Common Problems With Multiple Choice Questions

These are the ones I hear most regularly from test-takers. If you’ve got a problem not covered here, let me know. Submit your question to problems@masteringmultiplechoice.com and we’ll find a strategy that works for you!

"I never get finished."

This is a an issue with multiple choice test-taking - the way you're actually approaching the exam. Make sure you stick to the Cycle system of taking multiple passes through the material – don’t waste too much time on multiple choice questions that you can’t answer in short order.

In addition to all the other benefits outlined in that section, the multi-pass technique does wonders for time management. It will allow you to be constantly aware of how much you have to do in the time remaining. Stick to it and you’ll finish on time every time.

"The questions were all on trivial details."

What’s the essence of this one? Is the problem really that the multiple choice questions were on trivial details, or that you didn’t know the trivial details when the time came?

This is really a prep issue. And the solution is not necessarily to study more. There are several ways to deal with this:

• Use old multiple choice questions and tests, preferably by the same test-maker. Note the level of detail.
• Study in groups, in a trivia or “Jeopardy-style” format. This tends to bring the focus from large concepts down to the detail level.
• Improve your understanding of the whole course. Strangely, the more you understand the big picture, the easier it is to remember details, and to weed out the incorrect details come test time.

“I can’t read fast enough.”

Let’s dig into this one a bit. There’s really no question that reading faster is an advantage in most things. But do you need to be a speed-reader to succeed?

But let’s just make sure you understand where the speed-reading advantage lies. (And to clarify, when I say speed reading, I’m assuming your retention and comprehension are also heightened – in other words, if you’re reading ninety miles an hour, but you can’t remember or understand a word, then you’re not speed reading. You’re skimming, and likely not doing it well.)

Assuming that you legitimately increase your reading speed, then where this really makes a difference is in writing the test, not studying for it. As you know from learning how to study for multiple choice questions, our goal is to reduce the amount of material you have to read, not re-read it at a faster rate. Your speed reading will pay off the first time you’re reading your textbook or notes, but if you’re using the principle of successive condensing, you should have less and less to read each time.