Resources › For Students and Parents How to Study for a Multiple Choice Exam Print Study Tips for Better Grades Introduction What Kind of Learner Are You? Quiz: What's Your Learning Style? Study Strategies for Every Learning Style Tips for Kinesthetic Learners Tips for Visual Learners Tips for Auditory Learners Why Math Is Hard for Some Learners Creating Your Study Space How to Create an Ideal Study Space How to Make a Small Space Productive for Studying Best Pandora Stations for Studying Best Spotify Stations for Studying Essential Study Skills How to Find the Main Idea of a Passage How to Use Sticky Notes to Remember What You Read Why Taking Notes in Class Is So Important How to Outline a Chapter How to Make Vocabulary Flashcards Breaking Bad Study Habits 5 Bad Study Habits and How to Fix Them How to Avoid Distraction and Stay Focused Quick Fixes to Improve Your Grades When to Study How Long Should I Be Studying? How to Study for an Exam in Two Days How to Study the Night Before a Test How to Cram for a Test How to Prepare for Different Kinds of Tests How to Study for Objective Test Questions How to Study for Fill in the Blank Tests How to Study for Multiple Choice Exams How to Study for Open Book Exams Getty Images By Kelly Roell Kelly Roell Education Expert B.A., English, University of Michigan Kelly Roell is the author of "Ace the ACT. " She has a master's degree in secondary English education and has worked as a high school English teacher. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on June 20, 2019 Studying for a multiple choice exam is a skill that you can learn, hone, and perfect. These steps for studying for a multiple choice exam will improve your chances of getting the grade you want. Start Studying The First Day of School That sounds crazy, but it's true. Your exam prep starts on the first day. Nothing beats time and repetition when it comes to learning. The best way to learn anything is to participate in class, take careful notes during lectures, study for your quizzes, and learn as you go. Then, when it's a multiple choice test day, you will just be reviewing the information instead of learning it all for the first time. Ask for the Multiple Choice Test Content Before you begin officially studying for your exam, ask your teacher or professor for information about the test content with questions like these: Are you providing a study guide? This should be the first question out of your mouth. You will save yourself a ton of time scavenging through your book and old quizzes if your teacher or professor gives you one of these. Will vocabulary from this chapter/unit be tested? If so, how? If you memorize all the vocabulary with their definitions, but you can't use the words appropriately, then you may have wasted your time. Many teachers will ask for a textbook definition of a vocabulary word, but there are a bunch of teachers who don't care if you know the definition word for word, as long as you can use it or apply it. Will we need to apply the information we've learned or simply memorize it? This is an important question. A simple knowledge-based multiple choice exam, one where you have to know names, dates, and other detailed info, is pretty easy to study for. Just memorize and go. However, if you're going to need to be able to synthesize, apply, or evaluate the information you've learned, that requires a much deeper understanding and more time. Read More Study for an Exam in 2 to 4 Days By Kelly Roell Create a Study Schedule Establish a study schedule at least two weeks before your test day. Using this schedule, you can determine exactly when you have a few extra hours available, then make the most of that study time, rather than cramming minutes before the exam. To study for a multiple choice exam, it's best to start several weeks in advance, studying in short bursts until test day. Organize Your Chapter Notes Your teacher has probably already given you much of the test content in your notes, quizzes, and former assignments. So, go back through the material. Rewrite your notes or type them up so they're legible. Find the answers to incorrect quiz questions or problems you missed on your assignments. Organize everything so it's ready to be studied. Set a Timer Don't spend three hours studying for a test in a row. Instead, select a chunk of material to master and set a timer for 45 minutes. Study with focused attention for all 45 minutes, then take a 5-10 minute break when the timer goes off. Once the break is over, repeat: set the timer for another 45 minutes, study, and take a break. Continue this process until you're confident in your knowledge of the material. Master the Material You're going to have choices on this multiple choice exam (that's why it's called "multiple choice", after all). As long you can differentiate between the right and "kinda right" answers, you're likely to succeed. Remember, you don't have to recite any details—rather, you'll just need to recognize correct information. For memorizing facts, use mnemonic devices like singing a song or drawing pictures to help you memorize the information. Use flashcards to memorize vocabulary. When studying complex concepts or ideas, explain the idea out loud to yourself as if you're teaching it to someone else. Alternatively, explain the idea to a study partner, or write a paragraph about it in simple language. If you're a visual learner, draw a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the concept with an idea that you already know well. Ask Someone to Quiz You To test your knowledge, ask a study partner to quiz you on the material. The best type of study partner will also ask you to explain your answer to see if you really know what you're talking about rather than just reciting the content. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Roell, Kelly. "How to Study for a Multiple Choice Exam." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/studying-for-multiple-choice-exam-3212071. Roell, Kelly. (2023, April 5). How to Study for a Multiple Choice Exam. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/studying-for-multiple-choice-exam-3212071 Roell, Kelly. "How to Study for a Multiple Choice Exam." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/studying-for-multiple-choice-exam-3212071 (accessed April 19, 2024). copy citation