Taking a multiple-choice test boosts performance on later tests compared with nontested control conditions, including with complex SAT II materials¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · reviewr3·q2
Currency · newest study 2007 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q3 i? Students correctly answered more SAT II-derived questions on a later cued recall test if they had previously taken the multiple-choice test than if they had not. → Marsh 2007
Evidence¶
Marsh 2007¶
Marsh, E. J., Roediger, H. L., III, Bjork, R. A., & Bjork, E. L. (2007). The memorial consequences of multiple-choice testing. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 14(2), 194-199. https://doi.org/10.3758/bf03194051
q2 · i? · review · r3
Experiment using published SAT II materials (biology, chemistry, U.S. and world history) with Duke undergraduates, who on average answered 55% of multiple-choice questions correctly; a large positive testing effect appeared on the later cued recall test, with tested items at "M 48%" versus 22% for nontested items; the article prints no standardized effect size.
"Students correctly answered more questions if they had been tested on the prior multiple-choice test (M 48%) than if they had not (M 22%)."
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Multiple-choice testing increases the later production of multiple-choice lures as answers on cued recall tests, even under warning against guessing — related
- Taking initial multiple-choice tests without feedback can lead students to later produce the incorrect lure answers they selected, even when an overall retrieval practice benefit occurs — related
- Positive and negative testing effects occur for questions tapping higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy, and question level does not change the memorial consequences of testing — related
- Multiple-choice testing improves later cued recall of prose facts, a benefit that persists though reduced after a one-week delay — related
- Immediate feedback reduces multiple-choice lure production on later tests, and the overall positive effect of testing outweighs negative consequences — related
- Practice testing yields transferrable learning relative to a nontesting reexposure control condition (d = 0.40) — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
mc-testing-boosts-later-performance |
title |
Taking a multiple-choice test boosts performance on later tests compared with nontested control conditions, including with complex SAT II materials |
description |
Taking a multiple-choice test boosts performance on later tests compared with nontested control conditions, including with complex SAT II materials |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2007 |
source_checked |
2026-10-20 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-16 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — marsh-2007 |
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