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How to Handle Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple choice tests are simply a fact of life when it comes to test formats. Standardized college entrance exams are basically all multiple choice and if it is your plan to go to one of the more well known colleges or universities it is imperative that you learn how to score well on multiple choice exams. Even during your postgraduate education you will frequently encounter multiple choice exams and from a purely practical standpoint if you want to drive legally you need to pass a multiple choice driver's training test.
One rule to keep in mind during a multiple choice test: Effective time management leads to a successful testing experience.
There are two varieties of multiple choice tests. One type is made up of several multiple choice questions and in order to finish within the time constraints questions must be answered very rapidly. Usually exams of this nature do not penalize you for choosing incorrect answers since the purpose of the test is to gauge your ability to think under time pressure.
The other variety of multiple choice tests usually involves type of point deduction for incorrect answers. There are may be fewer questions on the exam and more time will be allowed to solve each question. The difficulty frequently varies from question to question so good time management is necessary to ensure an excessive amount of time is not spent on one question leaving little time left over to answer the other questions.
Time Management
Exams with several questions and a short time to answer them in are best handled by going through the exam once and answering all the simple questions first and marking the hard questions that you skip. Then when you go through on the second pass you can spend more time trying to answer the harder questions. It is silly to miss easy points because you spent too much time on one hard question.
Read questions carefully before you choose your answer. Test makers usually include "attractive disaster" answer choices to distract you from the correct answer.
"Attractive disaster" answer choices are close to the right answer, making them attractive, but lack some vital piece of information that keeps them from being correct. For example, on a vocabulary quiz the "attractive disaster" answer choice may be very similar to the correct answer but one word in the definition may wake it wrong.
The second type of exam requires a similar method of time management to the first exam because again it is a good idea to answer the easy questions first and make note of the hard questions so you can come back to them later. For the second type of exam you should also skip questions that require a long amount of time since you will likely have time to come back to them.
If you have time left over it should be used to review your answer choices. Don't be afraid to change an answer if you think you have not answered a question correctly.
More Practical Tips
Don't skip the directions. Silly mistakes are often the result of not thoroughly reading the directions for an exam. One word in the directions can change what you will be looking for in the answer choices. While time is of the essence accuracy is even more important.
Don't skip questions unless there is a penalty for incorrect answers. If you have absolutely no idea where to start with the question it is probably a good idea to skip it but if you can at least eliminate one or two wrong answers you really increase your odds of choosing the right answer and it is worth guessing.
Make notes. If it is allowed, obtain some scratch paper to use during the test. Sometimes things make more sense when you can draw diagrams. It is also good to right down things like formulas or definitions you may need at the beginning of the test while they are fresh in your mind. During the test you can refer back to these notes.
Process of elimination. Sometimes the best method of attack is to get rid of answer choices that you definitely know are wrong. You may very well whittle your choices down to the correct answer.
Trust your first mind; it's usually right. You should only change an answer if you have a solid basis for believing the answer you chose was wrong.
Pacing. If the test is timed you should determine on average how much time you have per question. Then follow the easy questions first, hard questions after method. Ideally you should be able to finish the easy questions in less than the average time leaving you extra time to handle the hard questions.
Don't assume. Read the question carefully and use the information given to answer the question. If the question states something that is not fact in real life remember it is fact for that question.
By extension, don't ignore facts. The correct answer choice for a multiple choice question will include any relevant facts from the question. Eliminate answer choices that skew those facts.
Don't assume it's a trick question. Quite frequently the answer that first stands out to you is the correct answer. If you have properly prepared for the exam all the right answers are in your head so they should stick out more among the wrong answer choices.
Don't try and find patterns. The majority of multiple choice tests today are computer generated greatly decreasing the likelihood of patterns. The familiar rule of when in doubt choose "C" is not necessarily true. It is a good idea to start in the middle on math test when the answers are arranged in either ascending or descending order. This will usually allow you to eliminate three answer choices on your first pass if you plug the answer choice into the question.
If you are well-prepared for a multiple choice test you don't need to be worried. Following the tips that have been outlined in this article can help you do just that.
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