Definition
A type of test or quiz question that presents a stem (the question or incomplete statement) followed by several possible answers, called alternatives. One alternative is the correct or best answer; the others, called distractors, are plausible but incorrect. The learner selects the answer they believe is correct.
Plain English
A question that gives you a list of possible answers and asks you to pick the right one.
Context Anchor
Seen in written tests, ground lessons, stage checks, and instructor-led review questions.
Why Pilots Care
Most FAA written knowledge tests are multiple choice. Knowing how these questions are built — a stem, one correct answer, and several distractors — helps a pilot read each question carefully and avoid being pulled toward an answer that only looks right.
Intuition Check
Do not assume multiple choice means easy or shallow. In aviation training, a well-written multiple choice question can require careful judgment between answers that look similar.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor used a multiple choice quiz at the end of the ground school lesson to check the students' understanding of airspace rules.
Example Sentence 2
FAA knowledge tests rely on multiple-choice format so examiners can quickly verify a pilot's grasp of regulations and procedures.