The pay rates for multiple-choice questions that you write for a textbook or a student study guide can vary greatly. I recently answered the following forum question inside the Freelance Writers Den:
“I have a potential opportunity to write 250 multiple-choice questions about a topic I know well, but I have no idea how long this kind of thing might take or how much too charge. Any insights? (Questions have to include an explanation for the right answer.) Thanks!”
Here’s my answer, with a bit of added detail…
Pay Range for Writing Multiple-Choice Questions
Rates typically range from $3 – $10 per multiple-choice question. I’ve actually been paid as high as $15 per question, but it was for very specialized material.
Earn Well Creating Curriculum Content
Learn how to:
- Prepare your résumé and sample materials
- Find editors eager to hire you
- Land that first curriculum development assignment
Get details on creating:
- Test and quiz questions
- Lecture outlines
- Instructor guides
- Student study guides
- And much more
Important Factors That Affect Pay for Multiple-Choice Questions
What’s offered depends on the company and how much work is involved.
Do you have to write five potential answers or only four?
And how detailed does the explanation have to be? Just one or two short sentences, or over 100 words? Those explanations can take a long time.
Also ask if there’s anything else, like linking to learning objectives or designating Bloom’s taxonomy categories.
Another factor: is this from a textbook or online material? How much material is there relative to the number of questions? It’s usually much easier to write many questions on a smaller amount of material; if it’s a lot of material and relatively few questions, you have to read everything and then come up with just the best questions = harder and more time-consuming.
Estimate how many you think you can do in an hour and use your minimum hourly rate to get a bottom estimate. Then ask for a bit more and be ready to negotiate. Writing good multiple-choice questions isn’t easy.
Get Paid Well to Write Multiple-Choice Questions and Other Curriculum Content
I’ve written an extensive ebook that shows you everything you need to know to market yourself as a curriculum content creator, including writing multiple-choice questions and related materials.
My Detailed Advice for Writing the Best Multiple-Choice Questions…
Is here: 30 Rules for Creating Good Multiple-Choice Questions
About the Freelance Writers Den
I’m very impressed with the quality of the information inside the Freelance Writers Den and how active and useful the forums are, and I’ve been quite active there as a moderator over the years. Read my review of the Freelance Writers Den for more information.
Your Take
What’s been your experience with pay rates for multiple-choice questions?
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