A knowledge check should tell you, and the learner, whether they can apply the lesson. Most fail because they test whether someone remembers a sentence.
Start from the decision
Ask: what will someone have to decide on the job? Write the question as that situation. Instead of "What is the escalation window?", ask "A P1 is classified at 10:02. When must Tier 2 be notified?"
Make wrong answers plausible
- The old rule. If the policy changed, the previous value is the best distractor.
- The near miss. Right idea, wrong detail.
- The common shortcut. What people actually do when rushed.
Avoid "all of the above", "none of the above", joke options and options that differ in length or grammar from the correct one.
Explain every answer
The explanation is where learning happens. Say why the right answer is right, in the source's own terms, and why the tempting wrong answer is wrong.
One idea per question
If a question needs two facts to answer, split it. Keep stems short and put the situation before the question.
How many?
Two or three per lesson is enough for a check. If an objective really matters, write at least two items for it so a single lucky guess doesn't count as mastery.
Coursecast drafts multiple-choice checks with explanations for every lesson. Use these rules to tune the options before you publish. Try the knowledge-check generator.