Definition
A test question that presents a stem (a question or incomplete statement) followed by several possible answers, only one of which is correct. The other choices are called distractors and are designed to look plausible to a candidate who does not fully know the material. The candidate's task is to select the single best answer from the choices given.
Plain English
A test question where you are given a question and a list of answers to pick from, and you choose the one you think is right.
Context Anchor
Seen in pilot written test preparation, FAA knowledge tests, and instructor discussions about how test questions are built.
Derivation
The phrase comes from ordinary testing language: “multiple” means several, “choice” means selecting, and “item” means one separate question or entry. That helps because the term refers to one question on a test, not the whole test itself.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must pass FAA knowledge exams made of these questions to earn certificates and ratings.
Intuition Check
Do not read “multiple-choice” as meaning more than one answer should be chosen. In this use, it normally means several choices are provided, but one correct or best answer is selected.
Example Sentence 1
The FAA Private Pilot knowledge test is made up entirely of multiple-choice-type test items, each with three possible answers.
Example Sentence 2
Working through multiple-choice-type test items reveals gaps before the actual FAA exam.