Making concepts of medical biochemistry by formulating distractors of multiple choice questions: Growing mighty oaks from small acorns

Abstract

Soundravally Rajendiren, Pooja Dhiman, Suryapriya, Rajendiren, Anithasri Rahul, Yuvaraj Balan, Bobby Zacharia,P. H. Ananthanarayanan, Sweta Kulkarni

Multiple choice questions (MCQs) have routinely been used for formative evaluation and selection purposes. Enormous efforts are required to produce MCQs with plausible distractors, which test the understanding of concepts and problem solving abilities, without being trivial or giving clues to the correct answer. A thorough knowledge of the concerned topic is a prerequisite for the setter. Therefore in the present study, we observed the effect of formulating distractors of the given MCQs on understanding of a particular topic (“enzymes”) of medical biochemistry in undergraduate medical students.