Create [NUMBER OF QUESTIONS] multiple-choice questions for [LEARNER LEVEL] on [TOPIC AND LEARNING TARGET]. Use these source notes, examples, or required facts as the only content basis: [SOURCE MATERIAL]. The questions will be used for [USE CASE]. For each item, provide: 1. The question stem, written so it can be answered before seeing the options and without accidental clues. 2. Four options labeled A–D, with one clearly defensible best answer.
3. The correct answer and a 1–2 sentence explanation of the underlying reasoning. 4. A rationale for each distractor identifying the specific misconception, incomplete step, or tempting-but-wrong interpretation it represents. 5. The cognitive demand: recall, application, analysis, or evaluation. Write questions that test the stated learning target rather than obscure wording, trivia, or test-taking tricks. Use plausible distractors; do not use “all of the above,” “none of the above,” double negatives, grammatical mismatches, or options that overlap. Keep option lengths and specificity reasonably parallel. If a calculation is involved, make units, rounding expectations, and given information explicit. If the source material supports more than one answer, revise the stem or flag it instead of forcing an answer. Mix straightforward understanding with transfer to a new context when appropriate, but do not test material outside the supplied source. Before answering, self-check that each question has exactly one best answer and that every distractor maps to a credible learner error. Flag any question whose answer is not supported by my source material. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [NUMBER OF QUESTIONS] | Enter how many questions you need. | 6. |
| [LEARNER LEVEL] | State the grade, course, training level, or expected prior knowledge. | Grade 9 biology; students have learned cell organelle functions. |
| [TOPIC AND LEARNING TARGET] | Name the topic and the exact skill or understanding to assess. | Cell transport; predict whether water moves into or out of a cell from relative solute concentration. |
| [SOURCE MATERIAL] | Paste the notes, reading, worked examples, or approved facts the questions must use. | Water moves by osmosis from lower solute concentration to higher solute concentration across a selectively permeable membrane. Animal cells can swell in hypotonic solutions and shrink in hypertonic solutions. |
| [USE CASE] | State whether this is a low-stakes check, homework, exam practice, or another use. | A five-minute formative check after direct instruction. |
How to use
- Paste only the approved notes or source passage you want the questions to rely on.
- Check each answer yourself and remove any item where two options could be reasonably defended.
- Read the distractor rationales; they should describe errors your learners are likely to make.
- Follow up with: “Turn questions 2, 4, and 6 into short-answer items that assess the same misconception.”
Variations
Reading comprehension
Use when assessing a specific passage without rewarding outside knowledge.
Write [NUMBER] four-option multiple-choice questions about the passage below for [LEARNER LEVEL]: [PASSAGE]. Cover [SKILLS], such as inference, central idea, evidence, or vocabulary in context. For each question, cite the sentence or detail that supports the best answer, explain each distractor, and avoid asking about facts outside the passage. Include a mix of literal and inferential items. Self-check that a student can answer every item using the passage alone and that exactly one answer is best. Ask up to 3 questions only if required input is missing.
Exam item audit
Use when you already have questions and need to find weak items.
Audit these multiple-choice questions for [LEARNER LEVEL] on [TOPIC]: [EXISTING QUESTIONS]. For each item, identify ambiguous wording, unsupported assumptions, unequal option structure, clueing, more than one defensible answer, or a distractor that no informed learner would choose. Then rewrite only flawed items and explain the change. Preserve the intended learning target: [LEARNING TARGET]. Do not invent curriculum facts. Check each revision has one best answer and plausible distractors. Ask up to 3 questions only if needed.
Question bank blueprint
Use when building a balanced set for a larger assessment.
Create a question-bank blueprint for [COURSE OR TRAINING] on [TOPICS]. I need [TOTAL QUESTIONS] items for [LEARNER LEVEL], distributed across these objectives and weights: [OBJECTIVES AND WEIGHTS]. Return a table with objective, cognitive level, item scenario, misconception tested, and source needed before drafting. Identify objectives that cannot fairly be assessed with multiple choice. Check that the weights total 100% and no objective is assessed only by recall. Ask up to 3 questions only if required information is missing.
Tips
- Write the learning target before writing the stem; this prevents a quiz from drifting into vocabulary trivia.
- A useful distractor is based on an observed misconception, such as reversing cause and effect, not a randomly wrong statement.
- Avoid negative stems unless the ability to identify an exception is itself the target and the negative word can be emphasized clearly.
- Pilot important items with a colleague or a small sample; unexpected disagreement often reveals ambiguity rather than learner weakness.
FAQ
How many answer choices should I use?
Four is usually enough for classroom questions if the distractors are plausible. Adding weak options increases guessing noise without improving the item.
Can AI create questions from a textbook chapter?
It can, but paste the relevant excerpt or your approved notes. Do not rely on it to reproduce proprietary text or infer your course's required emphasis.
Why include distractor explanations?
They make the questions diagnostic, so you can decide whether to reteach a concept, a procedure, or a reading habit.