Exam Techniques –

Multiple Choice, Short

Answers
29/iii/2017
Shaun Theobald
srt@kent.ac.uk
The Student Learning Advisory Service
 Key terms/concepts

• Rubric and instructions

• Timing
• Weighting
• Module structure
• Module-structured revision
• Skim-reading exam paper
 Key terms/concepts

• MCQs:
– Stem statements; ‘Distractors’; 3-Layer
responses
• SAQs:
– Planning; TEE paragraphs
• Editing/reviewing
 Exams: Two Approaches
• 1.Negativity, nihilism, futility and despair..
– “There’s no point in revising etc.”
• See Homer Simpson: “Trying is the first
step on the road to failure<”
• 2.A positive, organised and structured
approach: constructive optimism
• Approach 2 does not banish exam anxiety
etc., but it allows you to control it!
 Long-term Preparation

• [Revision]
• Practice questions and answers
• Familiarity with past papers
• Familiarity with UoK rules and regulations
• https://www.kent.ac.uk/student-
records/exams/students/informationforstude
nts.html
 Preparation for Exam Day
• Night before - RELAX & SLEEP
• Breakfast/Lunch - BRAIN FOOD
– [Nutrition helps thinking!]
• Exam requirements - student card
- writing materials etc.
• Approved calculator, where required
• Clothes – be COMFORTABLE
– Try several layers of clothing [Sports Hall]
• Travel - enough time to arrive without rushing
 Arriving at the Exam Hall

• Don’t mix with people who make you nervous

• No last minute cramming
• Wish others good luck
• Walk assertively, smile
• Get there (reasonably) early
• Leave time for relaxation exercises
 Inside the Exam Hall

• Find your place

• Check table and chair for wobbles
• Check exam paper is the right one
• Settle in and organise your workspace
• Make yourself comfortable
• Breathe deeply
• Listen to the invigilator’s instructions
 Read the Rubric
COMPUTING LABORATORY
CO320/07 INTRODUCTION TO OBJECT-
ORIENTED PROGRAMMING
Thursday, 10 May 2007 : 9.30 − 11.30
There are SIX questions, ONE in Section A and
FIVE in Section B. Candidates should answer
ALL the questions.
Calculators are not permitted.
Answer Section A in its own booklet.
Answer each question in Section B in its own
booklet.
 Reading the Paper

• Check the instructions<!

• Choose your questions, where
allowed
• Sketch out a time plan
 What are Examiners Looking For?

• An answer to the question!

• A thoughtful, reasoned response
• A response that demonstrates your learning
- concepts, ideas, theories, link, key date or
dates, connections, positions, arguments
- See Learning Outcomes for modules!
 What are Examiners Looking
For?
• Clear handwriting and fluent presentation
– CLEAR responses to MC questions – one
final answer!
• In writing, concise argument and logical
answer
What are Examiners Looking For?
Exams are intended to be fair

Examiners want to award marks,

not take them away

Tutors want students to pass, not fail

BUT: Examiners can only mark

what is on the paper
 Multiple Choice Questions;
Short Answer Questions

• Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and

Short Answer Questions (SAQs) require
specific techniques
• All the generic points above apply, but
there are specific implications for revision,
and answering the question(s)
 Revising for MCQs/SAQs
• These forms of exam assessment cover
the whole of a module
• They test widely, therefore
• They are a quick way of assessing your
knowledge
• Individual MCQs/SAQs target precise
areas
• But they can come from anywhere within
the module!
 Revising for MCQs/SAQs
• But remember, nothing can ever be
assessed on a module that is not covered
by the module specification!
• However, in preparing for MCQs/SAQs
you have to ‘learn it all’!
• This is especially the case with STEM
subjects, e.g. Computer Science
– [And of course you can’t learn ‘part of’ e.g.
programming etc.!]
 Revising for MCQs/SAQs
• In contrast, your approach to some social
science subjects might be less inclusive
• For example, a Sociology exam (SO336)
might include essay-type questions on the
family, religion, education, labour,
ethnicity, identity, health, childhood etc.
• A candidate might chose to leave out two
or three areas in preparation, and still give
themselves a good chance of passing
well!
 Revising for MCQs/SAQs:
Implications
• But with MCQs/SAQs you cannot ‘leave
out’ two or three areas!
• So, there are three big points that need to
be made:
– Revision for MCQs/SAQs must be
comprehensive and inclusive>
– BUT it must be achievable, not
overwhelming>
– AND the form(s) of revision must facilitate
answering MCQs/SAQs effectively!
 Handling MCQs and SAQs in
the Exam
• Individual short assessments are not
isolated ‘atoms’ of knowledge
• In the exam, it may seem that a stream of
individual short ‘bullets’ are being fired at
you!
– Cf. Computer games, Space Invaders (1978)!
• But every individual MCQ/SAQ is
organically linked to a whole sequence
 Handling MCQs and SAQs in
the Exam
• They are embedded within the logic,
sequence and total content of the module
• Your best chance of handling these
questions is to understand the overall logic
and structure of the module
• As a starting point for revision, and exam
preparation, re-visit the whole structure of
the module
 Revising for MCQs/SAQs
• Look at –
– The module specification/outline
– Course documents
• Lists of lectures
• Lists of seminars
• Assignment titles
– Your existing notes – lecture notes etc.
• Now draw up a list of the main topic areas
in the module
• Try and isolate important areas, not ‘sub-
topics’
 Revising for MCQs/SAQs
• Aim to understand
– The underlying assumptions behind the
module
– The logic and development of module content
– The order and sequence of topics
– The way in which topics are linked
– The way in which the module is delivered
• In short, the way the module, ‘comes
together’<
 Revising for MCQs/SAQs
• You are aiming for detail, but make your
list manageable
• Once you have broken down the module
into key areas, divide these up into
sections
• Produce brief notes/diagrams etc. –
whatever form of revision notes work for
you – for each section
 Revising for MCQs/SAQs
• Arrange these notes according to the
chronology, order and sequence of the
module<BUT<
• Make your notes portable, and
transferable
• You can then quickly re-shuffle them, and
carry them around to work on
– E.g. Index cards; large post-its; memos on a
‘phone; short MS Word documents etc.
 Revising for MCQs/SAQs
• You will have revision material that you
can use
– Constantly
– In a variety of contexts
– That isolates individual areas
– That links these to the overall module
structure
– That anticipates MCQ/SAQ assessments
• A final tip: try and generate your own
MCQs/SAQs as a way of revising
 Sample MCQs/SAQs
• BI300 Introduction to Biochemistry, 2016
“By what type of bond are the two carbons in the
molecule C(2)H(4) connected?
(a) By a single bond
(b) By a double bond
(c) By a triple bond
(d) By a quadruple bond
(e) The two carbons are not connected by a
bond”<
 Sample MCQs/SAQs
• CO328 Human Computer Interaction, 2016
“Short questions
(a) What is meant by chunking? How does
chunking affect GUI design? [4 marks]
(b) With regard to human memory, what is a
retrieval cue? Give two examples of cues in
interface design. [4 marks]”<
 Sample MCQs/SAQs

• EC 313 Microeconomics for Business, 2016

“There are eight questions, each to be
marked out of five. In each case, answer
‘True’, ‘False’ or ‘Depends’, and then explain
why in a few sentences plus, if appropriate,
a diagram. You will receive 2 marks for a
correct answer, and the other 3 marks will
be awarded according to the quality of your
explanation.
 Sample MCQs/SAQs

1. The railway system is a natural monopoly

2. The monopolist always charges a lower

price than a firm operating under perfect
competition.”<
 Handling MCQs and SAQs in
the Exam
• Read the rubric and instructions carefully
• Pay particular attention to exclusions/limits
– “<two questions from Section A, and one
question from Section B<”
• Look at the weighting of the marks
– Do not spend too much time on questions that
only carry a few marks!
– Equal marks per question = equal time!
• Draw up a quick, and realistic, time-plan
for the whole exam
 Handling MCQs and SAQs in
the Exam
• Allow time for editing/going back through
answers
• Skim-read the paper and questions
• Where you think of a point/a piece of
information at once, make a very brief note
against the question
• Now start your answers – keeping your
time-plan in sight!
 Multiple Choice Questions:
Structure
1. The ‘Stem’: a short statement setting out
the problem/question – e.g. ”Which of the
following is a true statement.”

2. One correct answer

3. Several ‘distracters’/ ‘seducers’ –

plausible answers and incorrect answers
 Selecting the Right Answer
• Don’t rely on recognition alone
Recognition is based on familiarity
‘Good’ distracters/ seducers will all look
familiar
• At first, try to answer the stem without
looking at the possible alternatives
• Pay attention to ‘quantifiers’ such as ‘all’,
‘always’, ‘never’ etc.
• Pay attention to specific terminology
 Selecting the Right Answer
• You may know the right answer straight
away/fairly quickly
• If not, try and think logically –
– First, exclude incorrect answers
– Second, look at ‘maybe’ answers
– Third, select from these what seems most
likely
• Rely on intuition/ “a hunch” only as a last
resort!
 Selecting the Right Answer
• Once you start to work through MCQs,
take a structured approach
• Firstly, re-visit your time-plan for the exam
• Make sure you divide your time evenly
across the MCQs
• Don’t get stuck on an individual MCQ!
• Keep moving, and keep an eye on the
clock!
 Selecting the Right Answer
• Aim to work through all the MCQs
systematically, in 3 layers/stages/readings
• Firstly, answer all the questions you are
sure about: the “Yes” questions
– Keep moving forward, ignoring any questions
you are unsure of, or really don’t know!
• Secondly, read through again and try and
answer some of the questions you are
unsure of
 Selecting the Right Answer
– Convert the ‘maybes’ into ‘yes’
– Don’t worry too much about the really hard
questions<
– Keep moving forwards in a timely way!
• Finally, read through again from the
beginning and concentrate on the
‘Difficult’/’Don’t know’ questions that are
left
– Try and use logic, or an ‘educated guess’, to
convert these to ‘yes’
 Proof reading/Editing MCQs
• Once you have attempted each question,
leave some time to re-visit/edit your
answers
• Ideally, move on to another part of the
exam and then go back to the MCQs
– But make sure you don’t run out of time to
edit!
– If you think you will, then go back through all
the questions immediately after your third
read-through!
 Proof reading/Editing MCQs
• Re-check all your answers: are you sure?!
– Make sure that you haven’t misidentified any
‘distractors’!
• Make sure your answers are clear and
unambiguous – one answer for each
MCQ, everything else eliminated
• If you are completely unsure, NEVER
leave an MCQ unanswered
– If you chose randomly, ex 4 questions, you
have a 25% chance of being right!
 SAQs
• Strong questions first, weak ones later?
– + Encourages confidence; gets your thought
‘flowing’/ - You may spend too much time on
questions you already know
• Weak questions first, strong ones later?
– + Gets areas of doubt out of the way; better
time-management/ - By concentrating on
areas of doubt you may undermine self-
confidence
 SAQs
If you need to write a short text:
• Draw up answer plan
• Jot down (for each question at a time?)
– key points
– data or formulae
– steps in a process
• Go straight to the point (no long introduction)
• Don’t waste time by repeating the
question!
• Cross out rough work afterwards
 SAQs
• Try and make your writing neat and
grammatical
• Use clear, concise sentences
– c.f. Abstracts for journal articles
• In one-paragraph answers, work with
paragraph structure: Topic sentence/
Explanation & expansion/ Evidence (short
citation, where needed) - TEE
 SAQs
• Look at the weighting
• Little point in spending too much time on a
question that only gains 5 marks!
• Divide time/energies appropriately
• Keep your time-plan in front of you!
• Leave time for editing!
– Is your writing clear?
– Check key terms/ spelling/formula/data etc.
– Diagrams – labelled, integrated?
 The Last Few Minutes<

• Read everything, make corrections and

additions
• Tidy up your script
• Cross out rough work
• Number/sort answer booklets
• Final check - ensure all answers are
correctly identified: no ambiguity as to
which question you are answering!
 Afterwards<
• Avoid post-mortems!
• Take a clear break
• Move on to the next period of
revision/exam and maintain sleep routine
• Do you feel it’s gone badly?
– You may be surprisingly wrong!
– Start thinking about the next exam..or
– Take a break before results<
– Too much introspection damages motivation!
 Summary
• Rubric and instructions
• Timing
• Weighting
• Module structure
• Module-structured revision
• Skim-reading exam paper
• MCQs:
– Stem statements; ‘Distractors’; 3-Layer responses
• SAQs:
– Planning; TEE paragraphs
• Editing/reviewing
 Good luck>
• Hopefully, there have been some tips and
techniques in this workshop that will help
you<
• Success in exams depends on your
academic knowledge BUT<
• You can learn to cope with exams better!
• Unless – to return to Homer Simpson - you
think, “Every time I learn something new, it
pushes something else out”<☺
 Good luck>.
• For all your studies, and for the 2017
Examinations!
• Any questions: Shaun Theobald
– srt@kent.ac.uk
• Further support:
– www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/learning