Taking Multiple Choice Tests

8/9/2019 Taking Multiple Choice Tests

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HOW TO STRATEGICALLYANSWER MULTIPLECHOICE QUESTIONS

Demystifying the !Ty"e#


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Goal of Presentation

T$ "%$&i'e st('ents )ith st%*tegies $n h$) t$"%e"*%e f$% e+*ms *n' h$) t$ st%*tegi,*--y

*ns)e% m(-ti"-e ,h$i,e .(esti$ns/

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About Multiple Choice Questions

Most commonly used objective test question.

Consists of two (! parts" #tem (statement or question!

Answer Choices ($nown as distractors or foils!

Multiple choice questions assess Memory of facts% details and&or relationships

Ability to reason (')ype! SynthesisAnalysisApplication

)wo rules to remember when ta$in* multiplechoice questions. +ud*et )ime ,isely

-ela and /on0t Panic1

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PRE-READ

TEXT

GO TO

CLASS

TAKE NOTES ASK QUESTIONS

OF INSTRUCTOR

REVIEW & EDIT NOTES

SAME DAY AS LECTURE

ASK YOURSELF

QUESTIONS

OUTLINE MAJOR

TOPICS

READ TEXT SELECTIVELY

DO HOMEWORK

ASK

QUESTIONS OF

T.A. OR

INSTRUCTOR

REVIEW & INTEGRATE

Academic Skills Center, Dartmouth College 2001

St('y Ti"s2 A,ti&e St('y 3-$)Di*g%*m

A,ti&e St('y Te,hni.(es2 /aily review notes 2se of note cards&3ashcards /evelop a study schedule /evelop study sheets for

eams -ead and condense

notes to onepa*e*uides with $ey points

-eor*ani4ation will

help with recall ofcontent.

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MultipleChoice )est)a$in* #trate*ies

-ead question carefully

2nderline 5 6i*hli*ht 5 Circle important terms.

7liminate15 7liminate15 7liminate1 Get rid of choices you $now are incorrect at6st *lance

doin* so improves chances of selectin* a correct answer

8nly chan*e answers if you are absolutely sure thecurrent answer is incorrect 5 /on0t second *uessyourself1

2se time wisely 5 Pace yourself

+rowse test and determine time to spend on eachquestion.

/on0t i*nore an obvious answer

Avoid patterns (i.e. selectin* 9C: just because;!

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7ample" Multiple Choice Question )ypeA

Type A questions deal with Basic knowledge,factual information and requires knowledge ofinformation (simplest type)

7ample"

ot watchin* the balld. Grippin* the rac$et incorrectly

A>#,7-" C

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7ample" Multiple Choice Question )ype+

Type B question focus on application These questions testknowledge in a specic contet and requires more thanmemori!ation"

7ample"


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7ample" Multiple Choice Question )ype+

niti$ns*n' t$ &is(*-i?eh$) 'e>niti$ns,*n @e *""-ie' in%e*- -ife/

A>#,7-"C


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7ample" Multiple Choice Question )ypeC (')ype!

Type # ($%Type) require analysis, synthesis and e&aluationin order to select an answer" $%Type questions require

integration of knowledge and decision making"

7ample"


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7ample" Multiple Choice Question )ypeC (')ype!

%st *i'*'ministe%e'sh$(-' @e @*se'$n * s"%*ine'*n;-e

A>#,7-"C

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Multiple Choice Question)ypes

TYPE QUESTION STRATEGIES TO APPROACHQUESTION

C$m"-ete the St*tementGiven an incomplete statement thatmust be completed with answer.

Carefully read the question stem.7liminate wron* answers immediately-ead the question stem with eachanswerMa$e sure your answer choice +7#)completes the sentence.

Whi,h $f the 3$--$)ingChoice of answers limited to answerstem only althou*h others answerscould apply which aren0t listed.

Carefully read the question stemBnsert the answer choices in place of thephrase 9 which of the followin*:

Neg*ti&e Ch$i,es9>ot:% 97cept:% 9Deast: 5 )hese wordsare often overloo$ed.>e*ative choices are used for questionswith several G88/ solutions. +2) there

is clearly a wron* answer in the choices

Carefully read the question stem2nderline% circle% or hi*hli*ht thene*ative word presented in the stem% sothat you will select a correct answer.)hin$ about what choice does not ?t

'eep in mind that you are loo$in* for ane*ative choice 5 one that doesn0t

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)he Power of Panic

A person who panics; -elies on instincts instead of $nowled*e

Dac$s an understandin* of eam content

,hat happens when you panic= Memory is inhibited

Ability to focus decreases

)end to overloo$ stated facts

7asily become confused

7motions ta$e precedence over reason

Guessin* is not strate*ic

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7liminate to Ameliorate1(Process of 7limination!

In,$%%e,t Ans)e%sMis%e"%esent * f*,tFsIgn$%e the ,ent%*- iss(e in the.(esti$nH*&e f*(-ty %e*s$ning

C$%%e,t Ans)e%sSt*te * f*,tFsA''%ess the ,ent%*- iss(e inthe .(esti$nH*&e s$(n' %e*s$ning

Process of elimination is the most e@ective way toim"%$&eyour chances of selectin* a correct answer.

7liminatin* Bncorrect Answers /etails are important 5 watch the subtle di@erences in

answers choices. (use question stem to ?nd $ey tet!. Answer choices must be lo*ical

Bf reasonin* for answer choice is not correct% then answer isnot correct.

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7liminate to Ameliorate1(Process of 7limination!

Process of elimination is the most e@ectiveway to im"%$&eyour chances of selectin* acorrect answer.

Eaulty reasonin* includes" +latant contradictions

Goes beyond the facts

Assumes facts in dispute are true

,hen can a ri*ht answer be wron*= ,hen the answer choices include an option that

is M8-7 C8--7C) F8- a +7))7- 8P)B8>.

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)he Guessin* Game(intelli*ent deduction!

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/o not *uess until you have eliminated all $nownwron* answers

Doo$ at the facts in the question stem ,hat issue(s! stand out=

Fthen loo$ for answer choice(s! that address the issue(s!presented in the question stem.

+eware of the followin*" /istractors or Eoils (incorrect answers that appear to

be correct! Absolute certainties (always% never% cannot must!

Bf two answers are opposites% one is probably correct.


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P-e*se fee- f%ee t$ ,$nt*,t me if y$( h*&e * .(esti$n

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Taking Multiple Choice Tests