The Use of multiple choice tests for formative and summative assessment

This paper describes the use of multiple-choice tests as an essential part of the assessment for a third-year undergraduate course in computer science. Multiple-choice tests are yesterday's news – they have been used for student assessment for many years - but their implementation as presented here differs from the norm in several important respects, in particular their use for formative (as opposed to purely summative) reasons. This paper describes the intent of the tests, their format, and the regulations concerning them, discusses the advantages and disadvantages, and concludes that there are significant gains to be made for both educators and students from their appropriate deployment.