What is MCQ

MCQ Assessment

Test → Identify → Reteach

The Islamiyah Series uses Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) as an important part of its teaching and assessment methodology.

MCQs are conducted after lessons to provide the teacher with a quick and clear indication of students’ understanding. They are not simply used to give students a mark or to conduct a formal examination. Their main purpose is to help the teacher identify areas of difficulty and take action through further teaching.

The MCQ system follows three key stages:

TEST → IDENTIFY → RETEACH

The students are tested on what they have learned, the teacher identifies areas that have not been fully understood, and those areas are then re-taught.

What is an MCQ?

MCQ stands for Multiple Choice Question.

An MCQ consists of a question followed by a number of possible answers. In the Islamiyah Series, students are generally given four answer options and are asked to circle the answer they believe is correct.

Example

What does Najaasah mean?

A. Impurity
B. Cleanliness
C. Cleaning with water
D. Pure

The student circles the answer they believe is correct.

Why Do We Use MCQs?

The MCQ is not simply a test. It is a tool to help the teacher understand how effectively students have understood the lesson.

In a normal lesson, it can be difficult for a teacher to know whether every student has understood a particular point. An MCQ provides the teacher with immediate feedback from the whole class.

It helps the teacher identify:

• What students have understood
• What students have not understood
• Which particular questions or topics have caused difficulty
• Which areas may require further explanation
• Whether individual students require additional support

The results can then be used to improve teaching.

The principle is:

Assessment should lead to action, not simply produce a mark.

The Three-Stage System

1. TEST

Give the MCQ after the relevant lesson or section has been taught.

The purpose is to check whether students have understood and can recall the material they have learned.

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2. IDENTIFY

Analyse the students’ answers.

Identify questions where a significant number of students have:

• Answered incorrectly
• Left the answer blank

This helps the teacher identify areas of weakness or misunderstanding.

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3. RETEACH

Return to the relevant section of the lesson and teach it again.

The teacher should explain the concept clearly, provide examples where appropriate, ask questions and check that students now understand.

The MCQ is only truly useful when the results are acted upon.

MCQ Procedure

BEFORE THE TEST

1. Prepare the students

Ensure that all students are seated quietly and have a pen or pencil ready.

2. Distribute the MCQ sheets

Give each student the appropriate MCQ sheet.

3. Complete the details

Students should write their name and class on the sheet.

4. Read the questions aloud

The teacher should read the questions and answer options aloud to the class.

This helps ensure that the assessment focuses on students’ knowledge and understanding rather than their reading ability.

5. Allow time to complete

Students should normally be given approximately 10–15 minutes to complete the MCQ, depending on the number and difficulty of questions.

DURING THE TEST

6. Circle the answer

Students should circle the answer they believe is correct.

7. Leave unknown answers blank

If a student does not know an answer, they should leave it blank rather than guess.

A blank answer provides useful information to the teacher because it indicates that the student has not demonstrated understanding of that particular point.

The teacher can therefore distinguish between:

• Correct – the student demonstrated understanding.

• Incorrect – the student selected an incorrect answer.

• Blank – the student did not demonstrate knowledge of the answer.

AFTER THE TEST

8. Exchange papers

Students exchange their papers with a partner.

9. Teacher gives the correct answers

The teacher goes through the questions and provides the correct answers.

10. Peer marking

Students mark their partner’s paper using:

• ✓ for a correct answer

• ✗ for an incorrect answer

11. Calculate the mark

Students count the number of correct answers and calculate the total mark.

12. Record the total

The total mark should be written in the designated area at the top right of theThis is one of the most important principles of the Islamiyah Series MCQ sheet.

13. Return the papers

The completed MCQ sheets are returned to their original owners.

Students should keep their completed MCQ sheet.

The Critical Stage: RETEACH

Do not simply announce the answers and move on.

This is one of the most important principles of the Islamiyah Series MCQ system.

The purpose of the MCQ is not fulfilled simply by telling students which answers were correct.

The teacher must use the results to identify areas where students have struggled and, where necessary, reteach those areas properly.

For example:

A class has 20 students.

For one question:

• 15 students answered correctly

• 3 students answered incorrectly

• 2 students left it blank

The majority of the class has demonstrated understanding, so extensive reteaching may not be necessary.

However, if another question produces:

• 6 students correct

• 11 students incorrect

• 3 students blank

this indicates significant difficulty with the concept being tested.

The teacher should return to that section of the lesson and reteach it.

Reteaching should involve:

1. Returning to the relevant section.

2. Explaining the concept again.

3. Clarifying any misunderstanding.

4. Giving examples where appropriate.

5. Asking students questions.

6. Checking that students now understand.

Do not simply say, “The correct answer is C.”

Teach the concept again so that students understand why the answer is correct.

Recording MCQ Results

The results of the MCQ should be recorded so that teachers can monitor both individual student progress and class-wide understanding.

Individual Student Record

Each student’s mark should be recorded in the:

Template of Class MCQ Record

This provides an ongoing record of student performance.

Teacher’s Master Sheet

The teacher should record the number of students who answered each question:

• Correctly

• Incorrectly

• Left blank

The teacher should then total the relevant figures as required on the Master Sheet.

This allows the teacher to identify patterns across the class and determine which topics require further teaching.

Keep the Master Copy

The master copy of the MCQ should be kept in the teacher’s folder for future reference.

What Does the Teacher Learn From the MCQ?

The MCQ provides the teacher with two levels of information.

Individual understanding

A student’s total mark can indicate how well that student has understood the material.

Class understanding

The responses to individual questions can show whether the class as a whole has understood particular concepts.

This distinction is important.

A student who gets one question wrong may simply need individual clarification.

If most of the class gets the same question wrong, this may indicate that the concept needs to be re-taught to the whole class.

Is the MCQ a Formal Examination?

No.

The MCQ is primarily an informal/formative assessment.

It is designed to provide ongoing feedback during the teaching process.

It is not intended to replace formal examinations or end-of-year assessments.

A formal examination may tell us how a student has performed at the end of a period of study.

The MCQ helps the teacher identify problems during the learning process, while there is still an opportunity to address them.

Should Students Know Their Marks?

Yes.

Students should know their result and should be encouraged to understand which areas they need to improve.

However, the emphasis should not simply be:

“I got 8 out of 10.”

The more important question is:

“What did I get wrong, and what do I need to learn?”

The MCQ should therefore encourage learning and improvement rather than simply competition or grades.

Why Should Students Leave an Answer Blank?

Students should leave an answer blank when they genuinely do not know the answer.

This is important because a guessed answer may be correct by chance.

For example, if a student guesses an answer and gets it right, the teacher may incorrectly assume that the student understands the concept.

A blank answer provides clearer information:

“I do not know this yet.”

This helps the teacher identify where further teaching may be required.

What If Only One Student Gets a Question Wrong?

The teacher should use their judgement.

If only one student has difficulty with a particular question, the teacher may provide that student with individual clarification.

There may be no need to reteach the entire topic to the class.

However, if many students answer incorrectly or leave the question blank, the teacher should consider revisiting the topic with the whole class.

What If Many Students Get a Question Wrong?

This is an important signal for the teacher.

The teacher should:

Identify the relevant topic → Return to the lesson → Reteach the concept → Check understanding

The purpose is not to make students memorise the correct option.

The purpose is to ensure that students understand the underlying knowledge or ruling being tested.

Can MCQs Replace Teaching?

No.

MCQs are an assessment tool. They support teaching; they do not replace it.

The MCQ tells the teacher what may need further teaching.

The teacher’s role is then to provide that teaching.

Can MCQs Replace Formal Examinations?

No.

MCQs and formal examinations have different purposes.

The Islamiyah Series MCQ is primarily a tool for ongoing formative assessment, whereas formal examinations provide a more comprehensive assessment at a particular stage of study.

Both can have a place within a wider educational programme.

What Happens After the MCQ?

The learning process continues after the MCQ.

The teacher uses the results to determine whether any areas need to be revisited.

After a few weeks, the teacher/Ustadh can also verbally quiz students on previously assessed material.

This provides an opportunity to check whether students have retained the knowledge rather than simply remembered it immediately after the lesson.

The Islamiyah Series MCQ Cycle

The complete approach can be summarised as:

TEACH

Teach the lesson clearly.

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TEST

Give the MCQ to check understanding.

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IDENTIFY

Analyse the results and identify areas of difficulty.

↓

RETЕACH

Return to those areas and teach them again.

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REINFORCE

Continue to revise and reinforce the learning.

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REVIEW

Verbally quiz students later to check retention.

The Bottom Line

The MCQ is not simply a worksheet, a test or a mark.

It is a tool that connects assessment directly to teaching.

The teacher uses the students’ answers to identify what has been understood and what has not. Where gaps are identified, the teacher goes back and teaches those areas again.

TEST → IDENTIFY → RETEACH

Teach the lesson.
Test the learning.
Identify the gaps.
Reteach the weaknesses.
Reinforce the knowledge.
Check retention.

This is the purpose of MCQ assessment in the Islamiyah Series.