Tips & tricks for multiple choice exams

As diplomas and finals are upon us, you may find yourself stressing out about your tests, which is an extremely common response. While studying and knowing the material is the most useful way to feel confident and prepared, test anxiety can still trip you up, even if you know your stuff. Here are a few tips and strategies to help you get through those multiple choice exams and still feel good about them. =)

Before the Exam

1. Know the breakdown of the exam in terms of the number of questions from each unit, and know what concepts and content you absolutely must know. Strive to find out as many details about the exam as possible; knowing what’s going to be on the test can save you a lot of time and effort in studying useless information.
2. Pace your studying. Come up with a study schedule that incorporates time for each of your courses each day. It’ll be a lot easier to avoid panicking at being unprepared if you stay on track with your review.
3. Do practice tests (course key books have them, and ask your teachers if they have any) in a real exam setting. That means at a desk without your cell phone or music or other distractions, and within the time limit of the actual exam. When the real test comes, you’ll be used to not only the types of questions, but the conditions and the time restraints.
4. During the week before the test, fill your head with positive thoughts. Think of the mark you would like to achieve on the exam, and keep repeating that number to yourself. If you believe you’re capable of it and you keep reminding yourself of the goal (in positive words), you’ll be more likely to achieve it.

The Day of the Exam

1. Be well-rested for the test; it’s better to get a few more hours of sleep the night before than to cram until the early morning.
2. Wake up with plenty of time to get ready and prepare your supplies for the exam (it’s better to gather everything you’ll need the night before: pencils, calculator, student ID, etc.), getting to school with plenty of time to spare. It’ll take the pressure off being late.
3. Eat a balanced breakfast, but don’t overeat/drink. The last thing you’ll want to worry about when you’re sitting in that big, cold gym is your bladder.
4. Do a few practice questions for 15 minutes before the exam begins; it’ll warm up your brain so you’ll spend less time during the exam trying to get yourself to focus on the subject. Doing a few questions is also better than scrambling to cram or memorize more information; repeat key things to remember, like formulas,  but if you’ve done a good job of studying, it’s more useful to focus on getting into the mindset to write the test than panic over remembering certain facts.
5. Do the practice questions mentioned above alone. Have you ever noticed how being around frazzled, panicky people right before a test makes you more anxious? Don’t try to group-study right before the exam; other people’s anxiety will get to you, and they could confuse you if what they’re saying differs from what you’ve known and studied. Also, overhearing someone saying incorrect things could cause you to recall those incorrect things during the exam and possibly pick the wrong answer on a question. So avoid the anxious crowds and if you can, wait in a quieter, calmer area until it’s time for the exam to start.

During the Exam

1. Bring a watch with you. If you’re sitting in the back of a big room, like the gym, it can be difficult to see the clocks and how much time is left. Having your own watch will help you to stay on track with your pace.
2. When reading the question, look over it carefully and note important words so that you know what the question is saying. Sometimes, context is everything. In the answers, look for uniqueness. If one answer stands alone from others that are similar, it’s probably the correct one.
3. After reading a question, try and think of the answer before looking at the options. If the answer you thought of is there, it’s most likely the correct one; you wouldn’t just come up with an answer out of thin air.
4. If you’re unsure of the answer, don’t dwell on it for too long. Go with your first instinct (it’ll probably be right) and move on. Always choose an answer, even if you’re unsure; a guess is better than a blank spot. If you have time, you can always come back to it.
5. Frequently check and make sure that the question you’re on matches the next blank spot on your answer sheet. There’s nothing more stressful than realizing two-thirds of the way in that you accidentally skipped a line on your answer sheet and have to re-bubble 30 answers. If you have scrap paper, place it above or below the next spot on the answer sheet so you don’t mess up your bubbling.
6. When looking back over questions, never change your answer unless you are absolutely sure that you are wrong. If you do not have a solid explanation for why you must change your answer, leave it. Your first instincts often beat your second guesses.
7. If you find that you’re panicking over a number of questions or your mind begins to wander (after all, it can be difficult to focus for hours on end), take a few deep breaths, think positive, self-assuring thoughts to clear your head, and refocus on the test. You can always reward yourself after the test is done, and if you like, keep that reward in mind.

Well, there you have it. I hope you’ll find some of these tips useful, and good luck on your exams!

*For even more test-writing tips, check out MJ’s article on how to avoid freaking out before an exam.