Techniques for Taking Multiple-Choice Tests

1. Read the question and try to answer it BEFORE looking at the answers.

   Many students find it helpful to actually cover the answers with a bookmark so they cannot see the answers until after they have thought of an answer for themselves.

   1. The capital of Alberta is

   Read the question. You know the answer is “Edmonton”. Start by looking for “Edmonton” among the answers. By thinking of the answer first, you are less likely to be fooled by a wrong answer.

   1. The capital of Alberta is
         A) Ottawa
         B) Calgary
         C) Edmonton
         D) Lethbridge

   Sometimes, the answer you expected will not be there:

   1. The capital of Alberta is
         A) a
         B) b
         C) e
         D) l
   

   Look at the alternatives, and choose the one that answers the question, even it if is not quite what you expected. ("A" is the capital letter in Alberta.)

2. Make sure you look at ALL the answers before choosing:

   1. Edmonton can be described as Alberta’s
         A) capital city
         B) gateway to the north
         C) largest theatrical center
         D) all of the above
   

   Even though (A) and (B) are true, (D) is the correct answer. It is important to read all the answers, and not just take the first correct answer you see.

3. Plan ahead.

   If a test includes both multiple-choice and written response questions, divide your time based on the number of marks allocated to each section.

   If a test includes both multiple-choice and essay questions, read the essay question first, then answer the multiple-choice questions, then return to the essay. This allows your subconscious to work on the essay question while you are doing the multiple-choice questions, and will make it easier to start on the essay. The multiple-choice questions themselves might also provide clues, information, or ideas that you can use in answering the essay question.

4. Do not spend too much time on any one question.

   Some students end up rushing through questions at the end of the test because they spent too much time trying to answer one question early on. Remember that each multiple-choice question is worth the same number of marks, and so you should divide your time equally between all the multiple-choice questions.

   Sometimes a question will seem to have no right answer:

   2. The capital of Alberta is
         A) Red Deer
         B) Calgary
         C) Taber
         D) Lethbridge

   There may not be a right answer; the test writer may have made a mistake. It is important not to waste too much time trying to answer an impossible question. Choose an answer at random, but circle the question number so you can come back to it later if you have extra time. Go on to the next question.

   If a question is too hard, or you just do not know the answer, choose an answer at random and come back when you have completed all the questions you do know. Use whatever time is left over at the end of the test to tackle these time consuming questions.

5. Do not keep changing your answer.

   Sometimes a question will seem to have two right answers:

   1. Which of the following is a capital city?
         A) Ottawa
         B) Calgary
         C) Edmonton
         D) Lethbridge

   Choose the answer that seems best to you (Ottawa?) and move on to the next question. Do not keep changing your mind. Research shows that your first choice was probably the right one. Most people who change their answers will change from a correct one to a wrong answer. Only change your answer if you are absolutely sure you made a mistake. (For example, if another question on the test suddenly reminds you of the right answer.)

6. If the question asks you something you do not know, see if one of the other questions can provide a clue to the right answer.

   It is often possible to remind yourself of an answer by remembering the rest of the lesson in which that concept was taught. Since tests often closely follow the order in which the content was taught, it is sometimes possible to remind yourself of the answer by looking at the neighbouring questions.

   Sometimes questions will provide direct hints about other questions. For example, question 10 might be "In what year did the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor?" and question 15 might be, "What advance warning did the Americans have of the Dec 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor?" Question 15 then provides the likely answer to question 10.

7. If the question asks you something you do not know, see if you can get rid of any of the wrong answers before you guess:

   3. The capital of Alabama is
         A) Montgomery
         B) Birmingham
         C) Edmonton
         D) Ottawa

   You may not know anything about Alabama, but you do know that Edmonton and Ottawa are Canadian cities, and so are almost certainly wrong answers for this question. By crossing out Edmonton and Ottawa, you only have to guess between (A) or (B). That means you have a 50/50 chance of getting it right, just by guessing.

   [The answer is (A). Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama, but Montgomery is the capital.]

   By carefully eliminating answers you know are wrong, you can increase your chances of guessing correctly.

   Imagine that you only know the answers to half the questions on a test. Normally, your score would be 50%. But if you can eliminate one wrong answer for each question you are unsure about, your score would be 66%. If you can eliminate two wrong answers for each question you are unsure about, you could raise your score to 75%.

8. After you have finished the test, go back to those questions you circled as being too hard or having no right answer.

   See if you can answer them now. Take as much time as you have. Never leave a test early, unless you are sure you have answered every question correctly.

   If you still cannot answer the question, then guess. You have a 25% chance of getting it right anyway (on a four-choice multiple-choice question); more if you can eliminate one or more of the wrong answers. Never leave a blank on a multiple-choice test.