Lakeland College
P.O. Box 359
Sheboygan, WI 53082-0359
Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple choice questions usually include a phrase or stem followed by 3 to 5 options.
Test Strategies:
Read the directions carefully. Know if each question has one or more correct answers and if you are penalized for guessing. Answer the easy questions first.
Strategies for answering difficult questions:
Eliminate options you know to be incorrect. Read the stem all the way through; then, read each possible answer all the way through.
Question options that do not grammatically fit with the stem. Question options that are totally unfamiliar to you. Question options that contain negatives or absolute words. Try substituting a qualified term for the absolute one, an example would be using always or typically for absolutely, to see if you can eliminate it.
Look for indicators. If two or three options seem correct, "All of the above" is a strong possibility. Watch for number answers, toss out high and low numbers and consider the middle range numbers.
Watch for "look alike options." Probably one is correct; choose the best. Eliminate choices that basically mean the same thing, and thus cancel each other out. Look for opposites. If two answers are opposite each other, chances are, one of them is correct. Favor options that contain qualifiers. The result is longer, or inclusive items that better fill the role of the answer. Compare the alternatives. If two alternatives seem correct, compare them for differences, and then refer to the stem to find the best answer.
Strategies for guessing:
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Always guess when there is no penalty for guessing or you can eliminate options.
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Don't guess if you are penalized for guessing and if you have no basis for your choice.
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Don't change your answers unless you are sure of the correction. Research shows that first responses are more likely to be correct.
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Use hints from questions you know to answer questions you do not.
Helpful link: