5 tricks to pass a multiple choice test (without studying)

Go ahead that from Psychology and Mind we do not want to promote laziness. The best way to pass an exam, multiple choice or not, is to study seriously, learn the lesson well, take the exam and enjoy answering. Noticing how all the effort invested in studying a subject materializes in a good grade is always a very good feeling.

However, you will have perceived that there are people who are very good atmultiple choice exams and other people who tremble when they have to face a test of these characteristics. Multiple choice exams have the particularity that tend to be more favorable to those who have good intuition. In contrast, people who tend to get nervous during exams tend to score below expectations. And all this despite the fact that, in fact, there is no difference in the knowledge that they have acquired.

Why do some love multiple-choice tests and others detest them?

The key, apart from the more or less developed intuition of each person, is in some tricks that some people know and allows them to be more effective in multiple choice test answers. These tricks are not only part of the resourceful repertoire of the clever student but also

have a scientific foundation.

In fact, it was the writer William Poundstone with his book Rock Breaks Scissors, A practical guide to Outguessing and Outwitting Almost Everybody ("Rock-breaking Scissors: A Practical Guide to Guessing and Making Fun of Everyone") who detected some important trends that teachers commit when preparing the said exams type test.

Once you know these tricks (based on the heuristics and in others psychological tendencies on how teachers write tests and tests) we can say that there are a number of tips that can decisively help you pass these multiple choice exams... even if you haven't been able to study enough!

1. Suspicion of categorical responses

As a general rule, the answers in multiple choice tests that include words such as "never", "always", "all" and "none" are usually wrong options. Why? Good, because the normal thing is that there may be an exception to the rule that invalidates the categorical statement. The teacher will rarely take a chance on a correct option that leaves so little room for maneuver.

But beware: the response options that contain the expressions "none of the above", "all of the above are correct" ... are the correct option in 52% of cases. If you have no more elements to decide because you are completely ignorant of what is being said in the statement, you should choose this type of answer, since it offers you much more probability of being right than if you answer the random. It is not life insurance, but the statistics will be in your favor.

2. The exam as a whole can give you answers to specific questions

It is important that you read the entire exam cover to cover before answering any questions. The reason: there is probably "hidden" answers (or not so hidden) in other questions on the exam. Poundstone found that it is quite common for the answer options to appear in several different questions throughout the exam.

Actually, a well-crafted test by teachers shouldn't have this blunder. That is, that there are hidden or deductible answers through the writing of the questions is a serious failure in the writing of the exam by the professor in question. In a pure exercise of logic, you can get to solve several questions thanks to the information that you provides the rest of the exam, taking advantage of these slip-ups sometimes made by the people who design the exam.

3. The longest answers are usually the correct ones

In general terms, you should keep in mind that longer answers are usually the correct choices. This is because “the teachers who create the exam must ensure that the correct answers are indisputably correct. Usually, this requires a longer and more rigorous statement ”, explains the author of the research. It is clear, no?

Therefore, now you know: if you don't have the remotest idea of ​​what the correct answer is and there is an option that stands out for its length... that is the one with the most ballots to be correct.

4. Inconsistent answers are often wrong

Some multiple choice exams are generated with computer programs that generate some answers automatically, and therefore randomly and without following any kind of logical pattern. These answers tend to be very incongruous with respect to the others, and obviously they are wrong options.

When you detect this type of incongruous answer, not only will you have a better chance of getting the question right in question (since you will have discarded one of the answer options), but you will also take into account that, Throughout the exam, there may be more auto-generated and therefore incorrect answer choices. Get the most out of it you can.

5. Multiple choice tests are for cold minds

If you're of those people who get nervous during tests, you must change this bad dynamic. The more relaxed and clear-headed you are while answering the exam questions, the more likely you are to that you are able to use all your resources (knowledge and tricks) to successfully exit the proof.

Regarding this, I recommend that you read this article:

"5 tricks to avoid nervousness before (and during) an exam"