<P> Multiple choice is a form of an objective assessment in which respondents are asked to select only correct answers out of the choices from a list . The multiple choice format is most frequently used in educational testing, in market research, and in elections, when a person chooses between multiple candidates, parties, or policies . </P> <P> Although E. L. Thorndike developed an early scientific approach to testing students, it was his assistant Benjamin D. Wood who developed the multiple choice test . Multiple choice testing increased in popularity in the mid-20th century when scanners and data - processing machines were developed to check the results . </P> <P> Multiple choice items consist of a stem and several alternative answers, among which are the correct ("keyed") answer and one or more incorrect ("distractor") answers . The stem is the beginning part of the item that presents the item as a problem to be solved, a question asked of the respondent, or an incomplete statement to be completed, as well as any other relevant information . The options are the possible answers that the examinee can choose from, with the correct answer called the key and the incorrect answers called distractors . Only one answer can be keyed as correct . This contrasts with multiple response items in which more than one answer may be keyed as correct . </P> <P> Usually, a correct answer earns a set number of points toward the total mark, and an incorrect answer earns nothing . However, tests may also award partial credit for unanswered questions or penalize students for incorrect answers, to discourage guessing . For example, the SAT Subject tests remove a quarter point from the test taker's score for an incorrect answer . </P>

Distractors in multiple choice questions are also called