48 ❯ STEP 3. Develop Strategies for Success
most productive for me to review note cards I made with important definitions, important
themes, major issues, key research studies, and notable names written in small letters on
them. As you use this review book, you may want to make your own note cards—or not!
Every multiple-choice question has three important parts:- The stem is the basis for the actual question. Sometimes this comes in the form of
a fill-in-the-blank statement, rather than a question.
Example: Psychometricians are psychologists who:
Example: How do SSRIs work?- The correct answer option. Obviously, this is the one selection that best completes the
statement, or responds to the question in the stem. Making good use of this book will
help you choose lots of correct answer options. - Distractor options. Just as it sounds, these are the four incorrect answers intended to
distract the person who doesn’t know the concepts being assessed.
Some students who do well on multiple-choice exams are so well prepared that they can
easily find the correct answer, but other students do well because they are savvy enough to
identify and avoid the distractors. Much research has been done on how to best study for,
and complete, multiple-choice questions. There are no foolproof rules for taking the exam,
but here are some heuristics (“rules of thumb”) that are usually helpful:- Carefully read the question. This sounds pretty obvious, but you would be surprised
how often test takers miss words that can change the meaning of a question, such as
not, all, always, never, except, least or least likely, and rarely.
Example: Which of the following is least likely to be part of a reflex arc?
(A) an afferent neuron
(B) a sensory receptor
(C) a voluntary muscle
(D) cells of the adrenal glands
(E) cells from the occipital cortexSomeone who misses the word least might choose the first answer without looking any
further. Over half the students who answered this question on a class test got it wrong
because they did just that.- Words like never and always are called absolute qualifiers. If these words are used in one
of the choices, it is rarely the correct choice. If you can think of even a single instance
where the statement is untrue, then you have discovered a distractor and can eliminate
it as the correct answer. - Before looking at the answer options, try to visualize the correct answer. Then look
for that answer among the distractors. If that answer isn’t there, see if you can find an
answer option that means the same as your answer. - Write in your booklet. Make notes to yourself in your question booklet whenever you
think it would be helpful. Highlight or underline words that can change the meaning
of a question. Jot down words or draw a quick sketch in the margin. - Answer the questions in order if you can do them in a reasonable amount of time.
Multiple-choice questions on AP exams are arranged in order of difficulty according
to pretest data. If you spend a ridiculous amount of time on one question, you will
feel your confidence and your time slipping away. Mark any question you skip in your