Hee. I used to teach a small wandering lecture, by invitation, on multiple choice. It was not, mind you, on how to game the system, but rather how to cope with the basic format and the inevitable badly done multiple choice tests that do turn up.
Basic stuff: do the ones you know first.
Don't go back and outguess yourself. Unless there is a penalty for wrong answers, answer everything. If you are going to guess, read all the options carefully. One of them is probably really stupid. One more will be unlikely. THEN flip your coin.
Do the scantron sheet last, and concentrate on it.
Read the questions carefully, as if they were in a different language. In case they are.
Talking of languages, the University of Ottawa permits bilingual (translation) dictionaries during exams; use them.
Just because you are in theory being tested in Soc of Religion doesn't mean that you can't blow a question through not catching an awkward double negative or deliberate trick.
If there actually does not appear to be a correct option and you are quite certain you've read the question possibly, ask the proctor if there is a misprint. They happen, and sometimes they throw out things that look like sense and are not. Also, professors who deliberately insert obscure jokes, awkward constructions meant to mislead, or downright traps in their questions instead of just making the damned things test you on what you are supposed to know deserve to spend the exam period on their feet.
Grades usually went up when I did that little talk before the midterm... as much as I object to students trying not to think, there is a case for actually teaching the exam formats; *I* find multiple choice insanely easy, but I have come to know that many perfecly bright people who have in fact studied panic at the sight of them.
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Date: 2005-09-27 11:20 am (UTC)Basic stuff: do the ones you know first.
Don't go back and outguess yourself. Unless there is a penalty for wrong answers, answer everything. If you are going to guess, read all the options carefully. One of them is probably really stupid. One more will be unlikely. THEN flip your coin.
Do the scantron sheet last, and concentrate on it.
Read the questions carefully, as if they were in a different language. In case they are.
Talking of languages, the University of Ottawa permits bilingual (translation) dictionaries during exams; use them.
Just because you are in theory being tested in Soc of Religion doesn't mean that you can't blow a question through not catching an awkward double negative or deliberate trick.
If there actually does not appear to be a correct option and you are quite certain you've read the question possibly, ask the proctor if there is a misprint. They happen, and sometimes they throw out things that look like sense and are not. Also, professors who deliberately insert obscure jokes, awkward constructions meant to mislead, or downright traps in their questions instead of just making the damned things test you on what you are supposed to know deserve to spend the exam period on their feet.
Grades usually went up when I did that little talk before the midterm... as much as I object to students trying not to think, there is a case for actually teaching the exam formats; *I* find multiple choice insanely easy, but I have come to know that many perfecly bright people who have in fact studied panic at the sight of them.