Throughout one’s elementary, middle, and high school years (and cegep for some of you!), and now in university, we have been all exposed to what a multiple choice question exam is. Four to five answer choices followed by a question. The problem is not the multiple choice questions itself. It’s with which subjects are being tested.

When you learn something, let’s say math, or science, especially for the lower grade levels, MCQs are quite effective and easier to test the students. This is because there are definite answers that you are looking for. There is no ambiguity in it (4+3 is 7, and it’s not arguable). However, when it comes to any type of language course, humanity courses, and even for higher level science and math courses, MCQ do not fit well, and it does not evaluate students well enough for their competency. For English, Spanish, French, writing is a key part of learning a language, and MCQs do not allow a teacher to test a student’s writing skills. Take linear algebra, for example. When you enter Cegep level, you are required to give proofs of some equations. Those type of questions require blank papers with just a line of instruction, not a multiple choice question asking one to fill in the blank for the appropriate proof.

This all does not mean that MCQs are bad and should be abandoned. I am simply arguing that only testing students with one and dull way, which is the MCQ exams, will eventually reduce students’ creativity. MCQs can be a relief for the students who did not prepare well enough for an essay question, since there is an answer in those four or five choices. They can just use process of elimination to derive the answer even though they did not know what the answer was in the first place. Nowadays, there are several teachers who try to prevent those situations, they include ‘all of the above’ or ‘none of the above.’ Some really ‘harsh’ professors even put 1) a, b, 2) a, b, c, 3)a,b,c,d, 4) a,c, 5) b,d, given all the choices from a to d. This way, one can prevent students from simply guess the answer. Still, the problem of possibility of reducible-creativity is not resolved.

For these issues, an essay is the answer. An essay, however, cannot be said the best answer to increase creativity in students in the sense that it is not realistic to ask a 700-student-class to write essays for the final and expect to give them their grades back in a week or two. Thus I contend that the MCQs need to be revised to help students maintain their creativity as they progress their studies in schools and institutes.