How do you take an exam? The most important thing is, of course, knowing the material, but there are also some "tricks" that can work in your favor, especially on a standardized multiple-choice exam. Some of this comes down to game theory, so it can be useful in settings outside of exams.
1. Know the rules - In a standardized exam, there can be different rules and formulas used for calculating your score. Some of the formulas have the effect of penalizing you for guessing if you truly don't know the answer. Always check to determine whether or not there is a penalty for guessing. Personally, I prefer to just take the total number of correct answers and not mess around with an elaborate formula that penalizes you for guessing.
2. Improve your odds - When you look at a series of multiple choice answers, there are often answers included that have to be obviously wrong if you think about them a little bit. If you're looking at a 4-option multiple choice question, your odds of randomly guessing the correct answer without even reading the answers is 25%. Eliminate one wrong answer, and your odds increase to 33%. Eliminate two, you're at 50%. Keep this in mind when you get to a question that has you stumped; rather than hunt for the right answer, try to eliminate wrong answers. Be like Sherlock Holmes; when you have eliminated all other possibilities, the remaining possibility, no matter how unlikely, must be correct.
3. Build momentum - Don't get hung up on a question you don't know when there are others you know the answer to. Answering a few questions correctly builds confidence and helps you tackle the more challenging questions. This is a challenge for "linear" test-takers who naturally want to start with #1 and work through in order to the end of the exam. {I was a very linear test-taker, and to some extent I still am...} It's OK to skip a question and come back to it later. This also helps with time management on the exam.
4. Answer all the questions - This is related to #1 and #2 above. If there is no penalty for guessing, then make sure you answer every question, even if you have no idea what the correct answer is. For a 5-option multiple choice question, there's a 1 in 5 (20%) chance that you'll random guess it correctly. If you don't answer the question at all, there's a 100% chance that you'll get it wrong.
Good luck.
No comments:
Post a Comment