“The Song Remains the Same,” a tune penned by Robert Plant, the energetic lead singer of Led Zeppelin, has a basic message: Even in the face of the passage of time or world events, core elements of life stay constant. That sounds like how we view multiple-choice (MC) exams. Regardless of the many ways higher ed has changed in recent years, instructors, especially in large, introductory-level survey courses, have continued to use MC exams. While not always problematic, how we use MC exams needs some reflection. And the song need not remain the same.
