ExamopotamiaWrite a stem that works on its own
Someone who knows the subject should be able to answer the question before reading the options. “Which Excel function looks up a value in the first column of a table?” works. “VLOOKUP …” followed by four sentences to compare does not.
One clearly correct answer
Experts should agree on the answer without arguing. Avoid “best” unless the difference is clear, and avoid answers that are only correct under conditions you didn't state.
Make wrong answers plausible
Each wrong option (a “distractor”) should be a mistake real people make. Silly options are skipped by everyone, so a four-option question quietly becomes a two-option guess. If no one ever picks an option, replace it.
Don't give away the answer
- Keep options a similar length. The longest one is often the right one.
- Make every option fit the grammar of the stem.
- Avoid “all of the above” and “none of the above”.
- Avoid absolute words like “always” and “never” in wrong options only.
- Shuffle the options so the answer isn't usually “C”.
Ask about understanding, not trivia
Prefer questions that apply knowledge to a small situation: “A customer says their order is late and they are angry. What should you do first?” tests more than “What does CRM stand for?”.
Check your questions with data
After a test, look at three numbers for each question: how many people got it right (difficulty), whether strong candidates got it right more often than weak ones (discrimination), and how often each wrong option was chosen. A question that strong candidates get wrong usually has a wording problem. Examopotamia shows all three for every question automatically.
Example: before and after
Before: “Which is not a bad way to not reply to a complaint?” Double negatives make people read it three times.
After: “What is the best first reply to a customer complaint?” with options that each describe a realistic reply.
Want a head start? The AI question generator follows these rules for its drafts.