How to get more out of multiple choice questions... think!

I was a sophomore and it was nothing more than a simple general biology quiz. I got it! No worries. Due to my exceptional organization skills I studied only one of the two major topics I had to cover. No worries! Did I say that already?

Photo courtesy of Flickr - John Gatenby

The chapter I failed to study was on immunology. Now that I've done research on macrophages - one of the major components of the immune system - for years of my life, I have to tell you; immunology still is an undiscovered and little understood world of names, receptors and cytokines to me.

"But, Sir, don't you teach that in class?"

Never mind. No worries! Stay focused, we're talking about an exam that I could have potentially failed miserably... but somehow ended up with an above average grade. I must be a genius! Or is it something to do with multiple choice? I had my suspicions.

Every student enters into the classroom to take a multiple choice exam with a fixed amount of knowledge about a topic. Some come in with more, others less, but how you translate what you know to how well you do on the test is a completely different matter.

The reason for this - and why you can actually do far better on multiple choice exams even if you haven't studied that well -  is simply because biology makes sense! Really, it does.

So what does that mean for your multiple choice exam? It means that when you get to the question about that concept that you either didn't study or couldn't understand in time, you can greatly increase your chances of getting it right simply by;

1) Observing every choice, calmly.

2) Discount every answer you know is not true.

3) Mark every answer you know is true.

4) Think, analyze and deduce.

Now you're left with choices you are unsure of. Most will attempt to guess at this stage. Don't! They've already exhausted their knowledge data banks and can't remember anything more. Here is where you need to think, analyze and deduce. Ask yourself which answer makes more sense. Try to remember other systems that might be remotely similar. Draw a figure and theorize what the answer could be. Be creative and use logic.

5) Now, choose your answer and move on.

Simple, huh? All this shouldn't take more than a minute or two. I tell you, over the long run this will help you score significantly higher. Anyhow, after a couple of years of these kind of questions, you'll figure this out on your own. But why not take advantage of a head start?

Now it's your turn: Do you prefer multiple choice or short answer questions? Why?

By Marc Mikhael, Ph.D.

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