Ontelly

Turn Over Your Papers Now - Multiple Choice

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John O'Farrell explores the unexpected history of the different kinds of exam, and our relationship with them. In the third programme he finds out how multiple choice was first used to test US soldiers during the First World War. And why America has relied surprisingly heavily ever since on a test that values objective judgements of the masses over quirky individuality. Plus, examiners on the art of writing the wrong questions, and pupils on trying to avoid the pitfalls of this most slippery of tests. Producer: Phil Tinline.