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262 CHAPTER 11Strategies for Multiple-Choice Questions
The multiple-choice item contains a stem, which identifies a prob-
lem situation, and several alternatives, or options, which provide pos-
sible solutions to the problem. The alternatives include a correct
answer and several plausible wrong answers, or distracters. The stem
may be stated as a direct question or as an incomplete statement. An
example of the two different types of multiple-choice questions fol-
low. Circle the correct answer as you read each question:Stem 1. Research has indicated that the stu-
dents who are most successful in school
tend to beAlternatives a. careful learners
b. sincere learners
c. passive learners
d. active learnersStem 2. Which of the following behaviors is
not a rehearsal strategy?Alternatives a. underlining
b. copying
c. representing
d. repeatingThe answers to Questions 1 and 2 are d and c, respectively.
The following are strategies for answering multiple-choice test
questions:- Follow the directions to determine if there is any special infor-
mation for answering the questions, such as a choice in the
number of questions to be answered. - Determine how much time you will allot for answering the
questions. Use the rule: Percentage of total points = percentage
of total time. This means that a question worth 20% of the
exam would be allotted 20% of your test time. - Read the stem and all of the choices before determining the best
answer. Many students quickly select an answer without read-
ing all the alternatives. In most multiple-choice tests, you are
often asked to select the best answer. Therefore, you may con-
clude that there is more than one correct answer, but that one
choice is the best answer. - Skip difficult questions at the beginning of the exam.
- Review choices that are very similar. Many students complain
that multiple-choice questions are “tricky,” because two items