Ace
Short answer: study by answering practice questions from memory, not by re-reading. Focus on the concepts that are easy to confuse, because that's where the wrong options come from. On the day, try to answer each question before you look at the options, eliminate what you can, and don't be afraid to change an answer when you have a reason: research shows changes more often go from wrong to right.
Why are multiple-choice exams harder than they look?
Because recognising an answer is easier than producing it, and that gap fools you while you study. When you re-read notes, every fact looks familiar, so you feel ready. In the exam, though, four options all look familiar, and only real understanding tells them apart. Good multiple-choice questions are written so that the wrong options are things students genuinely believe.
Preparing for the exam
1. Practise with questions, not your notes
Answering questions is the single most effective way to prepare. In a landmark review, Dunlosky and colleagues (2013) rated practice testing as one of only two "high utility" study techniques; re-reading and highlighting were rated low. Use past papers, end-of-chapter questions, or generate a set from your own lecture material with Ace, which writes four-option questions checked against your file.
2. Answer before you look at the options
Cover the options, answer in your head, then reveal them. This turns a recognition question into a recall question, which strengthens memory far more. It's the same principle behind active recall.
3. Learn the confusable pairs
Most wrong options are near-misses: the right idea attached to the wrong term, a reversed relationship, a concept from the neighbouring chapter. Make a list of things you mix up (mitosis and meiosis, mean and median, sensitivity and specificity) and practise telling them apart directly. Research by Little, Bjork and colleagues (2012) found that multiple-choice practice with plausible wrong options also improved learning of the related material behind those options.
4. Always check the correct answer, and why
Feedback is what makes practice questions teach. Butler and Roediger (2008) found that seeing the correct answer after a multiple-choice test boosted learning and stopped students from remembering a wrong option they had chosen. For every miss, ask: what made the wrong option attractive?
5. Space it out
Spread practice over days rather than cramming the night before; spaced practice is the other "high utility" technique in Dunlosky's review. A simple pattern is to review a topic one, three and seven days after you learn it; our spaced repetition schedule lays it out.
In the exam
6. Read the stem carefully
Watch for words that flip the question: not, except, least, most likely, first. Underline them. Many "careless" mistakes are answers to a slightly different question.
7. Eliminate, then decide
Cross out options you know are wrong. Even if you then have to guess between two, your odds double. Be wary of options that are true statements but don't answer the question asked.
8. Don't get stuck: mark it and move on
Give each question a fair first attempt, mark the hard ones and come back. Later questions sometimes jog your memory, and you protect time for the questions you can definitely answer.
9. Change your answer when you have a reason
The advice to "stick with your first instinct" is one of the most persistent exam myths. Studies of answer changes consistently find that more changes go from wrong to right than right to wrong; Kruger, Wirtz and Miller (2005) called the belief the "first instinct fallacy". Changing on a whim doesn't help, but if rereading reveals a mistake or a later question reminds you of something, change it.
Practise duelling a friend
A timed quiz against someone else adds a little of the exam's pressure while you're still learning, and you'll argue about the questions you both got wrong, which is excellent review. Ace's two-player quiz duels are built for exactly this.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to study for a multiple-choice test?
Answer practice questions from memory, focusing on the concepts you confuse, and check the correct answer and the reason after each one. Spread these sessions over several days.
Should you change your answers on a multiple-choice test?
If you have a reason, yes. Research consistently finds that answer changes more often go from wrong to right than from right to wrong. The "trust your first instinct" rule is a myth.
Is it better to guess or leave a question blank?
Unless your exam deducts marks for wrong answers, always answer: eliminate what you can and pick the most likely option. If it does penalise guessing, guess only when you've eliminated at least one or two options.
Are multiple-choice questions good for learning?
Yes, when the wrong options are plausible and you see the correct answer afterwards. Then they work as retrieval practice and teach you to distinguish similar concepts.
Sources
- Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58.
- Little, J. L., Bjork, E. L., Bjork, R. A., & Angello, G. (2012). Multiple-choice tests exonerated, at least of some charges. Psychological Science, 23(11), 1337–1344.
- Butler, A. C., & Roediger, H. L. (2008). Feedback enhances the positive effects and reduces the negative effects of multiple-choice testing. Memory & Cognition, 36(3), 604–616.
- Kruger, J., Wirtz, D., & Miller, D. T. (2005). Counterfactual thinking and the first instinct fallacy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88(5), 725–735.
- Cepeda, N. J., et al. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380.
