Preparing to Take Multiple
Choice (MC) Tests
There are three steps to MC test preparation:
1. Getting the information into a format that is required for the test.
2. Knowing what to do when you sit down to take the test.
3. Analyzing the corrected tests to see what mistakes were made.
To begin with, it is important to recognize that much of the test in an introductory course reflects the mastery of the terminology and application of the key ideas and principles of the field. Professors report that approximately 60% of questions focus on recall of important information while the remaining 40% are what they refer to as thinking questions. These tests may be different from those experienced in high school. Recognizing the correct answer used to be enough, but in college, more specific recall may be required.
REFORMATTING INFORMATION
Inside your mind, knowledge is formatted in many different ways. For example, your knowledge of how to dance or how to drive a car is in the form of motor procedures, not in the form of words. When you acquire knowledge from reading your textbook, listening to lectures, reading over your notes, and discussing this material with an instructor, or with other students, your knowledge is in the form of verbal narratives. A multiple choice test, however, does not ask you to produce your verbal narratives. A multiple choice test asks you to cut through your narratives, and retrieve specific facts. To prepare for a multiple choice test, you will therefore need to get your knowledge into a new format: not a narrative format, but an encyclopedia format. You will need to get facts organized and indexed, so you can get them back out of your memory quickly and efficiently.
Using
Index Cards for Memorization & Review
Specifically for MC Tests you want to format your index cards as follows:
(Front of Card)
Term
(Pronunciation if necessary)
:
(Back
of Card)
DEFINITION:examples, or
key points
a.
b.
c.
d.
Given these data, in this format, you will be prepared for many potential MC
questions including the following:
1.Term is defined as:
a.
b.
c.
d.
2.Which of the following is an example of the term?
a.
b.
c.
d.
3.This example illustrates which of the following terms?
a.
b.
c.
d.
4.This definition goes with which of the following terms?
a.
b.
c.
d.
In addition to definitions with examples you can also use a description of a concept or idea accompanied with a list of characteristics.
(Front
of Card)(Back of Card)
Key
concept or ideaDESCRIPTION: characteristics
a.c.
b.d.
The best way of doing this is to use index cards (named for their exact purpose). Here is what you do:
If you know your index cards frontwards and backwards, you should be able to answer the majority (remember, 60%) of the questions requiring recall. Frontwards and backwards means you can look at either side and recite what’s on the opposite side. You do this because you don’t know which direction the questions will come from.
You rehearse your index cards by reciting the information aloud for the entire stack of cards. This will test your recall ability. When you get it right, you stick it in one pile; if you get it wrong, you stick it back on the bottom to do again.
It is extremely important to practice reciting aloud to yourself. This way you hear the term as well as see it. When it comes time for the exam, a little voice will come back to you reciting the information you need to answer the question (Note this is not considered academic dishonesty as long as the voice you hear is your own). An even stronger practice program is to see it, say it, and then write it.
Think of these index cards as data entry cards that you are feeding into your computer, the brain. You could get the information from a book, but you are only allowed to bring in your head. The cards are a way of programming your head.
What about thinking questions? Given your preparation, the thinking questions should be no problem. Most people struggle because they don’t have the information to make the necessary decisions. The decisions usually involve making a generalization, making a connection, making a prediction or solving a problem. If you have the information, then what you do with it will be a lot clearer to you.
TAKING THE TESTS
Now the question shifts to “What do I do when I sit down to take the MC test?” Major complaints include, but are not limited, to the following:
1.I don’t understand what the question is asking.
2.All the answers look alike.
3.The answer I have is not here.
4.The all of the above, none of the above, drive me crazy.
To address these concerns, it is important to have some background information on MC tests. MC tests are seen by many professors as the most fair and reasonable way to test large numbers of students. Some professors feel that MC tests are preferable because there is a clear cut right or wrong answer. MC tests may be seen as more objective, therefore, the name you may have heard, objective test. MC tests are constructedIf you know the basic construction principles, then you stand a better chance of performing well on the exam.
First, it is important to realize that the MC format gives you the correct answer. In order to be a test, this answer must be hidden along with the other plausible choices. Your job is to recognize the correct or best answer or discriminate the correct from the incorrect or not quite as good. Technically, these other choices are called distractors. They are designed to distract you away from the correct answer. Sometimes this point is taken an extra step by supplying answers that reflect common confusions or important misconceptions. If you have not completely understood the concept, one of these choices might be intuitively very appealing, but still not the best answer. If you make the common mistake, the answer will be there and you will be erroneously reassured by it.
Remember:distractors can
1. look alike
2. sound alike
3. mean about the same thing
That’s why they are distracting.
When professors construct a question, they often follow this procedure:
1. select an important concept
2. generate the correct answer
3. generate distractors to test understanding of the concept
One way to generate distractors is the following:
1.
make it too specific (use always, never)
2. make it too general (leave out a piece, make it vague)
3. omit the correct answer (none of the above)
You need good problem solving routines for dealing with this complex academic task. The following routines, coupled with systematic preparation, (as described earlier) are recommended.
Step 1
Cover the answers. If these were designed to distract you, then it would be best to deal with them separately.
Step 2
Read the question carefully.Often the wording of the question seems difficult or unnatural. The reason for this is that the questions were designed to lead to one and only one correct answer.
Step 3
Ask yourself “What do they want to know?”or paraphrase the question in your own words. By translating the question into your own words, you make it easier to access your knowledge.
Step 4
Answer the question. based on what you recall.If you can answer the question straight out, you have successfully changed your MC Test to a fill-in-the-blank test. If you can’t, don’t worry. You have primed your brain to recognize the correct answer more readily.
Step 5
Read each answer carefully and match it to what you know.If successful, you have transformed an MC Test into a matching test. Be careful not to jump on an answer too soon without reading all possible choices. Often the professor will put a good but not the best answer first to snag those who will not read all the choices.
Step 6
Eliminate clearly wrong answers.It may be helpful to think of MC Tests as multiple true-false tests. Each choice is either true or false. By eliminating false answers, a single true one may emerge. However, there may be more than one. At this point, you want to stop and shift your mental gears. The reason that two answers look the same is because you are focusing on the similarities. Now you want to look for the differences.
Step 7
Look for the differences. Ask yourself, “What is different about these answers?” and “Does that difference make it a better answer?” If the answer is yes, pick it. If the answer is no, pick the other. What you are doing is creating a compare and contrast format. By critically analyzing the answers, that is, by breaking them apart and looking at the component pieces, you can detect the distinctions that the professor is testing.
Step 8
Check other options. If you can find no differences, look for an option like “both a & b,”“all of the above,” or “none of the above.” Make sure you save this for last. Most people see these choices first and panic. They are the most distracting of distractors. These should be your last option, so save them and ignore them until the end.
AFTER THE EXAM
Tests provide important feedback about what you know and what you don’t know. This is useful information that will help guide you in your study for future exams, especially if exams are cumulative. Too often, tests are tucked away after the grade is checked. Analysis of the errors is helpful because you may discover a pattern of your mistakes or a section of course material that was misunderstood.
Professors provide feedback on tests in a variety of ways. Some attach computer-generated keys to the returned exam form. These list both your responses and the correct responses. Others review exams in class and read correct responses aloud. Others post answers in a public place. Some professors privately review the test in their office. If this is so, be prepared to take notes. Whatever the method, it is important to get the information so you can check your answers.
Once you have the correct responses, attach them to your exam and compare your answers. Try to recall your thoughts when you decided on your choice. What is different about the two answers? Can you see why the correct answer is better? Did you miss a point? What was the professor looking for? Did you know the important terms well enough to recall the necessary specific information?