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A Short Guide To Multiple Choice and Short Answer Exams: WWW - Intranet.birmingham - Ac.uk/asc
A Short Guide To Multiple Choice and Short Answer Exams: WWW - Intranet.birmingham - Ac.uk/asc
A Short Guide To Multiple Choice and Short Answer Exams: WWW - Intranet.birmingham - Ac.uk/asc
www.intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/asc
2 A short guide to multiple choice and short answer exams
LL OF FACTS,
THEY TEND TO REQUIRE RECA
IDEAS.
RATHER THAN DISCUSSION OF
A FOCUS
WITH MCQS, THERE IS OFTEN
ER
ON CORRECT ANSWERS, RATH
S.
THAN CRITICAL THINKING SKILL
Revising for
MCQs and SAQs
For MCQ and SAQ exams, you will need to know all
of your course material well. Revising for these types
of exams will probably involve learning large amounts
of facts. Start as early as possible so that you can keep
revisiting the information you need to learn.
Revision strategies
The exam
Read the instructions for each If you return to a question you have
question carefully. For example, skipped and are still struggling, try
you might be asked to ‘Mark one a process of elimination. Eliminate
correct answer’, or you might be any alternatives which are:
asked to ‘Mark all correct answers.’ – obviously wrong
Cover up the possible responses – completely unfamiliar to you
with a piece of paper or your hand from the course
while you read the stem/body of – the same ie, two answers that
the question. Try to anticipate the mean the same thing
correct response before you are – grammatically/ semantically
distracted by seeing the options. inconsistent (ie, don’t make sense).
Then, uncover the responses. Be sure that you have filled out the
If you see the response that you answer sheet according to the
anticipated, circle it and then check instructions given.
to be sure that none of the other Take time to check your work before
responses are better. you hand in the answer sheet. A
If you find yourself taking a long multiple choice exam offers you no
time over one question, skip it opportunity for ‘partial credit.’ If you
and come back later. ticked, circled or filled in the wrong
option, your answer is 100% wrong,
and you may be penalised.
A short guide to multiple choice and short answer exams 5