As simple as a multiple-choice question may sometimes seem at first glance, many students still appear to have a lot of trouble with it. Everyone understands that good reading is important, but how do you do it? Multiple-choice questions sometimes seem designed to lead you astray. Therefore, adhere to the following rules:
The question
| 1. | Reading: | read the question carefully |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | Understanding: | do you understand what is being asked? |
| 3. | Thinking: | Think-without looking at the answers-what an answer to the question might be |
The answer
| 1. | Reading: | Read the 3 answers carefully |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | Understanding: | Rate which of the 3 answers best fits your answer |
| 3. | Evaluate: | Important: also understand why the other 2 answers are wrong |
| 4. | Select | Choose the “best” answer |
Below is an example of an “instink” question used on the exam for some time. This often involves an answer immediately after reading. Understanding and evaluation is skipped.
What information must a driver provide during an inspection by a supervising officer?
(a) All information
(b) All details of the transport document
(c) All transportation data
- Answer (a) is the most obvious answer and it is usually chosen.
- Answer (b), while good, is too limited. For example, in addition to the transport document, you may be asked about the hazard card, cargo and vehicle equipment. This answer is incomplete.
- Answer (c) is the best answer because it indicates more precisely the area in which questions may be asked. “All” information should include personal questions such as your PIN answered.
Pitfalls
- Often the question is read too quickly, without understanding the purpose of the question
- If you are already going to look at the answers without having properly understood the question, you are going to compare answers without knowing the intent of the question
- Answers are often graded on sentence wording and logic, but actually there are no right and wrong answers. Any answer is good as long as it fits the question.
- Answers are not always completely right or completely wrong. Choose the best answer.
- Don’t choose the unknown. Don’t think that the answer you don’t know will be the best.
- Don’t immediately choose the familiar. An answer that is more common must fit the question.
- Beware of negating questions. What is not part of the powers of…
- A lot of text in the answers can leave you stuck in the text and unable to see the forest for the trees. Try to extract the essence of the question.
- Beware of “trick questions.
- Don’t automatically choose the safest answer. May a corrosive substance be transported alongside food? Yes, because this only applies to toxic substances, but it is often thought that it makes more sense and is safer not to. So wrong!
- I have already given answer B 3 times. Is that right? Not paying attention, the questions are sorted by a computer program.
- Sometimes 1 answer contains 2 or 3 enumerations. Each enumeration always includes one or more correct answers as well, but pay attention to that one mistake.
- Don’t dwell too long on difficult questions. Save the most difficult questions for last. You can mark the questions and recall them later.
