Seattle University Learning Assistance Programs
Strategies for Doing Well on Multiple Choice Exams
· Multiple choice questions are composed of a "stem" - i.e., an incomplete statement, and a set of alternative options to correctly complete the statement. Most students read the stem and then all the alternatives, but this can be confusing!
· Use the following process instead:
o Cover the options so you can't see them.
o Read the stem carefully. Pick out the key words or phrases.
o Reflect on your answers to the question; you might jot these down.
o Now expose the first option. Does this option match your answer? If it does, then put a check mark by the option. If not, put an X by it. If you're uncertain, put a question mark by it.
o Repeat this process of check mark, X, or ? for each option.
· Now that you have eliminated some options, select the best of the remaining options.
· If you end up with two good options:
o Stick with the option you are sure of; if one "may" be right, forget it, and go with the one you're more confident in.
o Choose the option which you think the test-maker intended as the correct one. Rather than look for "tricks" assume that the test-maker was thinking in a straight forward way.
· If you have to guess, follow these guidelines:
o If two options are quite similar, generally one of these is the correct choice. Concentrate on the distinctions to choose an answer.
o Choose the more inclusive option. For example, "a and b" instead of just "a" or "b". (Do this only if you are forced to guess!)
· Don't spend too much time on questions you are unsure of. Mark these so you can come back to them, but go ahead and do the ones you do know. Often your memory will be jogged somewhere else in the test
· Know yourself. If you tend to change answers to better ones, go ahead and change an answer if you believe your first one was wrong. However, if you find that you make more errors by changing answers, trust your initial choice. (If you tend to read unintended meanings into questions, avoid overanalyzing and stay with your first choice.) Your gut answer is usually correct!
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www.seattleu.edu/SAS/LearningAssistance
rev 0728