HINTS FOR MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS

Notice the differences and similarities among the concepts and ideas you study.

Studying for multiple choice tests, and taking them, involves focusing on distinctions among things. Ask: How are similar concepts different from one another? And how are different concepts similar?

Make up your own examples.

Examples that you can relate to (and hence remember) are a big help in figuring out questions on a test. Highlight the differences between similar examples, and clarify any similarities among examples that might confuse you on a test.

Basic strategy

Do the work of translating the course material into the way you think, well ahead of the test. The instructor thinks her way, the textbook author thinks his way, but you can only answer a test question according to what you have in your head when you take the test. So the more you understand and organize the material in terms that make sense to you, the more you will remember and be able to apply the material when dealing with a test question. It's generally much harder to do this translation during the test than beforehand.

SOME PRACTICAL HINTS

Read the question carefully

(I know it seems obvious, but it's the single biggest problem). After you've read it once, read it again, looking at each word and maybe jotting down your free associations. Once you've picked an answer, read the question again together with your answer.

If the question asks "which is NOT correct?"

Write "NOT" down next to the answers - so you don't forget that you're looking for the one that is false!

Eliminate wrong answers

Some answers are obviously wrong, for people who know nothing. Others are common misconceptions that you should have overcome when learning about the topic.

What to do when you've narrowed it down to two answers

This is when you need the discriminations you hopefully studied for (see above). Ask how the two answers differ (just the answers, ignore the question), maybe jot down how the two answers differ. Then look at the question again and ask yourself "how is this difference important for this question?" If you really think there's absolutely no difference between the two answers (e.g. just two words that mean the same thing), then look again at the answers you've eliminated - maybe one of them is actually the correct one.

Read the question over separately with each separate answer.

Cover up all the other answers as you read the question over separately with each specific answer. This reduces the distracting effects of the wrong answers and can make it easier for you to see intuitively which answer makes better sense.

Try to answer the question without making any assumptions.

Often our own assumptions lead us astray - keep it simple, don't overanalyze. Begin by reading the question assuming that all the information needed to answer it is there, and that each piece of information in the question is there for a reason. (Ask the proctor, if necessary, "should I assume .............." if you really can't answer the question with the given information.)

Relax

It's much easier to focus and avoid careless mistakes when you're not tense. Take a brief "chill break", check out the cartoon on the front, or just smile at life and go on.

Back to the Georgia Tech ClassroomBack to the Georgia Tech Classroom dileader@mindspring.com