Adapted from Cleveland State University’s “Techniques for Multiple Choice Questions” Revised 7/2015
Techniques for Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple choice questions are designed to test your memory of specific details. They are constructed with the following
parts:
• Stem- the sentence or phrase that poses a question;
• Right answer- the element that provides the correct information to the stem question;
• Distractions- wrong or misleading answers to the stem questions
Distracters can be wrong in several ways. They often contain information that is the exact opposite of the correct
answer. Distracters may also contain only partial information, or they contain both incorrect informative elements.
Finally, some distracters are totally irrelevant to the information asked for in the stem. Knowing the way in which
multiple choice questions are constructed will help you understand the logic behind the question and your answer
choices.
Knowing the subject matter thoroughly has no substitute. Adequate study in preparation for a multiple choice exam will
make you more confident and you likely score higher on the exam. Even with adequate preparation, however, you can
increase your chances of finding right answers if you follow these suggestions.
1. Come to the exam with extra materials. Bring extra pens, pencils, and scratch paper to the test room. You never
know when you might need a back-up pencil or paper to do calculations or to help out friends who forgot theirs.
2. Review the entire exam. Note the number of types of questions asked in the exam. Calculate the time you have
for each section and estimate a schedule so you will have enough time to complete all sections.
3. Record your answers neatly. Take special care to be extremely neat and precise in recording your responses on
the answer sheet. Smudges or incomplete erasures often disqualify an answer.
4. Work through the test slowly, calmly, and methodically. Occasional, brief rest breaks will help you maintain your
concentration and control stress. Breathing deeply and relaxing your tense muscles will increase your memory
recall.
5. Answer the easy questions first. As you work through the exam, do not get bogged down by a difficult question.
If it will take time to analyze and find the answer, move on to easier questions and come back to the difficult
ones after you have completed the rest of the exam. Take care not to get your answers out of order on the
answer sheet if you skip questions.
6. Read the stem question and answers thoroughly. Even though you think you see the correct answer
immediately, take the time to read the stem and try each answer. Test the information in each of the answers to
determine why it is erroneous. This should help you eliminate he incorrect answers and verify the right one.
Tricky questions are best uncovered with this technique.
