College entrance exams, classroom tests, and other examinations contain multiple-choice questions. Since you will no doubt encounter these questions on tests if you are preparing to enter college, learning some test-taking strategies will be very beneficial.
Read the entire question.
Read a multi-choice question in its entirety before glancing over the answer options. Students often think they know what a question is asking before reading it and jump straight to the most logical answer. This is a big mistake and can cost you dearly on multiple-choice exams. Read each question thoroughly before reviewing answer options.
Answer it in your mind first.
After reading a question, answer it in your mind before reviewing the answer options. This will help prevent you from talking yourself out of the correct answer.
Eliminate wrong answers.
Eliminate answer options which you’re 100% sure are incorrect before selecting the answer you believe is correct. Even when you think you know the right answer, eliminating those answers you know are incorrect will ensure your answer is correct.
Use the process of elimination.
Using the process of elimination, cross out all the answers you know are incorrect, then focus on the remaining responses. Not only does this strategy save time, it dramatically increases your likelihood of selecting the correct answer.
Select the best answer.
It’s essential to select the best answer to the question being asked, not just an answer that seems correct. Often many solutions will appear valid, but there is typically the best answer to the question that your professor is looking for.
Read every answer option.
Read every answer option before choosing a final answer. This may seem like a no-brainer to some, but it is a common mistake students make. As we pointed out in the previous section, there is usually the best answer to every multiple-choice question. You may only select the best solution if you quickly assume you know the correct answer after reading every answer option.
Answer the questions you know first.
If you’re having difficulty answering a question, move on and come back to tackle it once you’ve responded to all the questions you know. Sometimes answering more straightforward questions first can offer you insight into answering more challenging questions.
Make an educated guess.
If it does not count against your score, make an educated guess for any question you need clarification on. (Note: On some standardized tests, incorrect answers are penalized. For example, a correct answer may be worth 2 points, an unanswered question 0 points, and a wrong answer -1 point. You can still make an educated guess on these tests, but only when you can eliminate at least one or two incorrect answers.)
Pay attention to these words…
Pay close attention to the words not, sometimes, always, and never. An answer that includes always must be irrefutable. If you can find a single counterexample, the answer is incorrect. The same holds for the word never. If an answer option only includes a single counterexample will indicate the answer is correct.
It’s usually best to stick with your first choice–but only sometimes.
It is best to stick with your chosen answer after reading the question. It is usually counterproductive to constantly second-guess yourself and change your answer. However, this doesn’t mean your first answer choice is necessarily correct. While multiple-choice tests aren’t usually intentionally designed to trick or confuse students, they are designed to test students’ knowledge and ability. To this end, the answer options will often include the most common wrong answer among the choices or solutions that seem logical but are ultimately incorrect or the best answer.
“All of the above” and “None of the above”
When you encounter “All of the above” and “None of the above” answer choices, do not select “All of the above” if you are pretty sure any one of the answers provided is incorrect. The same applies to “None of the above” if you are confident that at least one of the answer choices is true.
When there are seemingly two correct answers.
When two answers are correct in a multiple-choice question with an “All of the above” option, it’s probably the right choice.
Place your bet on the favourable option.
In most cases, a favourable option is probably valid if there is a negative one.