Understanding Multiple Choice Questions

A well-constructed multiple-choice question can tap any level of knowledge and cognitive style as well as differentiate well-prepared from poorly-prepared test-takers.

Multiple choice questions require fine distinctions between correct and nearly-correct statements. These distinctions may involve thinking for synthesis, analysis, and application. Higher-order thinking questions sometimes make the content they cover unrecognizable. Besides not being fully prepared for these types of thinking questions, students often read the questions carelessly. Therefore, it is to your advantage to learn skills required to answer multiple choice items correctly.

Question Formats

When the Praxis exams were first being developed, it was almost universally agreed that prospective teachers should be able to analyze situations, synthesize material, and apply knowledge to specific examples. In short, they should be able to think as well as to recall specific facts, figures or formulas. Consequently, you will find that you are being asked to think and to solve problems on your test.

There are three types of questions used in the Praxis exam. Each type of question represents an increasing level of complexity. The three types of questions appear randomly on the test.

Type A: Basic Knowledge

Type A assesses basic knowledge. These questions are factual and simply require the knowledge of a piece of information.

Example:

1. What most frequently causes a tennis player to miss the ball completely?
   1. Swinging too early
   2. Swinging too late
   3. Not watching the ball
   4. Gripping the racket incorrectly

Answer: C

Type B: Application

Type B questions are designed to test basic knowledge and to use it in context. These questions require application of information in a specific context. Such questions do not require the you to address the full complexity of real life situations, but they demand more than simple memorization of facts.

Example:

2. Billy, at age of two months, is very active and wriggles frequently. The findings of a study on the origins of temperamental or constitutional personality differences would predict that
   1. Billy will be very quiet and docile by age 5
   2. Billy will succeed in school
   3. Billy will very likely be active and unable to sit still for long as a small child
   4. Billy will be neurotic

Answer:  C

Key words are: "origins of temperamental or constitutional personality differences". This is an example of a question that seems to be a "trick" question. You know that it's going to be more difficult because you not only need to recall some definitions but you need to visualize how they can be applied in real life situations.

Example:

3. Which of the following concepts would explain why it is easier to maintain balance during a headstand than during a handstand?
   1. the height of the center of gravity is lower in the headstand than in the handstand
   2. the line of gravity is over the base of support in the headstand, and outside the base of support in the handstand
   3. the length of the moment arm is longer in the headstand than in the handstand
   4. the magnitude and direction of force are greater in the headstand than in the handstand
   5. the frictional forces are greater in the headstand than in the handstand

Answer:  A

This question requires that you know what headstands and handstands are and that you can visualize the skills. Next  you must apply the principles of stability by selecting the correct explanation from the responses.

Type C: Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation

Type C questions require that the students analyze, synthesize, evaluate and make a decision. This type of question is based upon a hypothetical situation and asks you to use your knowledge in order to make judgments. These questions often involve a scenario and require integration of knowledge and decision making. Sometimes, a you must decide the most appropriate steps to take, given a hypothetical case or situation.

Example:

4. A student suffers an injured an ankle while running to first base in softball game. The teacher questions the student about how the injury occurred and about the area affected.  The teacher examines the indicated area. The symptoms are typical of a sprained ankle, although the injury may in fact be more severe. Which of the following steps should be included in the first aid administered to the student?
   1. Elevate the injured leg
   2. Apply ice to the injured area
   3. Apply direct pressure to the site of the injury
      1. I only
      2. II only
      3. I and II only
      4. D. I and III only

Answer:  C

Multiple-Choice Question Types

You will probably see more than one question format on a multiple-choice test. Here are examples of some of the more common question formats.

Complete the statement

In this type of question, you are given an incomplete statement. You must select the choice that will make the completed statement correct.

Example:

5. The underlying concepts of division most likely will be understood by the greatest number of children if the teacher
   1. presents the concept of division in several ways
   2. thoroughly explains the theory of division
   3. provides one easy step-by-step procedure for dividing
   4. stresses the everyday usefulness of understanding division

To check your answer, re-read the question and add your answer choice at the end. Be sure that your choice best completes the sentence. The correct answer is A.

Which of the following

You will probably notice that multiple-choice questions use word order that is different from what you are used to seeing in ordinary things you read, like newspapers or books. One of the reasons for the unusual word order of multiple-choice questions is that many contain the phrase "which of the following."

The purpose of the phrase "which of the following" is to limit your choice of answers only to the list given.

Example:

6. Which of the following is a flavor made from beans?
   1. Strawberry
   2. Cherry
   3. Vanilla
   4. Mint

You may know that chocolate and coffee are flavors made from beans also. But they are not listed, so the answer has to be the only bean-derived flavor in the list: vanilla. Thus, the answer is C. Notice that the answer can be substituted for the phrase "which of the following." In the question here, you could insert "vanilla" for "which of the following," and have the sentence "Vanilla is a flavor made from beans." Sometimes it helps to cross out "which of the following" and insert the various choices.

The vanilla bean question is relatively straightforward, but the phrase "which of the following" can also be found in more challenging questions. Look at this question, taken from a teacher’s exam:

Example:

7. Entries in outlines are generally arranged according to which of the following relationships of ideas?
   1. Literal and inferential
   2. Concrete and abstract
   3. Linear and recursive
   4. Main and subordinate

The placement of "which of the following" tells you that the list of choices is a list of "relationships of ideas." To find the answer, you are supposed to find the choice that describes how entries, or ideas, in outlines are related. Sometimes it helps to put the question in your own words. Here, you could paraphrase the question as "How are outlines usually organized?" Since the ideas in outlines usually appear as main ideas and subordinate ideas, the answer is D.

Don’t be put off by words you don’t understand. It might be easy to be upset by words like "recursive" or "inferential". Read carefully to understand the question and look for an answer that fits.

An outline is something you are probably familiar with, so slow down and use what you know. Don’t make the questions more difficult than they are. Don’t read for "hidden meanings" or "tricks." There are no "trick questions" on Praxis exams. They are intended to be serious, straightforward tests of subject knowledge.

The important thing is figuring out what the question is asking. Figuring out the answer is the second step. Knowing the answer is, of course, a different matter, but you have to understand a question before you can answer it.

Roman numeral choices (combinations of correct choices)

This format is used when there can be more than one correct answer in the list. The next question shows a diagram of a classroom seating arrangement with the teacher’s desk center front in the room and student desks arranged in six equally spaced rows of five.

Use of "not," "except," and "least" (negative choices)

The use of words like "not," "except," and "least" often make comprehension of test questions more difficult. These words are always capitalized when they appear in Praxis exam test questions, but they are easily (and frequently) overlooked. This type of question is used for situations in which there are several good solutions or ways to approach something, but there is also a clearly wrong way to do it. You are being asked to select the choice that does not fit. You must be very careful with this question type, because it is easy to forget that you are selecting a negative.

In the following example, determine what kind of answer you’re looking for, and what the details of the question are:

Example:

9. According to most researchers on bilingualism, which of the following would be LEAST helpful for children whose native language is not English and who have limited English proficiency to acquire knowledge of a subject?
   1. Teaching them the subject exclusively in English.
   2. Teaching them the subject in their native language until their English skills permit instruction in English.
   3. Developing their English skills while they are learning the subject.
   4. Strengthening native language skills to support subject matter instruction.

You’re looking for the strategy that would be LEAST effective. The details are that the students’ native language is not English, they have limited English proficiency, and the goal is for them to acquire knowledge of a subject (not simply English language skills). Another detail is that the answer you select has to be based on research on bilingualism, not just what might seem like a good answer. A is the answer—that is, all of the other choices are more effective than A.

It’s easy to get confused while you’re processing the information to answer a question with LEAST, NOT, or EXCEPT in the question. If you treat the word "LEAST" as one of the details you must satisfy, you have a better chance of understanding what the question is asking. And when you check your answer, make "LEAST" one of the details you check for.

Here’s an example of a question that uses the word "EXCEPT":

10. If there exactly 5 times as many children as adults at a show, all of the following could be the number of people at a show EXCEPT:
    1. 102
    2. 80
    3. 36
    4. 30

You’re looking for the number that cannot be the sum of a number plus five times that number. There are several ways to solve this problem (x + 5x = 6x), including trial and error. You may also know that all possible numbers must be multiples of 6 (1 adult + 5 children = 6). The only number that is NOT a multiple of 6 is 80. The answer is B. Again, the key to answering these questions correctly is remembering that all of the choices EXCEPT one are actually correct, and that you are looking for the incorrect one.

Don’t be put off by the math in this question. The idea is to select the answer that is NOT correct using logic and higher order thinking skills. You can do that even if your math isn't up to the challenge of this question.

Questions about graphs, tables, or lengthy passages of text

The important thing to keep in mind when answering questions about tables, graphs, or reading passages is to answer the question that is asked. In the case of a diagram or graph, you might want to read the questions first, and then look at the diagram or graph in light of the questions you have to answer. There is no reason to spend a great deal of time trying to understand a graph or diagram fully when you are being asked a very specific question about it.

Most of the diagrams have to do with motor development or motor skill analysis.

Example:

11. Looking at the two illustrations to the right, which one depicts the more mature motor skill performance?
    1. The top diagram depicts the more mature fundamental motor skill
    2. The  bottom diagram depicts the more mature fundamental motor skill
    3. The two fundamental skills depicted occur at the same developmental level
    4. In general females learn to hop earlier than males

Prepare yourself for these types of questions by looking at the diagrams in motor development text books and analyzing the performances they depict. The answer is A because learning to hop develops  after learning to jump off of a height.

In the case of a long reading passage, you might want to go ahead and read the passage, marking places you think are important, and then answer the questions. Again, the important thing is to be sure you answer the question about the material, so read the question carefully.

Other formats

New formats are developed from time to time in order to find new ways of assessing knowledge with multiple-choice questions. If you see a format you are not familiar with, read the directions carefully. Then read and approach the question the way you would any other question, asking yourself what you are supposed to be looking for, and what details are given in the question that help you find the answer.

Understanding the Details of the Question

Another factor in understanding questions is paying attention to the details that may help you find the answer. Here is an example of such a question:

Example:

12. In order to determine how well the students in an eighth-grade class are reading compared to other students in the nation, a teacher should examine the results of which of the following kind of tests?
    1. A criterion-referenced reading test
    2. A norm-referenced reading test
    3. An aptitude test
    4. An informal reading inventory

The placement of "which of the following" tells you that you are selecting a kind of test for your answer. The details in the question that help you determine your answer are: eighth-grade students; reading test; comparison with other students in the nation. These are the conditions that your answer must fit. These are also all clues that can help you select your answer. All of the choices seem appropriate for eighth-graders, and all of the tests listed might be used to assess reading skills. But only B satisfies the detail that you want to compare these students’ scores with other students in the nation. Such a comparison is provided by a norm-referenced test.

You may find that it helps you to circle each of the details of the question in your test book so that you don’t miss any of them. It’s only by looking at all parts of the question carefully that you will have all of the information you need to answer the question.

Answer all the multiple choice questions. There is no penalty for missed or blank questions and your score is based on the number of questions you answer correctly. Therefore, it is to your advantage to answer all the questions even if you have to guess. Nevertheless, be sure to guess intelligently. Eliminate unlikely answers before you make your best guess.

ETS provides much of this information in their publication General Information and Study Tips for Praxis II: Subject Assessments (1999). The information is presented here with their permission.