I believe that a quiz with the answer to any questions is "all of these answers" as correct is very poor. If all of these answers are correct then none of them are wrong - therefore any of the answers should be marked correct.

I have thought the same for quite a while, but since I never heard it said before, I guess I just went along...

Good for you percy, for speaking up!

I guess that's logically true. I never thought of it that way, maybe because I've had so many teachers put questions with "all of the above" as a choice on tests, I just accepted the convention.

It can be a bummer on timed quizzes when you select the first correct answer you see and move on. (I wrote a quiz with the "all of the above" choice, so I can't complain too much).

It is an essential characteristic of multiple-choice tests that, if there is more than one correct answer, then one chooses the BEST or most correct answer.

There is no rule that says all of the answers, except one, must be incorrect.

Any high school student can tell you that.

In educational measurement and evaluation, for questions with "all of these" or "none of these" options, they are considered not good. Questions like these will be answered correctly by test-wise students.

For example, let say you are given option X, Y, Z and all of these. Then, you know X and Y are correct but you are not sire about Z. So definitely you will go for "all of these".

But this is FUNtrivia. Everybody likes to get points for answering correctly.

Yes, these questions are a bit of a gimmee. And, yes, if you take them strictly literally, they don't quite work.

However, it's a convention, and we are all familiar with it. Life is full of conventions that are not meant to be taken literally, but are useful.

I have also taken quizzes where 'all of these answers' is an incorrect answer choice, so you shouldn't be fooled by them.

While I agree that these questions can be overdone, I think that there can a place for an 'all of these' answer in a well written quiz. If the quiz is doing a good job of teaching me about a subject that I knew little about, I appreciate the fact that this type of answer will teach me three new things about the topic. I especially enjoy it when one of those answer choices is so bizarre (even if true) as to make me wonder, before checking 'all of the above', if it can really be true.

The types of question that I don't like are the ones that set out to trick you. These give an incorrect answer choice that is so close to the correct answer you click on it and are shocked when you get it wrong. I also don't like questions where all of the incorrect answers are so close to the the correct answer it becomes a guessing game. I see this a lot in questions about dates. Did it happen on Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13 or Oct 14, sort of thing.

"I see this a lot in questions about dates. Did it happen on Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13 or Oct 14, sort of thing."

That's one reason why, in my categories I don't allow questions about dates (or any other numerical data.)

I see the problem of "all of these answers" is that it does not teach - instead these answer is selected without reading the question. I worked in education and for two exam boards for many years and this style would not have made it onto an exam paper

I realise that - I was answering the post by mothergoose - one of the objects of the quizzes is to educate - not my idea but that of the administrators. If I asked you which of these was a letter of the alphabet A, B, C, or all of them - which is the wrong answer, they are all correct?

What was origially meant to be something of a lighthearted comment along the lines of logic does seem to have stirred up some antipathy

I like to use and see "all of these" in quizzes occasionally. As Skunkee mentioned, this type of answer will teach us three new things about the topic, instead of just one. And sometimes "all of these" is the WRONG choice and is a great red herring option. :-)

I think the point is valid - if all of these are true than any of them are. I'm also recalling that, as MotherGoose wrote, most teachers will write "select the BEST answer" to forestall that very argument, and by now that can probably be considered an implied quiz convention.

I also think too many people make "all of the above" the too-obvious correct answer. A quiz I wrote with that as the wrong answer had only 13% of people getting it right. Lower than random chance, I suspect because everyone expects it to be correct (it was also kind of a stupidly hard question, but that's a separate issue).

I think Lieberkuhn haa summed it up perfectly

Ok, since we've summed it up...I also have a problem with FITB clues. You read the question, and have an answer. Then the "clue" says two words, or one word. You change your answer to one that also fits, but with the correct number of words. Submit answers, and see that the clue was "iffy." Just for instance: Pay Day (two words) or Payday (one word) but the clue specifically said ONE word. Maybe clues should be eliminated?

Clues are far too useful when writing Cryptics or any sort of brain teaser for them to be eliminated.

When you see an "iffy" clue, send a correction note. The FITB questions come from Funtrivia quizzes, so an editor will see the note, even if the author is gone and can change the clue to reflect the options.

Spanishliz (Editor)

Thanks Liz. I know the clues won't be eliminated, but it's happened quite a few times. I know the answer, but then look at the clue, and change my mind. If there are 'one' OR 'two' words, the clue should say that.

I like the occasional "All of These" answer as long as it isn't overused. I think the problem arises when we are looking for logic in what is meant to be a bit of fun. Why does there have to be a wrong answer? Though, it stands to reason that the vast majority of quizzes will have one correct answer and three wrong answers.

I am a student and am tested and examined constantly and I don't think I would be here if I felt like I was being examined again. It is great therefore that quiz authors here make the quizzes seem fun and if it takes an "all of these" every now and again, I don't have any aversion to it. I think I may have used it in a few of my quizzes and the reverse - "none of these".

veronikka I think that some of the issues you deal with in FITB questions are there to forestall Correction Notes. I know I often give more than one possible corect answer for that very reason.
Using your example of PAYDAY, since that is the proper way to spell the answer (if memory serves me it's a chocolate bar - right?) then that would be my first choice in the answer box and the hint box would automatically generate a 'One word' clue. However if I didn't also allow PAY DAY, I would get all kinds of correction notes from people who would loudly complain that they shouldn't have been cheated out of ten points simply because they put a space between the words. You would be amazed at how rude some people can get for only 10 points!
So, my answer box would probably read 'PAYDAY & PAY DAY' even though the hint would only say (One word).

Not exactly a chocolate bar since there is no chocolate. It is a candy bar still made by Hershey's, "Peanut Caramel Bar, with sweet caramel and tons of salty peanuts."

Yes, the discription is pertfect, maninmidohio.

This just seems sillier, and sillier, but the fact is, I changed my answer to (lets say "mounds") because the clue was ONE WORD. Not 'possibly' TWO words.

I'm just saying, if the answer might give a 'one, two' correct, there shouldn't be one at all, OR give both possibilities IN THE CLUE, not the answer. By then, it's too late!

I'm sorry but I'm not sure I understand the point you're trying to make. If the answer was PAYDAY and the hint said (One Word) then everything was correct. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you wanted the quiz writer to not only allow PAY DAY, which is essentially a wrong answer as spelling does count in FITB answers, but to also put it in the hint.
This could get really out of hand for some answers, with hints maybe having to say (One, Two or Three words), for example, which does become silly. I can see saying One or Two words for two ways of writing the correct answer (as I've seen in some Brain Teaser quizzes), but not for allowing what is essentially an incorrect answer.