Objective test questions require you to choose from two or more answers. They include multiple choice questions, true/false questions, and matching questions. You only have to recognize accurate information, so you'll probably find them easier than subjective questions that ask you to produce information. However, you still must carefully prepare for them and use good test taking strategies.
Here are some hints to help you with these kinds of questions:
____1. Pay attention to key words in the question.
One of my students gave me a great example of the importance of this a short time ago. Here is a test question that he answered incorrectly:
The respiratory center in the brainstem is NOT affected by which situation?
A. high levels of carbon dioxide in the blood
B. high levels of hydrogen ions in the blood
C. low levels of oxygen molecules in the blood
The correct answer was C, but he chose B. After I graded and returned the exams, he showed me in the textbook how the brainstem was very sensitive to high levels of hydrogen ions in the blood. He totally missed the word NOT, even though it was capitalized.
It will help if you slow yourself down a little and underline, circle, or highlight key words in the question. If my student had done so, and circled the word NOT, he probably would have answered this question correctly.
____2. Answer the easy questions first.
You must budget your time with any type of exam, so that you don't miss questions just because you ran out of it. A question you don't know can really eat up a lot of time, so you want to save those until after you've answered the ones you can do quickly. Also, often you'll find a clue to a harder question later in the test.
____3. Read all the choices and eliminate the ones you know can't be correct.
Here's an example of this:
What is a waste product normally excreted in the urine?
A. excess glucose
B. excess protein
C. red blood cells
D. urea
If you already know that glucose, protein, and red blood cells shouldn't be in the urine, you can be sure that urea is the correct choice even if you don't remember anything about it.
____4. Use your common sense.
You can often reason your way through an answer. For example, in the following question, you know that aging usually brings negative changes to the body. The only choice that is clearly something negative is C.
What is a common consequence of aging on the digestive system?
A. The liver tends to get larger.
B. Peristalsis tends to speed up.
C. Peptic ulcers become more common.
D. Liver metabolizes drugs and alcohol more quickly.
____5. When a question overwhelms you, ask yourself, "What do I know about this topic?"
Here is a more difficult question that can be answered using that technique.
When the amount of salt in the blood increases, what happens to the amount of water
in the blood and the blood pressure?
A. Both the amount of water in the blood and the blood pressure increase.
B. Both the amount of water in the blood and the blood pressure decrease.
C. The amount of water in blood increases and the blood pressure decreases.
D. The amount of water in the blood decreases and the blood pressure increases.
This question has two parts, so it's tricky. However, a student in a physiology course probably knows that where salt goes, water follows, so he knows that the amount of water in the blood increases. He also probably knows that the more water a blood vessel has in it, the higher the blood pressure, so he also knows that blood pressure increases. Thus, the correct answer is A. To unlock that knowledge, though, the question, "What do I know about this topic?" can really help.
____6. In true/false questions, know that the entire statement must be true for an answer to be true.
If just one word in the statement is false, then the whole question is false. Also, absolute words like "all", "never," "only," "always," and "none" often mean the answer is false because of exceptions to a rule. Words like "some, "may", "might", and "can," often mean the answer is true because exceptions to an otherwise false statement might be possible.
Here are two examples of what I mean:
All males have an X and Y chromosome on their 23rd pair. T or F
This question is False because, very rarely, some males have XXY in a condition called Kleinfeldter syndrome. It's False because of the word "All".
Some females do not have two X's for their 23rd pair of chromosomes. T or F
This question is True because, very rarely, some females have only one X chromosome instead of two.
____7. For matching questions, work from the side with the most words and first mark only the answers you know for sure.
It will be faster for you if you have fewer words to scan when looking for the correct answer. You'll also increase your speed if you eliminate the choices you know for sure. Mark through them so they don't distract you as you make the more difficult choices.
____8. Unless you'll be penalized for wrong answers, which is very rare, make educated guesses for those questions you don't know.
Your guess is more likely to be correct if you've eliminated obviously wrong answers. Also, asking yourself the question, "Does my answer make sense?" often helps you decide if you have a good chance at being right. If you don't answer the question, you'll get it wrong for sure.
____9. Check your answers if you have time, but don't change them unless you have a very good reason.
If someone gave me a dollar for every time a student told me, "I had the correct answer, but I changed it," I'd have a nice sum of money. It's OK to change your answer if you know why your first choice was incorrect, but if you are just guessing, it's usually best to trust your first instinct.
