Studying
for a multiple choice exam requires a special method of preparation
distinctly different from an essay exam. Multiple choice exams ask a
student to recognize a correct answer among a set of options that include 3
or 4 wrong answers (called distractors ),
rather than asking the student to produce a correct answer entirely from
his/her own mind.
For many reasons,
students commonly consider multiple choice exams easier than essay exams.
Perhaps the most obvious reasons are that:
- The correct answer is guaranteed to be among the
possible responses. A student can score points with a lucky guess.
- Many multiple choice
exams tend to emphasize basic definitions or simple comparisons,
rather than asking students to analyze new information or apply
theories to new situations.
- Because multiple choice
exams usually contain many more questions than essay exams, each
question has a lower point value and thus offers less risk.
Despite these
factors, however, multiple choice exams can actually be very difficult. Consider
that:
- Because multiple choice
exams contain many questions, they force students to be familiar with
a much broader range of material than essay exams do.
- Multiple choice exams
also usually expect students to have a greater familiarity with details
such as specific dates, names, or vocabulary than most essay exams do.
Students cannot easily "bluff" on a multiple choice exam.
- Finally, because it is
much more difficult for a teacher to write good multiple choice
questions than to design essay questions, students often face higher
risks due to unintended ambiguity.
To
prepare for a multiple choice exam, consider the following steps:
- Begin studying early.
Multiple
choice exams tend to focus on details, and you cannot retain many details
effectively in short-term memory. If you learn a little bit each day and
allow plenty of time for repeated reviews, you will build a much more
reliable long-term memory.
- Make sure that you
identify and understand thoroughly everything that your instructor
emphasized in class.
Pay
particular attention to fundamental terms and concepts that describe
important events or features, or that tie related ideas and observations
together. These are the items that most commonly appear on multiple choice
exams.
- As you study your class
notes and your assigned readings, make lists and tables.
Concentrate
on understanding multi-step processes, and on ideas, events, or objects
that form natural sequences or groupings. Look for similarities and
differences that might be used to distinguish correct choices from distractors on an exam.
If
your textbook highlights new vocabulary or key definitions, be sure that
you understand them. Sometimes new words and concepts are collected at the
end of a chapter. Check to be sure that you have not left any out by
mistake.
Do
not simply memorize the book's definitions. Most instructors will rephrase
things in their own words as they write exam questions, so you must be sure
that you really know what the definitions mean.
These
study tips are from the Iowa State University’s
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching
