Multiple-choice exams
Learn helpful tips to maximise your effectiveness in multiple-choice and other objective exam formats.
What to expect from an objective exam
Objective exams are based on your ability to recognise facts.
Over the course of your studies at UNSW Bengaluru, you may come across several styles of objective and multiple-choice exams, including true/false, matching and sentence completion.
Preparing for an exam
Multiple-choice exams are typically a broad overview of the course, whereas Objective exams will test you on specific topics. To prepare well, you should:
- Note which topics will be included so you can study the most relevant areas
- Listen for clues given by your lecturers and tutors
- Review the course outline and lecture notes as a studying framework if the indicated topics are from lectures and tutorials
- Ask your lecturer if incorrect responses will result in deducted marks, so you can decide whether guessing answers is a viable strategy
- Attempt past exam papers if available; these may give you an idea of the format and what to expect.
See further tips on studying for exams.
What to do when sitting an objective exam
- Read all directions provided carefully. Understand exactly what you have to do. Listen to the exam supervisor for any verbal directions or corrections.
- Read the entire exam quickly once before answering any questions. This will give you an overview, let you plan how long to spend on each section or question, and check if your exam is complete and collated correctly.
- Check that you're marking the correct numbered space for answers. If you have separate answer sheets, keep them close to you on the same side as your writing hand.
- Answer 'easy' questions first. Come back to the hardest ones later (if you have time). This way you won't get stuck and feel anxious about wasting time.
See also
Answering true/false questions
For true/false questions, you'll be given a statement and asked to select true if you think it’s correct or false if you think it’s incorrect.
When answering, keep an eye out for:
- Absolute words, like all, none, always and never – these generally make a statement incorrect.
- Qualifying words, like most, some, usually, seldom and often – these generally make a statement correct.
Questions with multiple ideas or concepts
All parts of a statement must be true for the statement to be true; otherwise, the entire statement is false. Be careful with statements that involve multiple criteria or layers of information.
Tips for answering multiple-choice questions
Read each question carefully
There will always be a list of potential answers for multiple-choice questions. But be alert for some of the following wording ‘curveballs':
- Negative phrasing, e.g. “Choose the answer which doesn’t describe...”
- Subjective questions, e.g. “Choose the option that best describes...”
- Judgement questions, e.g. “Choose the most correct answer"
- Multiple answers, e.g. “Choose more than one...”
- Supplementary stimuli, such as images, diagrams or quotes.
You’ll often be instructed to choose the ‘best’ or ‘most correct’ answer. Remember this when choosing from the available options.
Try to work out the answer before looking at the given options. This will help your confidence in choosing the correct answer.
Don't immediately assume questions will be misleading. While lecturers may use tricky language deliberately, overthinking can result in wrong answers.
Unless incorrect answers result in penalties, make a calculated guess for each question so you don't miss any opportunity to get marks.
If questions and available answers don't make a sentence that's grammatically correct, that choice is almost always wrong.
Narrow your choices down with these ‘process of elimination’ tips:
- Rule out unfamiliar options, especially if there's terminology or concepts that weren’t used in your course.
Eliminate weird or absurd answer options first as these usually incorrect.
Pay close attention to qualifying words. An answer containing 'always' or 'never' must be irrefutable. If you find a single counterexample, the answer is therefore wrong.
Consider the ‘all of the above’ option if you know that more than one option is correct.
Beware of extreme answers in number-based questions; options in the middle-range are more likely to be the correct answer.
Compare lookalike options carefully. If the answers are only slightly different, one is likely to be correct; choose the best one.
Eliminate any options that say the same thing; these cancel each other out.
Choose the closest to the correct answer if there's no perfect answer option.
❗ Please note:
These elimination strategies aren't a guarantee, but they're worth considering when you’re really unsure about the answer.
Looking for personalised study support?
Please contact your lecturer-in-charge for personalised study support or the UNSW Bengaluru Examinations Team.