I don’t know what your attitude is on tests and exams, but mine has always been the same: I don’t like multiple choice questions (MCQ). I don’t like them and I don’t usually perform well on such tests. On the other hand, when it comes to essays, I love them. I love writing them for assignments and I love writing them in a hurry for exams.

Today I wrote a 1500 words essay for this 6-week online Gamification course that I’m doing. I had to do it in a hurry because I was nearing the due date. But I still had fun with it. On the other hand, that same course also has MCQ modules that I have to complete. And I’ll just tell you this: I dread it.

So why not MCQs? I think the reasoning behind this is simple. In fact, here are my four main reasons for not liking MCQs:

  1. I don’t study enough for my tests. MCQs require you to know your stuff and therefore you can eliminate choices easily and also pick out the correct answers rather swiftly. If you don’t study for your tests however, you will have four random answers that don’t mean much.
  2. I am not a decisive person. A lot of the times, when given too many choices, I don’t know what to choose. Like going to a restaurant, looking through the menu and wanting everything… You know that feeling, don’t you? Well, the MCQs are exactly that to me. A menu of choices. It’s hard to choose!
  3. It’s either you get it right or you don’t. And if you don’t study and you can’t make a decision, you usually get it wrong. And I don’t like that. In essays, I can bullshit my way through even if I totally don’t understand a single thing. I probably won’t get a good mark, but I can at least get something.
  4. I like adding personal touches. You don’t get to write in MCQs. There is no room for individuality or personalisation. It’s just a plain ol’ boring test. Essays are more fun. Less restrictive.

What about you? Do you prefer writing essays or doing multiple choice questions? Voice it out in the comments below.