Test-Taking Strategies
(These aren’t for Math.)
Mr. Way
12/16/13
SWBAT
• Understand the psychology of multiple choice
tests.
• Score higher on multiple choice tests than
they deserve.
Why listen to me?
Tests I’ve passed:
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90th-99th percentile CSTs
CAHSEE
~2250 SAT
AP Bio
AP Euro History
AP Eng Language
AP Eng Literature
AP U.S. History
AP Macro Econ
AP Micro Econ
AP U.S. Government
AP Comparative Gov.
AP Environmental Science
AP Psychology
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AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
AP World History
AP Chemistry
2nd place Math Academic
Decathlon, LAUSD
2nd place English Academic
Decathlon, LAUSD
Math CSET
English CSET
Science CSET
Social Science CSET
P.E. CSET
CBEST
RICA
Overview
• Test writers are real people
• Eliminating stupid choices
– Illogical
– Political correctness
– Grammar
• Free answers
– Grammar
– Later questions
– Similar wording
Test Writers Are Real People
• Taking a test is a game with the writer(s)
• To win this game, get into their head(s)
• Understand how they think, take advantage of
their human flaws.
• This PowerPoint is designed to help you see
how test writers think, and how to win points
from figuring them out.
Eliminating Stupid Choices
• Test writers follow these guidelines:
– One right answer
– One close to right, but slightly wrong answer
– Two or three stupid answers
• Try to eliminate the stupid answers first.
Types of Stupid Answers
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Illogical
Doesn’t even fit the question
Doesn’t match grammatically with the answer
Politically incorrect
Illogical Answer
What is the best way to clean your dog:
a) Wash him with water and soap
b) Eat soup for dinner
c) Walked him in the rain
d) Make him roll in the mud
Illogical Answer
What is the best way to clean your dog:
a) Wash him with water and soap
b) Eat soup for dinner
c) Walked him in the rain
d) Make him roll in the mud
Doesn’t Even Fit the Question
What is the best way to clean your dog:
a) Wash him with water and soap
b) Eat soup for dinner
c) Walked him in the rain
d) Make him roll in the mud
Doesn’t Even Fit the Question
What is the best way to clean your dog:
a) Wash him with water and soap
b) Eat soup for dinner
c) Walked him in the rain
d) Make him roll in the mud
Doesn’t Even Fit the Question
What is the best way to clean your dog:
a) Wash him with water and soap
b) Eat soup for dinner
c) Walked him in the rain
d) Make him roll in the mud
Grammar doesn’t match question
What is the best way to clean your dog:
a) Wash him with water and soap
b) Eat soup for dinner
c) Walked him in the rain
d) Make him roll in the mud
Grammar doesn’t match question
What is the best way to clean your dog:
a) Wash him with water and soap
b) Eat soup for dinner
c) Walked him in the rain
d) Make him roll in the mud
Grammar doesn’t match question
What is the best way to clean your dog:
a) Wash him with water and soap
b) Eat soup for dinner
c) Walked him in the rain
d) Make him roll in the mud
Politically Incorrect
• The person writing the test thinks like a
middle-class white person.
• Sometimes the “wrong” answer will be
something that is politically offensive.
Politically Incorrect
What is the best way to clean your cat?
a) Allow him to lick himself clean
b) Give him to a Chinese cook
c) Put him in the clothes dryer
d) Make your black servant do it for you
Review
• Most multiple choice questions have stupid
answers that:
– Are illogical
– Are politically incorrect
– Do not even match the question
– Don’t fit grammatically with the question
Free Answers
• Sometimes, test writers don’t realize it, but
they give away the answers in the questions.
• Types of free answers:
– Grammar
– Info from later questions
– Similar wording of multiple answer choices
Grammar
• If two people are in love, they:
a) always want to get married
b) hates single people
c) usually doesn’t survive 5 years
d) are happy to be around each other
Grammar
• If two people are in love, they:
a) always want to get married
b) hates single people
c) usually doesn’t survive 5 years
d) are happy to be around each other
Grammar
• If two people are in love, they:
a) always want to get married
b) hates single people
c) usually doesn’t survive 5 years
d) are happy to be around each other
Later Questions
• Sometimes the answer to one question is
actually written in the question of another.
• This is usually because multiple people wrote
questions for the same test without looking at
what each other wrote.
Later Questions
1. What is the capitol of France?
a) Berlin
b) London
c) Washington D.C.
d) Paris
• 12. When Hitler invaded the French capitol, how
did the Parisians cope with the occupation?
Later Questions
1. What is the capitol of France?
a) Berlin
b) London
c) Washington D.C.
d) Paris
12. When Hitler invaded the French capitol, how
did the Parisians cope with the occupation?
Similar Wording
• If two answer choices sound almost the same
as each other, one of them is usually right.
Similar Wording
• Which of the following is the correct description
of photosynthesis?
a) A process that uses oxygen and water to
generate glucose and carbon dioxide.
b) When you cut and paste different pictures
together in photoshop.
c) A process that uses water and carbon dioxide to
generate glucose and oxygen.
d) A process that takes place only in animal cells.
Similar Wording
• Which of the following is the correct description
of photosynthesis?
a) A process that uses oxygen and water to
generate glucose and carbon dioxide.
b) When you cut and paste different pictures
together in photoshop.
c) A process that uses water and carbon dioxide to
generate glucose and oxygen.
d) A process that takes place only in animal cells.
Free Response
• Most multiple choice tests also include free
response sections.
• Usually, they’re covering the same topics
• To sound extra knowledgeable, steal the key
terms you see in the multiple choice and use
them in your essay.