How to Do Well on Multiple Choice Tests

Some people have the knack for taking tests, while others study their butts off and still cannot seem to make a passing grade? What is the difference between these people? The difference is the manner in which these people evaluate, sort and manage incoming information. The professional test-takers know what to look for and what to discard, and act accordingly.

Not a Trick Question! The teacher may say that there are trick questions on the test, former students may complain about the trick questions, but the truth is there are hardly any trick questions on any test. Nobody wants to believe this, because that means that they failed the course based solely upon their own stupidity, but this is the reality. Granted, there may be one or two misleading questions, but keep in mind that the professor or teacher is writing the test himself. After so many questions, they have to stick to the material or the test will be simply impossible to take and their rate of failure will be 100%. Also, it is very tiring to write up and grade tests. They are not likely to screw themselves over in such a complete and thorough manner.

How to Take Notes. These notes should not be more than four pages long for any testing period. They should cover the entire portion of the class which will be on the test and you should be able to memorize every single note an hour before the test. If your professor says one or two times that, if in doubt, the answer is the Fourteenth Amendment, you can bet that this will be applicable during 70-80% of the questions on which you are in doubt. If he says that three or more times, you can safely use it on just about any question on which you are in doubt. Do not use this as a lazy tool, but as an exact science. If your professor spends a lot of time going over formulas and barely touches on differential equations, this means that former students have had much more difficulty with formulas and that at least 30% of the test will be differential equations. Do not make the mistake of treating everything equally. This is what the failing students are doing.

Proper Elimination by Course. History involves a lot of events attached to a lot of dates. There will be a few reasons for events that need to be elaborated on, but almost all of it will be events and their matching dates. Stop reading the stories and start making lists. Math will be simple, memorable formulas. You absolutely must be able to identify all of the letters and figures within the formula or it will be worthless to you. If you have the formulas and all of the various parts to each one memorized, the rest will be a piece of cake, no matter how complex the teacher attempts to make it appear. Language is best performed by writing your own, grammatically correct sentences and using them on people. It is a lot easier to remember the meaning of "Fick die Hähne!" if you are using it on someone. Chemistry requires a thorough knowledge of all of the chemical ions and after that it is simply a question of different forms of math, and Science requires a thorough knowledge of the history the experiments.

Your test-taking skills will soar if you are able to separate your emotions from the subject at hand and truly evaluate the problems before you. Soon, you will be able to take tests and ace classes with very little study. Just refrain from boasting about your skills! You do not want to be suspected of cheating.