MULTIPLE CHOICE STRATEGIES

1. Understand what the question is asking. Identify key words.

2. Never change a first response (after careful reflection) unless you know specifically why you are
changing their answer. ie, misread the question, remembered something specific from class or the
book, info from another question, etc. Trust how your brain makes connections and identifies
information at a sub-conscious level.... (use the Force Luke, use the Force)

3. Read the choices carefully, watch out for absolute terms....all, every, never, etc.

4. Be careful of distractors. Answers that are true statements or relate to the time period but do not
answer the question.

5. If you can eliminate even one answer choice take a shot

at the question.

6. Repeat number 2 frequently.

7. Although you need to read the question carefully, be careful to not *over-analyze* the question.

8. There are no trick questions.

9. On the exam make sure to answer the easy questions...you get no extra points for degree of
difficulty. In other words, if you are pressed for time and you are working through a paragraph that
might take them 2-3 minutes, you might want to finish any shorter and easier questions, first.

10. See the multiple choice question as a problem to be solved, not simply something that has been
memorized and therefore is either absolutely right or absolutely wrong. To this end you must
study actively--not just starring at notes or rereading highlights, but doing something with the
information. Make charts, draw pictures, ask questions, and especially, find as many things to
compare and contrast as possible, particularly things that we have not already compare or
contrasted in class or in writing.

11. Try to visualize the question--that is get a visual image, somehow, of whatever the question is
asking about. Try to remember images or maps we looked at in class or in the textbook or while
doing homework, etc. That is, try to get everything you know about question in your head before
beginning to test the answers.

12. Students often say "I got it down to two that both seemed right." When you are down to three
or two answers that all seem right, step back, and ask yourself, "what are the differences between
these answers." Therefore, rather than just concentrating on why each of the remaining answers is
correct, thinking more broadly about the remaining answers might bring some information into
play that will help eliminate. In some ways then, rather than insisting that each answer is right, try
to figure out why the answer is wrong!