Multiple Choice Exams: Great Tips and Strategies

Dear Scholar, As you know, multiple choice testing is a common method of assessment. Keeping in mind a few simple rules can help when taking multiple choice exams. Rules can help keep your focus and pace on track. Step-by-step rules can be quite helpful, particularly for students experiencing test anxiety, attention issues like ADHD, certain learning disabilities, over thinking, etc. I like the step-by-step approach offered by Dartmouth College’s Academic Center, in their handout “Taking Multiple Choice Tests.” The handout begins with a statement about your goal on the test: To answer as many questions correctly as possible (not to finish the test on time). It says to: Treat each question as if it were to decide your final grade. Wow! What an effective way to draw your full attention and focus to each question. Check out the handout to learn simple and straight forward steps to improve your performance. Here’s a highlight of just three of the steps: Circling or underlining the qualifying words in the question: almost, sometimes, never, etc. Searching for key words and underlining them can help to clarify the question being asked. Sometimes our minds can race and fill in information before careful examination. Nervousness can make it worse. Searching for key words and underlining can help to slow down and clarify the question being asked. Treat each option as a true or false answer. Start with the first option; repeat the actual question, then read the the option; mark it accordingly true or false. Continue through the rest of the questions. Try this strategy on a practice exam. Does your focus improve? Do you feel more confident about your answers? Practice a few times to see how it works. If time runs out and you have questions unanswered, choose your favorite letter and use that letter for those questions. Don’t be random. Even with filling in unanswered questions, use a strategy and follow through. Think about your current approach, could you improve your performance by trying out some new strategies? Review the handout right here in addition to a nice selection of resources and strategies on the website. All best, Dr. J.