5 tricks to pass a multiple-choice test (without knowing the lesson)

There are several psychological tricks that can help you be more effective in test exams.

It goes without saying that from Psychology and Mind we do not want to promote laziness. The best way to pass an exam, whether it is a test or not, is to study seriously, learn the lesson well, take the exam and enjoy answering it. It is always a very good feeling to see how all the effort invested in studying a subject materializes in a good grade.

However, you may have noticed that there are people who are very good at taking multiple-choice multiple-choice exams and other people who tremble when they have to face a test of these characteristics. The particularity of the multiple-choice tests is that they tend to be more favorable to those people who have a good intuition.. On the other hand, people who tend to get nervous during exams often score lower than expected. And all this despite the fact that there is, in fact, no difference in the knowledge they have acquired.

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

The key, apart from the more or less developed intuition of each person, lies in a few tricks that some people know and that allow them to be more effective in multiple-choice tests. These tricks are not only part of the resourceful student's repertoire but also have a scientific basis. have a scientific basis.

In fact, it was the writer William Poundstone with his book Rock Breaks Scissors, A practical guide to Outguessing and Outwitting Almost Everybody (who spotted some of the most common and commonplace important tendencies that teachers commit when it comes to the preparation of the so-called "test.

Once these tricks are known (based on heuristics and other psychological psychological tendencies on how teachers write tests and quizzes) we can say that there are a number of tips on how teachers write tests and quizzes. tips that can help you decisively to pass these multiple-choice exams... even if you have not been able to study enough!

1. Be suspicious of categorical answers

As a general rule, answers on multiple-choice tests that include words such as "never," "always," "all," and "none" are usually incorrect choices.Why? Well, because there may be some exception to the rule that invalidates the categorical statement. The teacher will rarely take a chance with a correct option that leaves so little room for maneuver.

But be careful: the answer options that contain the expressions "none of the above", "all of the above are correct"... are the correct option in 52% of the cases.... If you have no other elements to decide because you are completely ignorant of what is being talked about in the statement, you should opt for this type of answer, since it offers you a much better chance of getting it right than if you answer at random. It is not a life insurance, but the statistics will be in your favor.

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

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

In reality, a well-crafted exam by professors should not have this blunder. That is, having hidden or deductible answers through the wording of the questions is a serious flaw in the writing of the exam by the professor in question. In a pure exercise of logic, you can manage to solve several questions thanks to the information provided by the rest of the exam, taking advantage of these slips that are sometimes made by the people who design the exam.

3. The longest answers are usually the right ones

Generally speaking, you should keep in mind that the longest answers are usually the correct choices.. This is because "teachers who create the test must ensure that the correct answers are indisputably correct. This usually requires longer and more rigorous wording," explains the author of the research. That's clear, isn't it?

So, now you know: if you have no idea what the right answer is and there is one option that stands out because of its length... that is the one that has the most chances to be the correct one.

4. Incongruent answers are usually incorrect.

Some multiple-choice tests are generated by computer programs that generate some answers automatically, and therefore randomly and without following any logical pattern. without following any kind of logical pattern. These answers are usually very inconsistent with respect to the others, and are obviously wrong choices.

When you detect this type of incongruent answer, not only will you have a better chance of getting the question right (since you will have discarded one of the answer options), but you will also be aware of the following, throughout the exam, there may be more automatically generated and therefore incorrect answer choices.. Make the most of it.

5. Multiple-choice tests are for cold minds

If you are one of those people who get nervous during tests, you need to change this bad dynamic.you need to change this bad dynamic. The more relaxed and clear-headed you are while answering the test questions, the more likely you will be able to use all your resources (knowledge and tricks) to successfully pass the test.

In this regard, I recommend you to read this article:

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