| Duration: |
4.5 hours (3x 90 min sessions) |
Credits: |
4.5 CPD accredited hours |
Enrol before 22 Dec for the early bird price of £200.
Book now
Bookings close 2 Feb 2026 at 11am (UK time)
Gain confidence in creating and using powerful multiple-choice questions. Learn how to diagnose potential issues with them and develop effective strategies for their improvement.
Why choose this workshop?
Well-designed multiple-choice questions (MCQs) can be a powerful assessment tool, helping you to differentiate students, evaluate teaching interventions, and inform future teaching practice. They also offer the advantage of efficiently covering a broad range of content and reducing overall workload.
However, designing effective MCQs that are valid, reliable and fair can be a challenge. Having poor distractors and questions that limit what skills are being assessed can impact the value of using MCQs in assessments.
This interactive series of three live online workshops, led by Dr Simon Child, will deepen your understanding of the underpinning principles of good MCQs and gain confidence in designing and using them effectively for a variety of educational purposes.
Through interactive breakout sessions and group discussions, this workshop series will present a variety of real-life examples to help you learn how to diagnose potential issues with MCQs and develop practical strategies to improve each stage of your design process.
Over three weeks, the live sessions focus on exploring the advantages and disadvantages of using MCQs. You’ll develop practical skills for effective design and learn how to evaluate and refine their quality to ensure valid, reliable and impactful assessment for your learners.
Who should attend?
This workshop series is an excellent starting point for those interested in developing and managing MCQs and assessments. It’s ideal if you are looking for an introduction to MCQ design, a refresher of existing skills, or support in training others to create effective MCQs.
The session is open to anyone who would find it useful. Previous attendees have included:
- Assessment, Awarding and Qualifications Managers
- Teaching professionals
- Examiners and Assessors
Why choose The Assessment Network?
We’re trusted by over 1,000 organisations across 100 countries and are backed by world-class research from the University of Cambridge.
We proudly hold Dual Accreditation by the Professional Development Consortium, officially recognising us as a Provider of Training Excellence.
Upon successful completion of Writing and evaluating effective multiple-choice questions, you’ll be awarded a Certificate of Attendance from Cambridge University Press & Assessment as recognition of your learning.
Workshop outline
This workshop series is accredited with a Certificate of Attendance for continuing professional development (4.5 CPD hours). To be eligible, two live sessions must be attended.
Throughout the series, you’ll critique, edit, and practice writing test items, using a variety of real-life examples. This will help you develop practical skills to apply to your own work. In addition to the workshops, you’ll receive resources to support applying your learning to your own context and structuring your future MCQ design process.
Workshop 1: 3 Feb 2026 | MCQs – the thinking before the writing
3 Feb 2026 | 12:30 - 14:00 (UK time)
The first session will explore the advantages and disadvantages of using MCQs, encouraging thought-provoking discussions and examining how MCQs relate to the aims of assessments.
Workshop 2: 10 Feb 2026 | Writing MCQs with impact
10 Feb 2026 | 12:30 - 14:00 (UK time)
The second session will focus on gaining practical skills for MCQ design, guiding you in selecting formats that best assess knowledge and skills validly, reliably, and efficiently.
Workshop 3: 17 Feb 2026 | MCQ item evaluation and review
17 Feb 2026 | 12:30 - 14:00 (UK time)
In the final session, you’ll learn how to enhance the quality of MCQs. You’ll learn effective methods for evaluating and reviewing the quality of your MCQs, with a focus on identifying potential issues and applying strategies to improve quality.
If the dates are not suitable, this workshop series is also offered as part of the build your CPD programme portfolio of flexible workshops designed to suit your schedule.
What our attendees say
The interactive sessions on MCQ design challenged my previous assumptions and gave me concrete tools to improve my assessment practices. I left feeling empowered to not only enhance my own work but also to share these insights with my colleagues. The course has sparked a genuine interest in assessment design that I didn't expect to develop."
Most importantly, I've gained confidence in my ability to create assessments that truly measure student understanding rather than just recall. This course has fundamentally changed how I think about assessment in education."
Norazha Paiman, Language Instructor, Malaysia
Key learning outcomes
By the end of the three sessions you will have:
- Gained an understanding of the relationship between the principles of assessment and the design of MCQs
- Learned how to diagnose potential issues with MCQs, improving confidence in your practice
- Developed strategies to improve each stage of your MCQ design process, following analysis that you have conducted, giving you the tools to advance your practice
Workshop trainer
Dr Simon Child is Head of Assessment Training at The Assessment Network at Cambridge. Previously, he was a Senior Research Officer in the Assessment Research and Development Division of Cambridge Assessment. He's conducted research in the field of qualifications reform and development since 2012.
His other research interests include quality of marking processes, curriculum development, formative assessment and Higher Education. His background is in developmental psychology. In 2011, he received his Ph.D from the University of Manchester, which focused on the development of symbolic cognition in pre-school children.
FAQs
What is multiple choice?
Multiple choice is an objective question where the candidate selects an answer from a list.
Why train with The Assessment Network?
The Assessment Network at Cambridge is a global community of assessment professionals, committed to equipping practitioners with a clear understanding of core assessment principles and practices. Through accredited training, professional membership, and career development opportunities, we support individuals and organisations in becoming recognised, up-to-date assessment leaders.
We enable positive change by helping practitioners enhance the impact of assessment for learners, offering CPD courses, bespoke solutions, and professional recognition for every challenge and role. Trusted by over 1,000 organisations across 100 countries, and backed by world-class research from the University of Cambridge, we unite professionals who connect, share learning, and stand out as experts in their field.
How much does it cost?
Writing and evaluating effective multiple-choice questions costs £265 or you can receive a 10% discount on your booking as a Member.
I want to register my team, what’s the best way to do this?
If you’re looking to book five or more places on an upcoming workshop or workshop series, you can receive a group discount. Please get in touch for a quote.
How do I register?
If this workshop is currently available use the Book Now button to complete your registration on our booking platform. If the workshop is not available, you can register your interest.
How will I learn?
Live workshops are interactive, practical sessions offered online, either as standalone sessions or as part of a series.
Led by assessment experts, these sessions require live attendance, via our online learning site, providing opportunities for direct guidance and real-time answers to your questions. These practical explorations and discussions with your assessment peers will help transform your assessment practice.
Will I be able to discuss the workshop topic during the session?
You can engage regularly throughout the online workshops via chat boxes, breakout rooms, polls, and quizzes.
What level of English do I need to be able to complete the course?
The course is delivered in English so you are required to have sufficient competence in English to participate in the training. You should have English language competence comparable to Level B2 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). We recommend a minimum requirement of 5.5 on the International English Language Testing System. Further information may be obtained through the IELTS website.
My place on the workshop is now confirmed, what happens next?
Once you’ve completed your booking you’ll receive a confirmation email. Joining instructions for the workshop or series are normally sent after the booking deadline has passed.
What happens if I can't attend one of the sessions?
To receive certification for a workshop series, you can only miss one session.
You’ll be able watch a recording of this missed session, but please note breakout rooms will not be recorded, and attendance is strongly recommended whenever possible.
What kind of certification is available upon completion of the workshop?
You’ll be awarded a Certificate of Attendance from Cambridge University Press & Assessment. It is expected that participants will attend at least two out of three live sessions to be eligible for a Certificate of Attendance at the end of the series.
How many CPD learning hours is this accredited for?
This workshop series is accredited for 4.5 learning hours. You must meet the attendance requirements to be eligible to receive the learning hours.
The Assessment Network has been awarded Dual Accreditation by the Professional Development Consortium, meaning we are officially recognised as a Provider of Training Excellence, alongside being a trusted provider of fully CPD accredited assessment training activities.
The majority of our professional development courses are also CPD accredited. Accredited courses are clearly marked with the CPD hours available, and a full list can be found on the CPD Standards website.
Some newer workshops and courses may not yet be accredited by the CPD Standards Office. However, as an assured provider of training excellence, all our workshops meet the same rigorous standards as our accredited training.
What can I do with my learning hours?
At The Assessment Network, learning hours from completing professional development courses contribute directly toward earning awards that recognise your assessment expertise. There are two levels of awards, the Assessment Practitioner Award and the Advanced Assessment Practitioner Award.
How long will I have access to the recording/resources after the workshop ends?
Recordings, slides, and any extra resources will be available via the online learning site for 40 days for a standalone workshop or 90 days for a workshop series.
When is the next workshop running?
We aim to run our workshops at least once a year. If the workshop is not currently available to book, please use the register your interest page.