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Read the stem carefully. The “question” part of a multiple choice question is called the stem . Often it is not a question at all, but a phrase or a statement you must complete by selecting a, b, c or d. Read the stem carefully. Students often make errors because they rush and miss important words. Don’t assume you know what the stem says or you may read what you assume, not what it actually says. Read the stem with the answer choices covered. Before uncovering the choices, try to predict the answer. Uncover the choices and read each one carefully. Even if the first choice seems correct keep reading! Remember, on multiple choice tests, you are looking for the best answer. Another choice may be more accurate. Decision dilemma. On a multiple choice test, incorrect choices are called distractors . A typical multiple choice question will have a stem, three distractors, and a correct choice. There’s usually one choice which is obviously wrong and can be quickly eliminated. Students are often able to narrow the choices down to two options, then may face a decision dilemma. That’s when both answers seem (and may actually be) correct. The student reads back and forth between the choices hoping to eliminate one or the other, and ends up guessing. Here are some tips to help you find the best, most accurate choice in the event of a decision dilemma: Tip. Read through the whole stem and answer choices as complete sentences. If a choice does not grammatically agree with the stem , eliminate it. PRODUCT PREVIEW Tip. Read through the whole stem and each answer choice. Consider which choice more completely addresses the question. If an answer is only partly true, or is true only under certain narrow conditions , it’s probably not the best answer. You can eliminate it. Tip. Read through the whole stem and each answer choice. If you have to make assumptions, or read additional facts or conditions into the choice to make it work, it’s probably not the correct choice. Take choices on face value ; do not read additional information or facts into them. All of the above/none of the above questions. If you are certain one of the statements is true don’t choose “None of the above.” If you are certain one of the statements is false don’t choose “all of the above.” The “all of the above” or “none of the above” choice is often a distractor. If you are sure that at least two of the answers are correct, choose “all of the above.” Absolutes. Pay special attention when an answer choice is stated in an absolute. Absolutes are words like: never, always, just, only, none, not, must, solely, invariably, totally, every, entirely, no and all. When an absolute appears in the stem, circle it. If it appears in the choice, read the stem and the choice as a single sentence. Ask yourself Is this 100% the case 100% of the time? An absolute is often an indicator of a distractor.
Chapter 21 | So Many Choices, So Little Time… 188
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