Multiple Choice Test Strategies

Multiple choice tests are designed to assess whether or not you know the information. Beyond questions of recognition, vocabulary, and knowledge, they often ask you to compute, apply familiar concepts to new situations, and think critically about what you've learned in the course. You have to be able to take what may seem like unfamiliar material on the test and apply what you've learned in class to that point in order to deduce your answer. 

Of course, your test preparation will be important (check out our quick read on test prep strategies). But then, once you’re in the test, consider these 11 techniques and strategies for multiple choice tests that can help you in the moment.

multiple choice test on a laptop
Student sitting at a desk taking an exam

When you read the questions the first time:

  1. Answer what you know, mark what you don't know or aren’t sure about, and don’t guess!

When you go through again, if you’re still not sure how to answer questions you skipped:  

  1. Examine each question. Underline key concept words as well as absolute words like "never," "all," and "always." 

  1. Try to answer without looking at the options. Knowing or being able to calculate the answer without seeing choices can help you reduce confusion over similar answers. 

  1. Read and consider all of the answers. You need to select the BEST answer, even though there may be more than one good answer (Van Blerkom, 2010). Choose something that’s more true than the others.   

  1. Eliminate distracting answers. If you know the answer is incorrect, don’t even consider it; this creates a shorter list of possibilities. 

  1. Look for clues in other questions. Sometimes test questions include bits of information that jog your memory. Read carefully and use these details to help you answer the question you’re unsure of.

Three adults taking an exam on a computer
Woman with a thinking face

If you still don’t know the answer, try strategically guessing (the following strategies aren’t meant for use if you already know the answer or can make an educated guess!): 

  1. Identify decoys. Rule out answers that don't make sense or fall outside the scope of the course content.   

  1. Beware of “all of the above.” If one answer doesn’t apply, don’t choose “all of the above;" if two or more answers are correct, chances are "all of the above" is correct. 

  1. Consider the length of the answers. Often the correct choice is the longer one that includes the most information.

  1. Beware of two similar answers. Test-makers may use two similar choices to confuse you. If you’re going to guess, pick the best option of the two. 

  1. Use process of elimination. Cross out answers you know are wrong, then make your best educated guess between the remaining possibilities. Some instructors randomize answer options, so looking for patterns in the answers is a waste of your test time and can lead you astray. 

  1. Answer every question! Even if you're guessing, be sure to answer. If you've marked questions to return to, go back when you've answered the questions you're certain of and try one of the previous strategies to select the best answer. 

Scantron and math exam