Test Writing Guidelines

Good exam writing is a learned skill. Here are some guidelines for writing good questions:

  • NBME Item Writing Guide is at this link. Excellent but long. A shorter version more relevant to radiology-type questions can also be downloaded here.
  • ABR guide to item writing can be downloaded here.
  • The very short ‘Barebones’ guide for those who like abstracts can be downloaded here.
  • Jannette Collins' excellent guide is here.
  • Petra Lewis' Writing Effective Multiple Choice Items education video is here.