Multiple Choice Exams

Which of the following are true?

  1. The correct answer is usually 'C'.
  2. 'D' is usually not relevant.
  3. You can't study for multiple choice exams.

These are 'myths' that would have you believe that success in multiple choice exams is a matter of luck. Don't be fooled!

Multiple choice exams require a great deal of skill to do well. They require accurate knowledge and careful reading of the instructions, questions and responses. They also require you to be certain of your knowledge; the challenge in multiple choice exams is not to be distracted by the 'distractors' (false answers).

You will feel more confident if you have an understanding of the types of questions you might be asked in a multiple choice exam, a set of exam strategies for this type of exam and an idea of what you can do when you don't know an answer. Read on to find out more, then check out the exam prep section for more general exam tips.

Types of multiple choice exams

It is important that you know what type of multiple choice questions will be asked in your exam, as well as the response format required. There are several types of multiple choice questions. Following are some of the more common ones:

True/False

True/False questions may require you to select EITHER the 'true' (correct) OR the 'false' (incorrect) answer. eg. True or false: Zafirlukast is a leukotriene receptor antagonist.

Odd one out

For some multiple choice questions you will need to establish a pattern amongst answer alternatives and then choose which answer option is the 'odd one out'. Common examples are number or object patterns or sequences in intelligence tests.

Most accurate

In social science subjects where exact answers are less likely, you may be asked to choose the 'most accurate' answer to a question. eg:

Which of the following options provides the best description of hypnosis?

  1. hallucinatory sleep
  2. deep sleep
  3. high suggestibility
  4. mind control

Grid format

Grid format questions provide a set of solutions based on sets of answers being correct. eg.:

Tissue oedema may result from:

  1. protein-deficient diet
  2. local accumulation of metabolites
  3. loss of sympathetic vasomotor tone
  4. venous congestion

Considering the above statements, which of the following is most correct?

Extension questions

Extension questions require you to, for example, complete a sentence. eg.:

A business organisation which exchanges inputs and outputs with its environment and has the ability to adjust to changes in the environment is called:

  1. an adaptive system
  2. a closed system
  3. an open system
  4. a controlled and responsive system
  5. an open and adaptive system

Statements and logical relations questions

These are more common in the medical sciences. You will be asked to consider a sentence comprising two statements connected by a logical relation (such as: 'depends on', 'causes', 'results in') [ie: Statement A, Logical Relation, Statement B]. eg.:

Ventricular stroke is very common in elderly people because it depends on high values for stroke volume and mean arterial pressure.

Statement A: Ventricular stroke is very common in elderly people
Logical Relation: because
Statement B: it depends on high values for stroke volume and mean arterial pressure.

  1. Answer 1 if Statement A is true and Statement B is true but the logical relation is false.
  2. Answer 2 if Statement A is true and Statement B is true and the logical relation is false.
  3. Answer 3 if both Statements A and B are false.
  4. Answer 4 if Statement B is true and Statement A is false.
  5. Answer 5 if Statement A is true and Statement B is false.

When you don't know the answer

As with all exams, you should always make a calculated guess rather than leave an question blank. Here are some tips to help you guess 'intelligently'.

Use a process of elimination

Try to narrow your choice as much as possible - which of the options is most likely to be incorrect? Ask: are options in the right range? Is the measurement unit correct? Does it sound reasonable?

Look for grammatical inconsistencies

In extension-type questions a choice is nearly always wrong if the question and the answer do not combine to make a grammatically correct sentence. Also, look for repetition of key words from the question in the responses. If words are repeated, the option is worth considering. eg.:

The apparent distance hypothesis explains... (b) The distance between the two parallel lines appears...

Be wary of options containing definitive words and generalisations

Because they can't tolerate exceptions, options containing words like 'always', 'only', 'never' or 'must' tend to be incorrect more often. Similarly, options containing strong generalisations tend to be incorrect more often.

Favour look-alike options

If two of the alternatives are similar, consider them. eg.:

  1. tourism consultants
  2. tourists
  3. tourism promoters
  4. fairy penguins

Favour numbers in the mid-range

If you have no idea what the real answer is, avoid extremes.

Favour more inclusive options

If in doubt, select the option that encompasses others. eg.:

  1. an adaptive system
  2. a closed system
  3. an open system
  4. a controlled and responsive system
  5. an open and adaptive system

Please note: None of these strategies is foolproof and they do not apply equally to the different types of multiple choice questions, but they are worth considering when you would otherwise leave a blank.

Further Reading

Index