How to Answer a Multiple-Choice Question Correctly (Guessing)
to download this as a printable text file, click here
also download Test Taking Tips

Characteristics of Multiple Choice Questions
The multiple-choice questions, matching, and true-false question have at least one thing in common - the correct answer is provided. Your problem as a test taker is to identify it.

Most multiple-choice questions are of the incomplete-statement type. A partial statement (called the stem) leads grammatically into four or five sentence endings, or options, listed directly under it. One of the options is the correct answer. The other (incorrect) options are called distractors or decoys.

Example: (stem) The almost perfect walls of granite boulders surrounding some lakes in Iowa were formed by
decoy a. American Indians
decoy b. prehistoric men
decoy c. huge meteors
answer d. thick ice

This incomplete-statement question exhibits good construction in the following ways:
1. all options are grammatically consistent.
2. the stem is long, and the options are short.
3. extraneous material is excluded from the stem.
4. the stem contains one central problem.
5. double negatives are not used.
6. all options are plausible.
7. the correct answer is no longer or shorter than the others.
8. only one option is the correct or best answer.

Answering Multiple Choice Questions
Before you even look at a question on a multiple-choice test, you must read the directions carefully. You must be sure of what is being asked of you. This cannot be stressed enough. Ask the proctor if necessary.

Begin each question by reading the stem all the way through. Then read the options all the way through.

You should read all the options even when the question seems unfamiliar. One of them might provide you with a hint as to what the question is about. There might be information in the options themselves.

After you read the stem and options, spend no more than a few seconds puzzling over the question. If you cannot answer it quickly, cross out any options you have eliminated and go on return later to the question.

If you cannot eliminate all options to a question you should guess.

Additional hints on decoy eliminating - the true-false technique: To use the true-false technique, you make a complete statement from the stem and each of the option, in turn. An option that results in a false statement is eliminated as a distractor. One that results in a true statement is probably the correct answer.

Stick to the subject of the course: When a multiple-choice question includes options that you don't recognize or seem out of place it is a good bet that the strange options are decoys.

Watch out for negatives and extreme words: Whenever you find negative words such as not or except in the stem or in the options. Circle them so they will stand out. But make sure you take them into consideration when you choose your answer. Always watch for 100 percent words such as never, no, none, best, worst, always, all, and every; and be suspicious of the options in which you find them.

Foolish options are usually incorrect: Sometimes test writers dash off foolish statements as an option. You should almost always view such statements as decoys worthy of being immediately crossed out.

The option "all the above" is usually correct:

Example: Until the first half of the second millennium B.C., an army laying seize to a city made use of
a. scaling ladders
b. seige towers
c. archery fire
d. all the above

The correct option is d.

Numbers in the middle range are usually correct: If you have a choice of options that are all numbers one of the middle numbers is probably the right choice. Test writers usually include a too high number and a too low number. You may eliminate them, then have a fifty/fifty chance of choosing the correct option. You may improve your chances by comparing the numbers to something you are familiar with.

Check for look-alike numbers: Test makers sometimes include, in one question, two options that are alike except for one word. Such a pair seems to indicate where the test maker's interest was focused, so it is logical to assume that one of the pair is the correct answer.

Example: The author considers himself an authority on
a. touring the Middle East
b. Middle East rug dealers
c. Middle East rug bargains
d. behavior patterns of tourist.

B and C seems to be the focus you would therefore choose one of them. Be really careful if there are two pairs of similar options.

Check longer or more inclusive options: In multiple-choice questions, the correct option is often longer or more inclusive of qualities or ideas than the decoys.

Guessing
The following is a list of cues for selecting the correct choice or alternative on objective tests when you are not completely sure of your answers. If you make use of these cues when you are in doubt about a test, you may increase your chance of obtaining a higher test score.

CUES IN THE ALTERNATIVES - Five areas are associated with the correct alternative.

Most General Alternatives - The correct alternative is often the most general, since the most general alternative includes the most information. You will often find a list of items that have some very technical and specific alternatives and one alternative which is more general. Chances are, the most general alternative is the correct one.

For example: The lungs
A. are solid and immobile and located within the chest.
B. are the only organs that produce insulin.
C. function primarily in respiration.
D. possess the sphincter of Oddi.

Even if you aren't sure of the correct answer, you can see that the alternatives A, B, and D, all deal with specific facts and details about the lungs. C deals with a main feature of the lungs, respiration. Since C is more general and allows for more variability, it is correct.

Length - The correct alternative is often the longest. If you have noticed that most of the correct answers have been the shortest, then when you aren't sure, select the shortest. If, on the other hand, most of the correct answers have been the longest, select the longest answer when you are unsure. No particular trend for either? try the longest.

For example: 3 + (7+1) = 3 + 7 + 1 because
A. 3 + 7 + 1 = 11
B. parentheses preceded by an addition sign may be removed without changing the signs of any numbers inside the parentheses (the association law of division).
C. division is indicated.
D. parentheses preceded by a minus sign may be removed.

In this item, B is the longest and therefore is most likely correct. In this case, it is correct.

Middle Value - the correct alternative is usually of middle value. If the alternatives range in value - old to new, early to late, big to small - and you are not sure which one is correct, eliminate the extremes and pick from the middle value or values.

Example: The mature human being has how many teeth?
A. 15
B. 32
C. 54
D. 7

Eliminate the two extreme values, C and D. Since 54 and 7 are extremes, they are probably incorrect. This leaves you with two alternatives from which to select your answer.

Two Alternatives Mean the Same - The correct alternative is probably not one of a pair of similar statements. If two alternatives mean the same thing, and there is only one correct answer, eliminate both of them. Neither will be correct. Make your choice from those remaining.

Here's an example: The treaty of Breast Litovsk was ratified by Moscow because:
A. Tsar Alexander I wanted to prevent Napoleon's invasion of Russia.
B. Russia was unable to keep up with the armament manufacture of Austria.
C. Russia could not keep pace with the military production of Austria.
D. Nicolai Lenin wanted to get the Soviet Union out of World War I.

Since alternatives B and C have similar meanings, choose between alternatives A and D. The correct choice is D.

Two Alternatives are Opposite - The correct alternative is probably one of a pair of direct opposites. If you notice that two alternatives have opposite meanings, one of them is probably correct.

Example: The Planarian has:
A. An anterior brain.
B. Three legs.
C. Red eyes.
D. A posterior brain.

Notice that alternatives A and D are opposite. Therefore, you would eliminate the other two alternatives are given, one of them is correct. In this item, A is the correct response.

CUES IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STEMS AND ALTERNATIVES
The next group of cues are found in both the stem and the alternatives. In this group are factors within the stem of the item which will help you to choose the correct alternative.

Grammatical Agreement of a and an - In a test item, the correct alternative should agree grammatically with the stem. For example, a stem ending with the word an calls for a response beginning with the letters a, e, i, o, or u. A stem ending with the word a calls for an alternative beginning with any other letter.

Example: A biologist who specializes in the study of the relationships of an organism to its environment is known as an:
A. ecologist
B. structuralist
C. taxonomist
D. naturalist

Since the stem ends with the word an, the correct alternative must begin with a vowel. The only one that fills this requirement is ecologist. A is the correct response.

Singular and Plurals - If the stem uses the word is, then the correct alternative will be a singular word. If the stem has the word are, find an alternative with a plural, or a word which means more than one object.

For example: Important in feeling pain are:
A. bone
B. ear
C. muscle
D. nerves

Since the stem calls for a plural answer (notice the word are in the stem), the correct alternative must be a plural. The only possibility is nerves. Even if you weren't sure of the answer, you could choose D, the only plural, and you would be correct.

Summary - When you are given a list of alternatives and are not sure which is correct, look for the degree of generalization, the length, middle value, and similarities of opposites in the statements. Select the most general answer instead of a specific. Choose either the longest or shortest alternative depending on the trend seen in the rest of the test. If you have noticed no trend, select the longest alternative. Eliminate the extreme value, and choose the alternative with a middle value. Also, if you find two alternatives with the same meaning, eliminate both of them. If you find two alternatives with opposite meanings, choose one of them.

To find out more about our business, please contact:
Dennis White, President, 970-858-3794
info@buycodecards.com