Advice on Writing PSY100 Tests

Try to answer the stem alone first.

"It is not true that it is not the case that this sentence is not true." @#$&!

     Prior to each test, read the instructions that we post on the PSY100 Boards and on the Web site one week in advance. (Since these are the exact instructions that will appear on the front page of the question booklet at the test, you have the opportunity to familiarize yourself with them in advance.) At the test itself, carefully re-read the instructions on the front page of the question booklet.

Essay Questions

     Read each essay question slowly; and before you begin answering, be sure that you really understand just what is, and what is not, being asked of you. Focus your answer and do not "ramble on" about peripheral matters, hoping for some extra part-credit. Answer the question that is being asked rather than merely "free associate" to it. We give more credit for information that you communicate correctly and without ambiguity when it is not imbedded in irrelevant comment.

Multiple-Choice Questions

     Multiple-choice questions consist of three parts: (a) a stem, that asks a question, poses a problem, or presents an incomplete sentence, (b) the correct answer, and (c) a number of "distractors" or "seductive alternatives" to the correct answer. Your task is to identify the correct answer alternative, that is, the best answer alternative from among the given answer alternatives.

     Multiple-choice questions can be unnerving for students unfamiliar with them. We offer the following twelve suggestions to help you with them. To be of maximum benefit to you, we recommend that you review these suggestions before each test.

1. Do not count on being able to answer multiple-choice questions correctly merely by recognizing the correct answer. Recognition usually entails choosing a familiar item. However, in a multiple-choice question it is possible for every alternative to be familiar. The problem, then, is not familiarity, but rather understanding the meaning of each of the alternatives with respect to the question posed. (You can best achieve this level of understanding by studying for the test as though it will be a short-answer or essay test.) Read the question stem more than once. As you read, underline words such as "not" or "always" to help you remember what it is you are looking for.
   
   
2. Before reading the answer alternatives, attempt first your own answer to the question stem. Because the answer alternatives may sometimes begin to confuse you, it is best to reflect on what you know before looking at these alternatives. If the question stem does not seem to provide sufficient information about what is being asked, then glance over the alternatives to get a better idea.
   
   
3. When you are ready to read the answer alternatives, always read every answer alternative carefully before jumping to the conclusion that a particular one must be the best.
   
   
4. Beware of jargon. The incorrect answer alternatives may be couched in technical language in order to detect whether you know the difference between what "looks right" and what "is right." But note that the correct answer also might appear in technical language to test whether you know the relevant terminology.
   
   
5. Beware of answer alternatives that are correct statements in and of themselves independently but are not the correct answer alternative to what is specifically being asked in the question stem. Be sure that your choice is the best answer to the stem.
   
   
6. Be particularly careful with answer alternatives such as "all of the above," "none of the above," and "more than one, but not all, of the above." These choices are frequently most difficult. Look at every other answer alternative very carefully to be sure that it says what you think it says. Sloppy reading can be particularly disastrous with items such as these.
   
   
7. Watch out for double negatives! Though we believe that a good multiple-choice test really should not have such questions, sometimes they do slip in. An item whose question stem is "Which of the following is not true?" can be particularly difficult. This difficulty is compounded if one or more of the answer alternatives also contains negatives. You find yourself thinking such things as "It is not true that this alternative is not true."! To make such answer alternatives more manageable, rephrase such a negative question stem to yourself according to the following strategy: If I can find just one answer alternative that is not true, then the other alternatives are true. Therefore, if I can identify each of the true answer alternatives, the correct (false) answer alternative will be clear by a process of elimination. This procedure is not as complicated as it appears and will help you cope with the confusing double negative. Try it.
   
   
8. In general, a good strategy for taking multiple-choice tests is first to go through the test, answering all the questions you can, without worrying for the moment about the ones you cannot answer. There are two reasons for this: doing the easier questions first might help allay some of the anxiety that tests often evoke; and sometimes seeing the answer alternatives to later questions will remind you of the answer alternatives to earlier questions. Subsequently, go through the test again, answering all the questions about which you were uncertain.
   
   
9. Pace yourself properly throughout the test. On average, you will have just over one minute per question. You will probably want to reserve additional time to review your answers, and you must allow for the time to transfer your answers to your computer answer sheet. Please note that we do not allow extra time for transferring your answers to your computer answer sheet. A good general rule of thumb is to try to answer five multiple-choice questions (one page) about every five minutes. This strategy will allow from five to fifteen minutes at the end for those questions you found most problematic.
   
   
10. In PSY100, there is no penalty for guessing on multiple-choice questions. In answering questions about which you are not sure, you should guess, but not "blindly." Instead, view the situation as a problem in probabilities: if there are five answer alternatives from which to choose, your chances of guessing the correct answer alternative are one in five, or 20%. But, if you can eliminate even just one answer alternative as being clearly wrong, your chances now of guessing the correct answer alternative have risen to one in four, or 25%. Elimination of additional answer alternatives further increases your chances of guessing the correct answer alternative. So if you must guess, then guess, but do so from among as small a number of answer alternatives as possible.
    
    
11. A good rule of thumb to follow once you have selected an answer alternative is: "Be wary of changing your mind!" There is evidence to suggest that students more frequently change correct answers to wrong ones than wrong answers to correct ones.
    
    
12. Keep in mind that everyone has a unique, optimal, test-taking style and that there is no reason for you to conclude that you have already found yours. Most university students, no matter how well they have performed in high school, continue to show improvement in test-taking skills with experience. Be willing to experiment with new strategies and to learn from your mistakes. Review those questions that you answered incorrectly and try to find out why you answered them incorrectly. Look for patterns in your wrong answers, both in the type of material tested and in the particular form or style of the questions. If you are ever unsure as to why the answer alternative you chose on a particular multiple-choice question was incorrect, go back to the text and notes to check it out. Then, if still unsure, consult with the course instructors or Professor Wall.

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