On multiple-choice questions, students are supposed to select the “best” choice among a set of four or more options – not always an easy decision! There can be multiple distracters within the multiple choices: qualifiers, off-subject items, look-alike items, and more can easily get students off track.
Try these Student Success strategies to improve your student’s success!
(1) Understand Multiple-Choice Questions
Multiple-choice questions are incomplete statements that you finish by choosing one of four (or more) answers.
Stem
The walls of granite around the lakes in Iowa were formed by:
Options
a. American Indians
b. three blue men
c. huge meteors
d. thick ice
(2) Apply the True-False Technique to Multiple Choice Items
If your student does better with true-false items than multiple-choice, she should try this strategy:
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First, create a statement using the stem and each option.
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Then, ask yourself if the statement is true or false.
Because of its lack of lumber, the poor country Syria has many homes made of:
a. metal
b. concrete
c. marble
d. mud brick
T F Because of its lack of lumber, the poor country Syria has many homes made of metal.
T F Because of its lack of lumber, the poor country Syria has many homes made of concrete.
T F Because of its lack of lumber, the poor country Syria has many homes made of marble.
T F Because of its lack of lumber, the poor country Syria has many homes made of mud brick.
(3) Stick to the Subject Matter of the Course
When multiple-choice questions include options you don’t recognize or seem out-of-place, don’t panic into choosing them. Strange options called “distracters” are usually not the answer.
Which of the following planets does not have a moon:
a. Venus
b. Cassiopeia
c. Mars
d. Perseus
Options b and d are distracters but, students who haven’t studied may fall for these distracters.
Always try to remember if the teacher used the unknown options in class. If not, they are distracters and can be eliminated.
(4) Immediately Eliminate Distracters and Foolish Options
Test writers sometimes include a silly statement as an option. These should be immediately crossed out.
(5) The Option “All of the Above” is Often Correct
When all the reasonable candidates for options will make the statement true, “all of the above” is used as an option.
One way to check the choice “all of the above” is to find at least two correct answers in the options.
During World War II, the US Military made use of:
a. Tanks
b. Planes
c. Cherokee code talkers
d. All of the above
Because the two other possibilities are correct, you don’t necessarily need to know that the US Military had Cherokee Indians use their native language to send secret messages to the front lines.
(6) Numbers in the Middle Range are Usually Correct
When options in a multiple-choice question are numbers and you have to guess, eliminate the high and low numbers. For some reason, test writers include one number below and one above the correct answer. (This does not apply to standardized tests or tests made by a textbook company.)
The Washington Monument stands how many feet high?
a. 255
b. 355
c. 955
d. 555
The Washington Monument is 555 feet tall.
(7) Check for Look-Alike Options
Test makers may include two options that are alike except for one word. One of these is likely the answer to the question, so look at these carefully and choose the one that best answers the question.
The author considers himself an authority on
a. touring the Middle East
b. Middle East rug dealers
c. Middle East rug bargains
d. behavior patterns of tourists
(8) Check for Longer Options
In multiple-choice questions, the longer option is usually correct because the test maker had to pack a lot of information into the answer to make it correct.
Do you need help applying these concepts?
These and more multiple-choice strategies are taught in Student Success and Summer Student Success groups.
Contact us to learn more or to make an appointment.
(c) 2010 – 2019, Monte W. Davenport, Ph.D.
