Trammell, J. (2011). Accommodations for multiple choice tests . Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability , 24 (3), 251–254. https://www.ahead.org/professional-resources/publications/jped

[no doi reported]; from Practice Brief section of journal issue; also located on ERIC online database: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ966127

Accommodations that can be used to support students with disabilities in postsecondary settings taking multiple choice exams were detailed. Specific accommodations included: reducing multiple choice response options from four or five options to three options; administering the multiple choice portion of the exam separately and allowing additional time; eliminating complex language unrelated to content; reducing the overall number of questions; offering error analysis to help students learn from mistakes; and allowing students to circle items directly on the exam rather than bubbling.

Faculty instructors in psychology, social sciences, and hard sciences who were known for using multiple choice exams in their classes participated.

Faculty attended a workshop that trained them in best practice for writing and administering multiple choice tests. Student reported grades were used to determine the effectiveness of the newly implemented accommodations on multiple choice tests.

Individual rates of correct responses on multiple choice tests improved after the workshop, but the test format remained difficult for most students. Notably, low and inconsistent rates of student reported grades limited the validity of the results.