Is the answer B, C, or all of the above? Multiple choice? Sometimes it seems more like multiple guess!
When multiple choice tests seem more like guessing games, it’s time to learn how they’re designed. Let’s look at the 10 common types of multiple choice questions and how to decode them. Use each of strategies we recommend to help you succeed.
1. The look-alike set of options
| Definition | All the options look very similar. |
| Example | The highest correlation of IQ scores between family members has been found for A. identical twins reared apart B. identical twins reared together C. fraternal twins reared together D. fraternal twins reared apart |
| Strategy | Identify the differences between each of the options and eliminate the incorrect ones. Each of the options is set up in the same format: [type of twin] [how the twins were reared] You can eliminate options by looking at each part. • What type of twins should have the highest correlation in IQ scores? You may not know the answer to this if you haven’t taken any Psychology courses. If you think the answer is “identical twins”, get rid of options C and D. If you think the answer is “fraternal twins”, get rid of options A and B. • How should the twins be reared to have the highest correlation in IQ scores? From the remaining options, decide between “reared apart” and “reared together”. This makes the multiple choice question easier to solve. |
2. Flipping the text of the definition with the term
| Definition | Identify the key term based on a definition. |
| Example | A(n) ______ variable can be any factor, other than the variable being manipulated, in the experiment that might affect the dependent variable. A. interval B. correlational C. independent D. confounding |
| Strategy | Define the terms in each of the options. Eliminate those that are definitely incorrect and then determine the best answer. |
3. The negative option
| Definition | Look for the wrong answers instead of looking for the matching answers. These questions often use these words: not, except, never. |
| Example | Anxiety disorders are characterized by all of these symptoms except A. panic attacks B. free-floating anxiety C. a split between affect and cognition D. inconvenience in living |
| Strategy | Turn the question into a true or false prompt and eliminate options True or false, anxiety disorders are characterized by: A. panic attacks B. free-floating anxiety C. a split between affect and cognition D. inconvenience in living Based on this new question, the false answer is the correct option. |
4. The multiple option
| Definition | More than one option could be correct. Watch out for: [option] and [option], some but not all of the above, all of the above. |
| Example | One limitation of the dispositional approach to personality is that A. people behave in very similar ways in different situations B. the approach is better at describing than at explaining personality C. A and D D. it overemphasizes environmental factors |
| Strategy | Read each of the options and check if they are correct. If more than one option is correct, the answer could be a combination of options. In this example, if option A is correct, remember to check if option D is also correct. |
5. Two columns of options
| Definition | Fill in the blanks in the form of multiple choice. |
| Example | Troia has a __________ identity (her unique characteristics) and a _______ identity (characteristics that make her part of a larger whole). A. personal; group B. social; personal C. group; social D. group; personal |
| Strategy | Answer the question as if it were two separate multiple choice questions. Pick one of the columns to answer first and then eliminate the wrong options. This will give you less options to pick from for the rest of the question. |
6. Statistics from a study
| Definition | Identify the key facts and figures from your class readings. |
| Example | According to the results of one study, the correlation between estimates of European ancestry and various measures of IQ among African Americans was A. virtually zero B. around 0.50 C. around -0.75 D. near a perfect 1.00 |
| Strategy | Anticipate these questions before the test. When you’re studying:
2. Read the abstract and summary of the research paper. |
7. Degrees of change from a study
| Definition | Apply concepts in different situations and predict the outcomes. Often includes a focus on organs, biological systems, diseases, processes, etc. All of these can be turned into this type of multiple choice question. The topics are taken out of their usual context and you have to predict what will happen. |
| Example | Mandy has no rods in her retina. Cliff has both cones and rods in his retina. Mandy and Cliff both go into a dark movie theatre after walking in the bright sunshine. While in the dark, Mandy will A. increase her sensitivity to light faster than Cliff B. increase her sensitivity to light more slowly than Cliff C. eventually develop greater sensitivity to light than Cliff will D. eventually develop less sensitivity to light than Cliff will |
| Strategy | Identify how the concept is applied in different contexts. Answer: What happens if…? for each. |
8. Sequence of events
| Definition | Select the correct order. |
| Example | In vision, sensory information takes which of the following routes A. receptors, sensory nerves, medulla, cerebral cortex B. sensory nerves, receptors, cerebrum, cerebral cortex C. receptors, sensory nerves, thalamus, cerebral cortex D. sensory nerves, receptors, hippocampus, cerebral cortex |
| Strategy | Draw flowcharts to remember the order of events. Watch out for: processes, timelines, pathways |
9. Rephrased as a scenario
| Definition | Recognize a key term described in an example. |
| Example | Indiana Jones looks at the ground near his feet. He hears a hissing sound and sees a long thin shape with scales. From this information only, he determines the object is a snake. He is using _________ processing. A. ecological B. top-down C. sequential D. bottom-up |
| Strategy | Create examples for every key term in your readings and lecture notes Applying the definitions will improve your understanding and prepare you for these multiple choice questions |
10. Degree of applicability
| Definition | Pick the best option based on the scenario. These questions often use words like most, major, main, least, least likely, best, probably |
| Example | Dr. Johnson studies how juries make decisions as a group. She is most likely a ________ psychologist. A. quantitative B. social C. clinical D. biological |
| Strategy | Compare and contrast key terms. A lot of terms can be similar, but you want to know how they are different. These differences will help you identify why the terms are unique and how they can be applied. |
Ready for the next step?
A great way to practice for multiple choice tests and exams is to create your own multiple choice questions. This strategy will help you identify the key ideas from your notes and readings.
Create a multiple choice question based on one of the sample readings. After creating your question, answer each of following:
- What type of multiple choice question did you create?
- What strategies will you use to answer the multiple choice question?
Sample Reading – Ebonics1
Although there are many stigmatized variants of American English, including Appalachian English, Dutchified Pennsylvania English, Hawaiian Creole, Gullah, and emergent Hispanic Englishes, the most stigmatized is African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), also called Ebonics. As we noted earlier, AAVE is simply a variant of Standard English, neither better nor worse than any other. Further, from Mark Twain and William Faulkner to Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou, from George Gershwin to Public Enemy and Run DMC, Ebonics has had deep influences on American art, speech, fiction and music.
Since the 1970’s, controversy over Ebonics has frequently been politicized. For example, in the mid-1990’s, the Oakland School Board in California encouraged its teachers to make use of Ebonics in teaching Standard English (Monaghan 1997). Many Americans misunderstood the Oakland School Board as encouraging the teaching of Ebonics, and this misunderstanding ignited a national furor. A North Carolina legislator denounced Ebonics as “absurd,” an Atlanta Constitution editorial referred to “the Ebonic plague,” and laws banning the teaching of Ebonics were introduced in several state legislatures (Matthew 1997; Sanchez 1997)
Sample Reading – Perception2
Perception is the process through which sensations are interpreted, using knowledge and understanding of the world, so that they become meaningful experiences. Thus, perception is not a passive process of simply absorbing and decoding incoming sensations. If it were, people’s understanding of the environment would be a constantly changing and confusing mosaic of light and colour. Instead, our brains take sensations and create a coherent world, often by filling in missing information and using past experience to give meaning to what we see, hear, or touch. For example, the raw sensations coming from the stimuli in Figure 5.1 convey only the information that there is a series of intersecting lines. But your perceptual system automatically interprets this image as a rectangle (or window frame) lying on its side.
1This passage is taken from Nanda, S., & Warms, R. L. (2009). Culture counts: a concise introduction to cultural anthropology. Boston: Cengage Learning. It is being used for educational purposes only.
2This passage is taken from page 160 of Bernstein, D., Penner, L. A., Clarke-Stewart, A., & Roy, E. (2012). Psychology (9th ed.). Toronto, ON: Nelson. It is being used for educational purposes only.
More resources for multiple choice questions
Do you want to practice and discuss your multiple choice exams? Book a Study Skills appointment with an instructor
Check out these resources to get more help and information on multiple choice exam strategies:
Multiple Choice Tests – Cornell University