 303, PSYC 411

2.1.1.2 Cause–Effect MCQs 14/30

The question stem and responses refer to a cause–effect relationship.

CHEM 122

What happens when you mix an aqueous solution of sodium nitrate with an
aqueous solution of barium chloride?

a.) There is no reaction; all possible products are soluble.
b.) Only barium nitrate precipitates.
c.) Only sodium chloride precipitates.
d.) Both barium nitrate and sodium chloride precipitate.
e.) Nothing; barium chloride is not soluble and it stays as a precipitate.

BIOL 220, BIOL 221, BIOL 320, BIOL 321, BIOL 331, BIOL 401, BIOL 441, BIOL 460, CHEM 122, CHEM 222, CHEM 224, CHEM 450

2.1.1.3 Calculate MCQs 11/30

Students have to compute or calculate a value in order to select the best answer.

BIOL 220

A fruit fly population has a gene with two alleles, A1 and A2. Tests show
that 70% of the gametes produced in the population contain the A1 allele. If
the population is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, what proportion of the
flies carries both A1 and A2?

a.) 0.70
b.) 0.49 
c.) 0.21 
d.) 0.42 
e.) 0.09

BIOL 220, BIOL 221, BIOL 320, BIOL 331, BIOL 401, BIOL 441, CHEM 122, CHEM 124, CHEM 224, CHEM 450, PCLN 301

2.1.1.4 Exclusion MCQs 11/30

Students must exclude an answer from a set of similar answers.

PCLN 302

The strategies for effective paraphrasing include all the following except

a.) Changing vocabulary 
b.) Copying blocks of text 
c.) Reorganizing word order/sentence order 
d.) Making changes to the grammar

BIOL 220, BIOL 320, BIOL 321, BIOL 331, BIOL 441, CHEM 124, CHEM 222, CHEM 224, PCLN 301, PCLN 302, PCLN 303

2.1.1.5 Visual MCQs 11/30

These MCQs involve students’ selecting a response after interpreting a graphic or some other visual.

CHEM 1222

The formal charge on nitrogen in NO3- is...

a.) -1
b.)  0
c.) +1
d.) +2
e.) -2

BIOL 220, BIOL 320, BIOL 321, BIOL 331, BIOL 441, BIOL 460, CHEM 122, CHEM 222, CHEM 224, CHEM 450, PCLN 303

2.1.1.6 Function MCQs 10/30

The MCQ concerns the role or function of something.

CHEM 450 

Which of the following is the role of a chaperone in protein synthesis? 

a.) Adds functional groups
b.) Increases the hydrophilic nature of proteins 
c.) Facilitates the process of folding 
d.) Determines the amino acid sequence 
e.) Adds prosthetic groups

BIOL 220, BIOL 320, BIOL 321, BIOL 331, BIOL 401, BIOL 441, CHEM 224, CHEM 450, PCLN 303

2.1.1.7 Scenario MCQs 9/30

Students select a response after reading a situation or scenario. These MCQs are different from “Treatment” MCQs.

BIOL 220

A purebred long-tailed cat with long whiskers (TTww) is mated to a purebred
short-tailed cat with short whiskers (ttWW). The kittens will be...

a.) 100% long-tailed with long whiskers
b.) 100% long-tailed with short whiskers
c.) 100% short-tailed with short whiskers
d.) 50% long-tailed with long whiskers, 50% short tailed with short whiskers

BIOL 220, BIOL 320, BIOL 321, BIOL 331, BIOL 401, BIOL 441, BIOL 460, CHEM 450, PSYC 411

2.1.1.8 Fill-in-the-blank MCQs 8/30

Students must select the response that (best) completes one or more blanks in the stem.

NUTR 301

1 gram of fat contains ___ kcalories. 

a.) 4
b.) 5
c.) 7
d.) 9

BIOL 220, BIOL 320, CHEM 122, CHEM 124, CHEM 222, CHEM 224, NUTR 301, PCLN 301

2.1.1.9 Definition MCQs 8/30

Students must define a term, process, or thing.

CHEM 222

The ability of a carbon atom to form rings and chains is called...

a.) hybridization
b.) caternation
c.) allotropy   
d.) catenation   
e.) polymorphism

BIOL 220, BIOL 320, BIOL 321, CHEM 222, CHEM 224, CHEM 450, PCLN 302, PSYC 411

2.1.1.10 Description–Example MCQs 8/30

These MCQs contain language like “best describes” or “example of.”

BIOL 401 

Which of the following is an example of a chemoautotroph? 

a.) Energy from the sun light and carbon from organic compounds 
b.) Energy from inorganic compounds and carbon from CO2 
c.) Energy from organic compounds and carbon from organic compounds 
d.) Energy from the sun light and carbon from inorganic compounds 
e.) Energy from CO2 and carbon from organic compounds

BIOL 220, BIOL 320, BIOL 321, BIOL 401, BIOL 460, CHEM 222, CHEM 224, CHEM 450

2.1.1.11 Compare–Contrast MCQs 8/30

Students have to compare or contrast something in the stem or across the stem and responses.

BIOL 321

Compared to plasmids why would bacteriophages be preferable vectors?

a.) Bacteriophages can hold larger pieces of DNA.
b.) Bacteriophages can hold smaller pieces of DNA.
c.) Bacteriophages cannot be manipulated to hold foreign DNA.
d.) Bacteriophages are better vectors.

BIOL 220, BIOL 320, BIOL 321, BIOL 331, BIOL 441, CHEM 222, CHEM 224, CHEM 450

2.1.1.12 Conjunction MCQs 7/30

Each response contains two or more elements, joined by an and or commas.

CHEM 224

Two other acceptable names for the compound acetone are...

a.) Propanone and diethyl ketone
b.) Ethanone and methyl ethyl ketone
c.) Propanone and dimethyl ketone
d.) Ethanone and diethyl ketone

BIOL 220, BIOL 320, CHEM 122, CHEM 124, CHEM 222, CHEM 224, NUTR 301

2.1.1.13 Likelihood MCQs 6/30

These MCQs ask students to select the “most likely” or “most probable” response.

PSYC 411

A 42-year-old woman comes to the psychologist because of a 2-week history of
depressed and angry mood. Her symptoms started after finding out that she
did not receive her annual work bonus of $2,000. Her manager says that she
did not earn the bonus because her work quality is poor. Which of the
following learning principles is most likely being used to modify her
poor-quality work? 

a.) Positive punishment 
b.) Negative punishment 
c.) Positive reinforcement 
d.) Negative reinforcement 
e.) Classical extinction

BIOL 220, BIOL 320, BIOL 401, BIOL 441, CHEM 450, PSYC 411

2.1.1.14 True–False MCQs 6/30

These MCQs ask students to select a response that is true or false, often in relation to information in the question stem. These are different from traditional true–false questions, where the only two options are “true” or “false.”

BIOL 321

Which of the following is true about RasiRNA:

a.) Promotes degradation of target mRNAs by recruiting RNAses 
b.) Allows transcription of genes involved in gene activation 
c.) Associates with protein complexes involved in heterochromatin formation 
d.) Inhibits translation of mRNA

BIOL 320, BIOL 321, BIOL 331, BIOL 441, CHEM 224, CHEM 450

2.1.1.15 Site-selection MCQs 6/30

These MCQs are fun! Students have to select the answer that corresponds to a region in the body, an anatomical location, part of a cell, etc.

BIOL 401

Which of the following is the location of oxidative phosphorylation in gram
negative bacteria?

a.) periplasmic space 
d.) cytoplasm 
c.) nucleoid region 
d.) inner-cytoplasmic membrane 
e.) cell wall

BIOL 220, BIOL 320, BIOL 401, BIOL 441, BIOL 460, CHEM 222

2.1.1.16 Sequence MCQs 6/30

Students select the answer that corresponds to the correct sequence or that completes a sequence that began in the stem.

BIOL 320

Arrange the following in order of gene function during embryonic
development:

a.) 1, 2, 3, 4 
b.) 4, 3, 2, 1 
c.) 4, 1, 2, 3 
d.) 3, 4, 2, 1

BIOL 220, BIOL 320, BIOL 321, CHEM 122, CHEM 222, CHEM 450

2.1.1.17 Naming MCQs 5/30

Students have to name something, often depicted in a graphic.

CHEM 224

The compound below can be correctly named as...

a.) 2-methylbutanal
b.) 3-methylbutan-1-one
c.) 2-methylbutan-1-al
d.) 3-methylbutanal

BIOL 320, BIOL 321, BIOL 331, CHEM 222, CHEM 224

2.1.1.18 Treatment MCQs 4/30

For treatment MCQs, students have to select the answer that corresponds to a treatment (e.g., for a patient with an illness) or diagnosis. Stems often contain the words “treatment” or “diagnosis” but not always.

CHEM 450

An 8-year-old girl has a condition that is due to defective breakdown of
branched chain amino acids. Her parents are advised not to give her meals
containing branched chain amino acids. Which of the following amino acids
should be restricted in her diet?

a.) Serine 
b.) Tyrosine 
c.) Glutamine 
d.) Valine 
e.) Aspartic acid

BIOL 220, BIOL 441, CHEM 450, PSYCH 411

2.1.2 Other test tasks

MCQs are the main type of question students encounter, but they also encounter a range of other types of questions in PCLN and SOM-Y1 course materials. They also come across case studies, fill-in-the-blank questions, labeling or drawing tasks, matching tasks, naming tasks, sequencing tasks, short-answer questions, and true–false questions.

2.1.2.1 Short answer questions 12/30

Short answer questions are the type we all know and love. Students have to respond to a simple open or close-ended prompt in writing or speaking.

 PSCY 201
 
 What conditioned responses are evident here, and of what type are
 they—classical or operant? Explain.

BIOL 320, BIOL 401, BIOL 441, CHEM 122, CHEM 124, CHEM 222, CHEM 450, NUTR 301, PCLN 301, PCLN 302, PCLN 303, PSYC 201

2.1.2.2 Labeling-Drawing questions 11/30

For this question type, students have to label, draw, or mark something, often on a graphic or some other visual that’s provided to them.

BIOL 441

Draw and label skeletal muscle at all anatomical levels, from the whole
muscle to the molecular components of the sarcomere. At the sarcomere level,
include at least two different stages of myofilament overlap.

BIOL 101, BIOL 220, BIOL 221, BIOL 320, BIOL 401, BIOL 441, BIOL 460, CHEM 122, CHEM 222, CHEM 224, CHEM 450

2.1.2.3 Naming tasks 10/30

Naming questions are similar to naming MCQs, but the question is not in an MCQ format.

CHEM 222

Provide an acceptable name for the compound below. 

(CH3)2CHCH2OH

BIOL 101, BIOL 221, BIOL 320, BIOL 401, BIOL 460, CHEM 122, CHEM 222, CHEM 224, CHEM 450

2.1.2.4 Fill-in-the-blank questions 5/30

Students must fill in one or more blanks in a question.

BIOL 321

In a rapidly dividing cell, proteins are being synthesized to meet the needs of
the cell. A particular gene being transcribed had the following sequence. Fill
in the blank spaces below.

5’ AAGCTAT 3’ template strand 
3’_________ 5’ sense strand 
5’ _________ 3’ sense strand 
5’ _________ 3’ mRNA

BIOL 321, BIOL 401, CHEM 222, NUTR 301, PSYC 201

2.1.2.5 True–False questions 4/30

These are the true–false questions where students select, usually, one of two response options: true or false.

 PCLN 301 
 
 A student should focus more on shallow processing instead of deep
 processing. 
 
 a.) True 
 b.) False

NUTR 301, PCLN 301, PCLN 302, PCLN 303

2.1.2.6 Matching tasks 4/30

Students match elements in one column with those in a second column.

NUTR 301

Match these 

a.) Saturated fat
b.) Unsaturated fat 
c.) Polyunsaturated fat 

With these 
a.) Has one double bond 
b.) All carbons are linked to hydrogens only 
c.) Contains no double bond 
d.) More than one double bond present

BIOL 220, BIOL 441, CHEM 450, NUTR 301

2.1.2.7 Case study questions 4/30

For these questions, students have to read a scenario or case study and then answer one or more, often open-ended, questions.

BIOL 220

A man with type A blood marries a woman with type B blood. Their child has
type O blood. What are the genotypes of these three individuals? What
genotypes, and in what frequencies, would you expect in future offspring
from this marriage?

BIOL 101, BIOL 220, BIOL 320, BIOL 441

2.1.2.8 Sequencing 1/30

For these questions, students have to order or sequence something, and what they have to sequence is not in an MCQ format.

CHEM 222

Arrange the following alcohols in order of increasing boiling point:
(CH3)3COH CH3(CH2)4OH,(CH3)3CCH2OH, and (CH3)2CHCH2CH2OH.

CHEM 222