# Optimizing centered answers in exam class

I am preparing a multiple choice exam template, mainly with \oneparchoices in exam class. I want to change \oneparchoices (or using any other method), so that the answers always appear in three rows ( will be more clear with the MWE). Using the suggestion given in a previous discussion "Centering Answers in Exam Class", I did some work:

\documentclass[noaddpoints,12pt]{exam}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{pgf}
\footer{}{\thepage}{}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{multicol}
\setlength{\columnsep}{1cm}
\setlength{\multicolsep}{1.2em}
\usepackage{color}
\usepackage{wrapfig}
\setlength{\columnseprule}{0.5pt}
\def\columnseprulecolor{\color{black}}

\newenvironment{oneparchoicescentering}{
\begingroup
\leftskip=-0cm plus .5fil%
\rightskip=0cm plus -.5fil%
\parfillskip=0cm plus 1fil\relax
\begin{oneparchoices}
}{
\end{oneparchoices}
\par
\endgroup
}
\begin{document}
\noindent\framebox[\textwidth][s]{Test No: 001\hfill Topic: Elements}
\begin{multicols}{2}
\begin{questions}

\noindent\begin{minipage}{\linewidth}
\question Which one of the entries does not fit with the others?

\begin{oneparchoicescentering}
\CorrectChoice $\frac{\frac{1}{2}+1}{2+\pi}+1$
\choice $\sqrt{3\pi}$
\choice $e^x$
\choice Text
\choice $\int xdx$
\end{oneparchoicescentering}
\vspace{3cm}
\end{minipage}

\noindent\begin{minipage}{\linewidth}
\question Which one of the entries does not fit with the others?

\begin{oneparchoicescentering}
\CorrectChoice aaaaaaaaaa
\choice bbbbbbbbbb
\choice cccccccccc
\choice dddddddddd
\choice eeeeeeeeee
\end{oneparchoicescentering}
\vspace{3cm}
\end{minipage}
\end{questions}
\end{multicols}
\end{document}


The result is:

Now, I want to make the following changes:

1. As you can see, depending on the length of the answers, they appear in two or three rows. My purpose is to get the answers always in three rows (as in the second question of MWE), how can I do that ?
2. The mathematical terms (especially the fraction) appear too small. Is there any way to avoid this ? (Probably I will need to increase the vertical spacing between the answer lines.)
3. In the second question of MWE, choice B and choice D are not aligned. How can I avoid this ? (I believe that solving my first question will also solve this one, but I wanted to mention it.)

• For 2. you can type \dfrac{}{} – Sigur Jun 9 '18 at 23:18
• In 3. they look aligned to me. D is wider than B. But the periods are aligned. – Sigur Jun 9 '18 at 23:19
• Since the answers are not the same width and are right justified, B. and D. will never be aligned. You might set something up, but you would have to abandon the exam class protocol. – John Kormylo Jun 11 '18 at 18:25

This is as far as I got. The problem is that the answer is not an argument of \choice. \CorrectChoice puts the answer into a group and relies on the next \choice or \end{oneparchoice} to add the \endgroup, nor is it clear what the group does.

Anyway, this shows an ugly way to achieve what you want. I removed the penalty from the first line of the paragraph to align the columns. Maybe someone else can figure out a way to incorporate the \makebox into \choice and \CorrectChoice.

\documentclass[noaddpoints,12pt]{exam}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{pgf}
\footer{}{\thepage}{}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{multicol}
\setlength{\columnsep}{1cm}
\setlength{\multicolsep}{1.2em}
\usepackage{color}
\usepackage{wrapfig}
\setlength{\columnseprule}{0.5pt}
\def\columnseprulecolor{\color{black}}

\makeatletter
\renewenvironment{oneparchoices}%
{%
\setcounter{choice}{0}%
\def\choice{%
\if@correctchoice \endgroup \fi
\refstepcounter{choice}%
\ifnum\value{choice}>1\relax
%\penalty -50\hskip 1em plus 1em\relax
\fi
\choicelabel
% No need to put the following into a token string; we just put
% the choicelabel onto the page, so we're at the spot whose page
% number we want to record:
\questionobject@pluspagecheck
\nobreak\enskip
}% choice
\def\CorrectChoice{%
\if@correctchoice \endgroup \fi
\refstepcounter{choice}%
\begingroup \@correctchoicetrue
\CorrectChoice@Emphasis
\fi
\ifnum\value{choice}>1\relax
%\penalty -50\hskip 1em plus 1em\relax
\fi
\choicelabel
% No need to put the following into a token string; we just put
% the choicelabel onto the page, so we're at the spot whose page
% number we want to record:
\questionobject@pluspagecheck
\nobreak\enskip
}% CorrectChoice
\let\correctchoice\CorrectChoice
\let\par\@empty
% If we're continuing the paragraph containing the question,
% then leave a bit of space before the first choice:
\ifvmode\else\enskip\fi
\ignorespaces
}%
{\if@correctchoice \endgroup \fi}
\makeatother

\begin{document}
\noindent\framebox[\textwidth][s]{Test No: 001\hfill Topic: Elements}
\begin{multicols}{2}
\begin{questions}

\question Which one of the entries does not fit with the others?

\begin{oneparchoices}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][l]{\CorrectChoice $\dfrac{\frac{1}{2}+1}{2+\pi}+1$}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][l]{\choice $\sqrt{3\pi}$}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][l]{\choice $e^x$}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][l]{\choice Text}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][l]{\choice $\int xdx$}
\end{oneparchoices}
\vspace{3cm}
\question Which one of the entries does not fit with the others?

\begin{oneparchoices}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][l]{\CorrectChoice aaaaaaaaaa}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][l]{\choice bbbbbbbbbb}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][l]{\choice cccccccccc}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][l]{\choice dddddddddd}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][l]{\choice eeeeeeeeee}
\end{oneparchoices}
\vspace{3cm}
\end{questions}
\end{multicols}
\end{document}


Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

\documentclass[noaddpoints,12pt]{exam}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{pgf}
\footer{}{\thepage}{}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{multicol}
\setlength{\columnsep}{1cm}
\setlength{\multicolsep}{1.2em}
\usepackage{color}
\usepackage{wrapfig}
\setlength{\columnseprule}{0.5pt}
\def\columnseprulecolor{\color{black}}

\makeatletter
\renewenvironment{oneparchoices}%
{%
\setcounter{choice}{0}%
\def\choice{%
\if@correctchoice \endgroup \fi
\refstepcounter{choice}%
\ifnum\value{choice}>1\relax
%\penalty -50\hskip 1em plus 1em\relax
\fi
\choicelabel
% No need to put the following into a token string; we just put
% the choicelabel onto the page, so we're at the spot whose page
% number we want to record:
\questionobject@pluspagecheck
\nobreak\enskip
}% choice
\def\CorrectChoice{%
\if@correctchoice \endgroup \fi
\refstepcounter{choice}%
\begingroup \@correctchoicetrue
\CorrectChoice@Emphasis
\fi
\ifnum\value{choice}>1\relax
%\penalty -50\hskip 1em plus 1em\relax
\fi
\choicelabel
% No need to put the following into a token string; we just put
% the choicelabel onto the page, so we're at the spot whose page
% number we want to record:
\questionobject@pluspagecheck
\nobreak\enskip
}% CorrectChoice
\let\correctchoice\CorrectChoice
\let\par\@empty
% If we're continuing the paragraph containing the question,
% then leave a bit of space before the first choice:
\ifvmode\else\enskip\fi
\ignorespaces
}%
{\if@correctchoice \endgroup \fi}
\makeatother

\begin{document}
\noindent\framebox[\textwidth][s]{Test No: 001\hfill Topic: Elements}
\begin{multicols}{2}
\begin{questions}

\question Which one of the entries does not fit with the others?

\begin{oneparchoices}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][l]{\CorrectChoice $\dfrac{\frac{1}{2}+1}{2+\pi}+1$}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][r]{\choice $\sqrt{3\pi}$}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][l]{\choice $e^x$}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][r]{\choice Text}
\makebox[\linewidth][c]{\choice $\int xdx$}
\end{oneparchoices}
\vspace{3cm}
\question Which one of the entries does not fit with the others?

\begin{oneparchoices}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][l]{\CorrectChoice aaaaaaaaaa}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][r]{\choice bbbbbbbbbb}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][l]{\choice cccccccccc}
\makebox[0.5\linewidth][r]{\choice dddddddddd}
\makebox[\linewidth][c]{\choice eeeeeeeeee}
\end{oneparchoices}
\vspace{3cm}
\end{questions}
\end{multicols}
\end{document}


• Yes, very impressive, but not really useful with a column oriented approach. – John Kormylo Jun 11 '18 at 18:44