The exam is around the corner, but you know too little about the topics to be tested. You wish to discover how to pass a MCQ test without knowing anything.
There are several tricks that you apply and pass despite the situation. They will help you prepare extensively within a short time. You will also know how to handle multiple-choice tests wisely. Let’s look at these tips in detail.
How To Prepare For the Multiple Choice Test Last Minute
Even if you know nothing, the last minute can save a man. You can change that within the remaining time through these tips;
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Practice handling the expected number of questions within the given time
Examiners assign a particular amount of time to handle a certain number of questions. Practice as much as possible to ensure that you will manage your time wisely. Ensure that your work conditions are similar to the actual test conditions.
Choose the best action in case of an unknown answer
Does a wrong answer lead to the deduction of a point? If so, it would be best to leave the answers to the unknown questions blank. However, do not hesitate to guess if that’s not the case. After all, the right guess will earn you an extra point.
Manage your anxiety
Test conditions often lead to anxiety which can hinder you from tackling the questions well. Find a strategy that will help you when the time comes. Ensure that it works for you to avoid being overwhelmed by the test.
How To Answer Multiple Choice Questions Strategically
When the actual test time comes, practice these helpful tricks:
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Read every question carefully
Read the question and pay attention to every detail while at it. Before looking at the choices given, read the whole question thoroughly. Answer it in your head before looking at the given options.
Ignore the hard questions for later
As you answer simple questions, there are high chances of getting insight to answer their hard counterparts. Therefore, don’t dwell so much on the challenging questions. Remember to revisit them once you are done with the simple questions.
Pay attention to word clues
A single word is enough to change the answer to a question. That’s why you should pay attention to every word. Pay even more attention to words such as never, always, sometimes and not. Remember to use counterexamples to rule out the correct answers when dealing with words such as never and always.
Quantifiers such as may, generally, often and usually can make a huge difference. The same applies to negatives such as neither, none and not. Don’t underestimate superlatives, including best and most, when answering multiple-choice questions.
Avoid extreme choices
Unless 100% sure, avoid answers with always or never. If at least one of the answers is wrong, avoid using All of the above.
Equally important, even a single correct answer rules out None of the above answers. You can consider All of the above if there are at least two correct answers. Besides, questions that use words such as every, always and never require you to be attentive when choosing the correct option.
Rule out answers that aren’t correct
You may not be sure if the answer is correct. If so, eliminate the incorrect answers first. Don’t ignore this tip even when you are double sure about the correct answer. You may be surprised to realize that you have missed the tricky part of the question as you analyze the given options.
While at it, consider the grammar used in the question and the answers. If they don’t rhyme, there is high chance that the answer is incorrect. For instance, a wrong article or tense increases the chances of the answer being wrong.
Consider elimination strategy
If the answer has 4 answers to consider, the probability of each being correct is 25%. That increases to 33% when dealing with 3 likely answers, 50% when dealing with 2 possible answers and so forth.
It would help if you considered the elimination strategy when answering multiple-choice questions. Besides increasing your chances of getting it correct, it also saves your important time during tests.
If you come across two opposite answers, one of them is most likely the correct answer. Examiners are banking on the confusion to rule out those who understand the topic excellently.
Use studies’ strategies
Whereas they are usually risky, the strategies often save the day. For instance, it is advisable to choose the longest answer when unsure what is correct. Examiners often add more information to the correct answer, which should be handy when guessing.
Unless you are sure that the first answer is incorrect, stick to it. If you have two similar options, but one of them is positive and the other one is negative, the probability of the former being correct is higher.
Review the MCQ Test
Once you answer the question, don’t forget to do the following;
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Go back to the questions you skipped earlier
If an incorrect answer doesn’t cost you a point, avoid leaving a blank question. If you have skipped any question, go back to it and answer it.
Take your time to understand and think about it since you could get it right the second time.
Go through your work
Ensure you didn’t mark the wrong box or circle when answering the questions. If the question is number one, its answer should correspond to the right box on the answer sheet. Remember that such confusion could cost you big time.
Look out for accidental marks
Locate and erase all the accidental marks. Ensure that you don’t seem to have chosen two answers despite erasing one. If the person marking your answer sheet feels confused about your choice due to such marks, you can forget about getting it correct.
FAQs
What is a good method for guessing?
It is advisable to follow the Poundstone line of thought when guessing. According to him, the probability of B being the correct answer among 4 choices is relatively high. If the question has 5 choices, E often turns out to be the correct answer.
What is the most common correct answer on a multiple-choice test?
In most cases, the longest answer is the correct one. That’s because of the efforts the examiners put into ensuring that its correctness is indisputable.
However, writing wrong choices is not a problem since they don’t need qualifiers. In other cases, the positive answer is most likely correct if its negative or opposite version exists.
How do you always pass a multiple-choice test?
As long as there are choices, it is possible to pass a test. That’s most likely the advantage of dealing with multiple-choice questions. You can use various tricks, including random guessing and elimination, and get it right.
Conclusion
How to pass a MCQ test without knowing is possible. Besides, it isn’t hard because the tricks are easy to understand and implement. So, don’t give up on passing because you ran out of time.
Prepare well despite the little remaining time. As you answer the questions, don’t forget the tricks to use. Lastly, review the paper well before submitting it.
Equally important, stay relaxed when handling the paper. Follow all the above tricks of multiple-choice handling tests, and you will emerge victorious regardless.
