One of the things that strikes fear into the young and old is the dreaded multiple-choice exam. More often than not test takers have struggled with eliminating answers, random guessing or simply trying to make sense of what the question is asking. For over 10 years we have taught our students at MDI Prep an easy way to unravel the mystery of the multiple choice test and maximize the correct answers. First of all understand that hard work and studying is still required to perform well, but our approach will give you that extra push that can take your from failing to passing or from passing to scoring above 90%.

We have a seven (10) step approach to answer multiple choice questions.

1. Read only what the question is asking (ex: A 32-year-old man has a history of multiple and recurrent pulmonary infections since childhood. He also has noted foul smelling stools for the past 10 years. Laboratory studies show an elevated sweat chloride test. He has a quantitative stool fat of 10 g/day. A deficiency state involving which of the following nutrients is most likely to develop in this patient? So what is the questions asking? A deficiency state involving which of the following nutrients is most likely to develop in this patient?

2. Read the question removing any words that are not needed to get a complete understanding of the question. (ex: A 32-year-old man has a history of multiple and recurrent pulmonary infections since childhood. He also has noted foul smelling stools for the past 10 years. Laboratory studies show an elevated sweat chloride test. He has a quantitative stool fat of 10 g/day. A deficiency state involving which of the following nutrients is most likely to develop in this patient?

3. Simplify the question to what you think it is asking.

4. Before looking down at the answer choices, try to anticipate what you think the answer will be.

5. If you cannot anticipate the answer, look down at the answer choices and begin eliminating the answers you know the MOST about. Often time students will eliminate answers they have never heard of and this is totally wrong. Only eliminate the answer choices you know are wrong.

6. Use your gut, first mind or whatever biological cue that helps. Sometimes you know an answer is wrong, but can’t quite explain why and everything in your body says it’s wrong, make this one of the last answer choices you eliminate.

7. After you have eliminated all the answers you could, then from the remaining answer choices see if any of them are in theory stating the same fact. (For example: if one answer is patient has dilated pupils and another answer has decreased digestion. Both of these answers are a type of sympathetic response and they probably can be eliminated.

8. After you have done steps 1-7 and still have two answer choices left. It now turns from being a multiple choice question to becoming a true or false question. Most students do better on true or false vs multiple choice test. With the two remaining answer choices choose the one you know the MOST about and ask yourself if this answer choice is true or false regarding the actual question. If the answer is true, choose it, if it is false, pick the other answer choice even if you have no understanding of it.

9. If you have done step 1-8 and were still unable to eliminate any answer choices, begin picking your letter of the day. Most people use the letter “C” when they have no idea, but if they somehow eliminated “C” they will use their backup letter “B”, followed by “D”, and then “A”. This step is considered a very last resort, so don’t start with step 9 until you have exhausted the other steps first.

10. Stay confident, positive and most of all when you complete the exam, feel confident that you have scored a 100%.MDI Prep specializes in helping test takers master the multiple choice exam. For more information, feel free to contact us at: 888-827-9881