Sanger Unified School District
(559) 524-6521
1905 Seventh Street, Sanger, CA 93657

Tips For Taking Multiple-Choice Test

You have recently applied for a position requiring a multiple-choice examination. Here are some hints that will help you on this type of test.

1. Look at the entire test.

As soon as the monitor tells you to begin, flip through the test to see what you have to do. This will let you know what to expect. The amount of time you are allowed for your test will be on your notification slip. Budget this time to give yourself time to finish the whole test. Then RELAX – take a deep breath before you start.

2. Read questions carefully.

Read the questions and all of the choices carefully. Make sure you are reading what has been written and not what you hope or want to see. Then, pick out the one, best choice that answers the question. Make sure you read each question as a separate question and answer it as a separate question. The answer to any one question is not intended to help you choose the correct response to other questions.

3. Look for the keywords.

Read every word in the question. Sometimes there are key words that will help you pick the correct answer. Pay close attention to these words. If you overlook one of these key words, you could miss a question that you really know. Some of these KEY WORDS are listed below:

  • BEST
  • GREATEST
  • NEVER
  • COMMON
  • LESS
  • NOT
  • EXCEPT
  • MORE
  • SOMETIMES
  • GENERALLY
  • MOST
  • USUALLY

4. Answer the easy questions first, but answer every question.

In this type of test, all of the questions in one section have the same value. You get as much credit for an easy question as for a hard one. Don’t waste time on the hard questions. Answer all of the easy ones first, then in the time left over, go back and figure out the hard ones.

5. Don't be afraid to guess if you are not sure of the answer.

If you don’t answer a question, you will not get credit for it. If you guess correctly, you will get credit. There is no penalty for guessing. If you are not sure which answer is correct, eliminate first the choices you know are wrong and chose your answer from the remaining ones.

6. Review your test

When you have finished, review your paper and make sure you have answered all of the questions. Check the questions you were unsure of but make sure you have a good reason for changing the answer.