Some theories of performance in multiple choice tests, and their implications for variants of the task

Theories are put forward that attempt to answer the practical question of ‘How should we correct for guessing in multiple choice tests?’ and the theoretical question of ‘How can we mathematically describe partial knowledge so as to predict behaviour in tasks which enable it to be shown?’. Empirical findings relating to performance on variants of the multiple choice task are reviewed, and compared to the predictions of the theories.