Ever seen the determination of an athlete at the start of a 500 meter race? Poise, confidence, and hundreds of hours of practice get you that belief in yourself. MCQ based exams will test your timing and determination to produce the right answers based on your knowledge. Are you ready for the challenge of MCQs test preparation?
MCQs test preparation is done differently from a theory or essay based test. This preparation should include hours of serious practice of past papers with exam techniques. Let’s read ahead and find out ways to improve your test preparation. Also find out about the common mistakes made by students in MCQs test preparation.
Read the question in full
Skimming is a red flag. In reality, skimming doesn’t save time and it doesn’t get you marks. MCQ based exams are thoroughly tested for time management by those who make these tests. Any tests are not meant to be skimmed. Therefore, don’t fall into the trap of skimming questions just to get to the end quickly.
Most common mistake students make: “I know it all. I am just going to spot the keywords in a question and move on quick”.
Don’t base your decision on “feels-right”
Well, do you sometimes give the magic wand of choosing the right option to your feelings? This is not a recommended tactic and you should not rely on your personal bias towards a specific option just because it looks and feels right. Remember to recall information as you had learned it before the test.
Most common mistake students make: “This option feels right!”.
Eliminate the wrong options
It takes micro-seconds to eliminate the wrong options but it gives you the opportunity to choose the right one with accuracy. You do not need to mark the wrong options but you do need to read the options carefully and know why they are wrong before choosing the right one.
Most common mistake students make: “I have to just choose the correct answer and be quick”.
Read all the options before you choose the correct answer
Sometimes the options share very similar words. So, don’t choose an option quickly by spotting a keyword. The same keyword may be present in other options too.
Most common mistake students make: “I have to skim through the options and be quick”.
Don’t feel bad about skipping a question
If you are well prepared, skipping a question doesn’t mean you don’t know the answer. Instead, it means that you need some time to get the answer from one of the layers of your memory. Once you have activated your brain to think and find the answer, it is working in the background while you move on to the next question.
Most common mistake students make: “I won’t skip a question, otherwise I will lose confidence”.
Understand how the brain works
Brain is not a linear thing and it doesn’t memorize information in the order that you read! So, while you are reading this, your brain is busy adjusting the current information in your working memory (temporary memory). It then shifts some of the information to your permanent memory but does so by bunching together similar information.
When you are in an exam, your brain doesn’t reproduce information in a linear fashion either. Your memory is like a spider’s web with so many connections. So, if you are forgetting something in your permanent memory, it is still there inside your brain! You just need to jog your memory a little bit to get it out.
How is permanent memory made? With practice and application. It cannot be made just the night before the exam. So if you are trying to recall information you read a day before, it won’t be possible to produce it during the exam.
Most common mistake students make: “Prepare close to the exam, else I will forget”.
Eliminate your fears!
Well, this is battle time. If you get afraid of the result or losing, the fight is half over. The first thing you need to work on is to eliminate your fear of losing. You have to believe in yourself fully. You need to change the attitude to one of assurance. With less fears, you will dominate the exam with ease and confidence.
Most common mistake students make: “I don’t know if I can do this” or “I know I will fail”.
Manage the time
MCQs are testing you against time because it starts ticking as the test begins! You will find yourself adjusting in the chair, still not ready, and blocking the shuffles in the room out of your mind. It all happens so fast that there is no time to adjust or pay attention to a single thing in the room.
When the race begins, you have to be ready. Management of time is measured in seconds in an MCQ based exam and not in hours. Knowing when to skip a question, when to make a guess, when to take a second’s pause – this is all time management. How to learn it? Through practice tests at home.
Most common mistake students make: “I will manage time during the test, right now I am just practicing”.
Learn how to make a guess
Making a guess is one of your last choices on how to solve a question. Of course, a guess can go wrong. Are you willing to take the risk if there is negative marking? Think hard and carefully. If you can afford the risk, go ahead and make a guess. Instead of a blind guess, try utilizing any available information to get as close to the guess as possible.
Remember not to guess more than two questions in one exam of 50 questions! This is a very rough number but calculation is the key:
Every question is worth 1 point. You have attempted 45 questions. You are confident that you will get around 40 correct. Negative mark of ½ per question will cost you around 2.5 points. Guessing another 5 wrong will cost you another 2.5 points. Therefore, reduce the number of questions that require a guess.
Most common mistake students make: “Close my eyes and randomly choose an option!”.
Dissect the remaining questions
Tear apart the questions into little pieces. Understand and analyze each part in detail. Then join the question back. You can also make a small diagram to understand the question.
For exams that need to be solved on a computer screen may not give you a lot of freedom to doodle your rendering of the question, so a bit of mental work or screen highlighting will be required.
Most common mistake students make: “I just don’t get it. I will have to leave some questions.”
Translate the questions in your native language
For the remaining questions, if any, try translating the question to your native language. It might be easier to do so if you are attempting the language part of the exam. Perhaps you didn’t get the question right or didn’t understand the comprehension paragraph.
Therefore, translating into your native language might spark some light. Remember to do this only to the skipped, unanswered questions and if you have the time.
Most common mistake students make: “I give up!”
If you fail … remember this!
Well, the first thing to remind yourself of is that MCQs are not an absolute way of checking your intelligence, talent, or hard work. MCQs are a way to see if you can attempt a series of simple and complex questions in a short amount of time. You may be more talented than the rest, but it may not show in your result card.
What to do if you fail? Don’t take it to heart. Just learn from the experience and move on to the next possible date of the same exam or another exam. You might find it very hard to believe in, but students who repappear for the same exam find it easier to clear on the second attempt.
Although many students become overwhelmed with the “defeat” , there is no need to! If you fail, consider this a part of your learning process. Come back with more force and more energy. Of course, with more practice and strategies too!
Most common mistake students make: “I was never going to make it. I failed and I am embarrassed. I don’t deserve it!”
MCQs preparation with Noon Academy
Noon Academy is preparing students with MCQs with educational olympiads and games. Game based learning has seen a remarkable return on the practice. One of the advantages of multiple questions is that students don’t feel the burden of repeated practice. This results in more fun and enjoyment of playing against the friends. Students also have the opportunity to:
- Hi-five their friends and appreciate others.
- Play games over and again to practice more.
- Play in friendly competition with others.
- Mark a question for review.
- Earn points after every game.
- Earn more motivation with every reward!
Ready to join MCQs test preparation with Noon Academy? Download the Noon App and start today!