When we think about English language tests, many of us immediately picture multiple-choice questions. These questions are familiar. They are quick to complete, easy to score, and efficient for evaluating large groups of students. Because of their practicality, multiple-choice questions (MCQs) have become a standard feature in classrooms and national exams around the world.
However, as education increasingly values real-world language use, we need to pause and ask: Is multiple choice still the best way to assess English language skills? To answer this, we need to explore what multiple-choices questions can and cannot measure, and whether they still fit today's goals for language education.
What Multiple-Choice Tests Can Do
Let's start with their strengths. multiple-choices questions are highly effective for testing recognition-based knowledge---for example, vocabulary, grammar rules, and basic reading comprehension (Brown, 2004). When a teacher wants to know whether a student can recognize the correct use of "has" versus "have," a multiple-choice question can provide a quick and reliable answer.
These types of tests are also objective. Since there is only one correct answer, scoring is straightforward and consistent. This makes multiple-choices questions ideal for large-scale exams, where human error and scoring bias need to be minimized. In national assessments or standardized English proficiency tests like the TOEFL and IELTS (in their reading sections), multiple-choices questions remain the most efficient way to test certain language skills (Fulcher & Davidson, 2007).
In addition, multiple-choices questions are convenient for both students and teachers. They are time-saving and cost-effective, which explains why they remain popular despite ongoing criticism.
What Multiple-Choice Tests Cannot Do
Despite these advantages, multiple-choice questions have clear limitations. Their biggest weakness is that they cannot assess productive language skills---that is, the ability to speak and write in English.
Speaking and writing require more than recognition; they require creation. In real life, we use language to express ideas, share opinions, ask questions, solve problems, and engage in meaningful conversations. Unfortunately, none of these skills can be properly evaluated through multiple-choice questions.
As Hughes (2003) argues, multiple-choices questions do not require students to produce language. A student might recognize the correct form in a sentence, but this doesn't mean they can use that form accurately in their own speech or writing. For example, choosing the right verb tense from a list doesn't mean the student can write a full paragraph with correct grammar and clear ideas.
Listening comprehension is another area where multiple-choices questions may fall short. Real-life listening involves interpreting tone, emotion, and sometimes unclear or fast speech. While multiple-choices questions can test basic understanding, they rarely reflect the complexity of actual communication.
