No matter how much studying you do, there鈥檚 often that heart-clutching feeling when you鈥檙e presented with the exam. The fact that you鈥檙e given more than one option as an answer in multiple-choice exams should be more comforting than it is. But it doesn鈥檛 have to be so stressful.
Once you鈥檝e read the directions and questions carefully, it鈥檚 time to apply a step-by-step approach to improve your success rate. Jessica Chubb, the coordinator of , has offered her top 8 steps for writing multiple-choice exams. Remember: this strategy only works if you鈥檝e studied, so make sure you hit the books well before your exam.
1. Cover up the alternatives
You鈥檙e more likely to choose the correct answer if you鈥檝e thought through the question without being distracted by the information presented in the alternative answers.
2. Read and process the question
Underline key words and terms. Ask yourself, 鈥淲hat is this question really asking?鈥� Key words often appear in the form of qualifiers, words that alter a sentence (e.g. always, usually, equal, most, good, bad, is, is not, etc.). They serve as limiting terms by giving a statement a specific meaning that may reduce the likelihood that it鈥檚 correct. Noticing negatives, such as no, not, none, never and prefixes such as 鈥榠l鈥�, 鈥榰n鈥�, 鈥榠m鈥� (as in illogical, uninterested, impatient) is also important because they can reverse the meaning of the statement.
3. Predict an answer
By predicting the answer before you look at the alternatives you鈥檙e less likely to be swayed by one with closely related but incorrect concepts or applications. Even if you can鈥檛 predict a correct answer, you may be able to identify closely related concepts that are likely to surface in alternative answers.
4. Process each alternative
Read each alternative answer for meaning, not just to recognize familiar terms or phrases. Determine which one best answers the question.
5. Identify the correct response
Now you鈥檙e ready to mark the correct alternative on your answer sheet. Choose the correct answer and move on to the next question.
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If you鈥檙e still stumped and can鈥檛 decide on an answer, try these addition steps.
6. Reread the question
Was there anything you missed? Try rephrasing the question in your own words to get a better understanding of what it鈥檚 asking.
7. Eliminate wrong answers
If two options still look equally appealing, compare each to the question and make sure that the one you choose answers what is asked, or is the best fit (e.g. it doesn鈥檛 need additional information to be correct).
8. Guess
If you鈥檙e still unsure, and there鈥檚 no penalty for wrong answers, guess. With all of the question processing you鈥檝e done, at least you鈥檒l be making an educated guess! If you aren鈥檛 sure that you鈥檝e made the correct choice, put a big question mark beside the question and move on to the next one. Don鈥檛 get bogged down on one question. If there鈥檚 enough time after you鈥檝e finished the exam, go back to any problematic questions you鈥檝e flagged and try again.
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