Multiple Choice

When faced with a Multiple Choice Exam (MC), do you… A.Cower in fear because MC is difficult B.Answer B to everything C.Stand up and dance because MC is easy D.Secretly wish that Chuck Norris would appear and destroy the exam

MC, why are they tricky? Multiple choice questions are often seen as easy However… – Multiple choice exams are often longer – Can pin point subject matter – Are either right or wrong Therefore, as a whole, MC are trickier than short or essay length questions.

What to do? Well believe it not there is a method to answer multiple choice questions – No, do not always answer B

What to do? 1. Always cover up the possible responses with a piece of paper or with your hand while you read the question. – This will allow you to come to your own answer first and not be influenced by the choices given.

What to do? 2. Circle or underline important words in the item. – This will help you focus on the information most needed to identify the correct answer choice. – Be careful about negative questions

What to do? 3. Read all the answer choices before selecting one – If you see the response that you anticipated, circle it and then check to be sure that none of the other responses is better. – If you do not see a response that you expected, then consider some of the following strategies to eliminate responses that are probably wrong.

Unable to answer: a) Cross out answer choices you are certain are not correct. – This will help you narrow down the correct answer choice.

Unable to answer: b) Look for hints about the correct answer choice in other items on the test. – The correct answer choice may be part of another item on the test. c) Do not change your initial answer unless you are sure another answer choice is correct. – More often than not, your first choice is correct.

Unable to answer: d) Choose "all of the above" if you are certain all other answer choices in the item are correct. – Do not choose "all of the above" if even just one of the other answer choices is not correct. e) Choose "none of the above" if you are certain all other answer choices in the item are incorrect. – Do not choose "none of the above" if even just one of the other answer choices is correct.

Really stuck If you cannot answer a question within a minute or less, skip it and plan to come back later. – Hints might be given in the rest of the exam