Multiple choice questions in exams

What to expect from MCQs in exams

Multiple choice questions (MCQs) require you to choose the correct response to a question or prompt from a list of alternative answers.

You need to be able to read attentively and be precise when recalling and applying your knowledge. To do well,  you need to maintain a high level of concentration as you work through each question on your exam.

How to prepare for MCQs in exams

Make sure you’ve got all the relevant details about your exam. Then, develop your understanding of the content and test yourself by answering practice questions.

Tip: For general strategies to help you study for any type of exam, visit Exam revision.

Find out what your exams will be like

Check your subject LMS or ask your lecturer to find out:

• How many questions you will need to answer
• How many marks each question will be worth
• What type of question you might need to answer (eg case / scenario based, calculation)
• If your exam is digital:
  • is there a practice exam available for you to get familiar with the platform?
  • do you need to download LockDown Browser? (make sure you have the correct version of this software: LockDown Browser student guide.)

Check your understanding

Answering practice questions shifts you from passive to active revision. There are a few ways to find or create practice questions.

Use past papers

Some subjects provide past exam papers for practice. Check your subject LMS or with your tutors to see if they are available.

Write your own questions

Try writing your own MCQs and swapping them with a study partner. Writing your own questions is a good study strategy as it helps you engage deeply with the content.

Use GenAI

GenAI can be a useful tool to help you generate a large number of practice MCQs on topics from your course. In your prompt, specify the topic, level of difficulty and how you’d like to receive feedback.
For example:

• Prompt: "Quiz me on [Topic]. Ask one MCQ at a time and then provide feedback before asking the next one.”
• Prompt: “Act as an expert in [subject]. Create 5 MCQs on [topic] that test understanding and application of concepts, not just recall. Please provide feedback only after I finish the final question."

Remember that GenAI isn’t always accurate and it won’t know the specific content you’re expected to know in your assessment, so it’s important that you check the answers against your course materials.

Note: Do not upload assessment instructions or other University of Melbourne material as they are part of the University’s intellectual property and may be used by these tools without permission. Sharing University intellectual property is academic misconduct and can be subject to severe penalties.
See the AI and copyright resource.

During the exam

When the exam starts, you may feel tempted to start answering questions immediately. However, allowing some time for reading, planning and review will help you manage your performance across the duration of the exam.

Read the instructions carefully

Read the instructions for the entire exam as well as for each section.  Note any conditions. For example:

• Whether you will lose marks for incorrect answers
• How many answer options you need to select (choose one only; choose all that apply, etc)
• Whether you can go back and review and edit answers before submitting (in some digital exams).

Plan your time

If possible, skim read your exam paper to get an overview of the topics covered and the questions asked. Make a mental note of which section to start in.

Plan how much time you can spend on each question, based on the amount of time and the total number of questions or marks available Remember to allow yourself a buffer of time at the end to review and submit your answers.

You may want to estimate how many questions you want to complete by a certain time; for example, ‘10 questions by 2pm’. If you get stuck on a question, this can help you decide whether you can spend more time on it or if you need to move on.

Online exams may not have a timer displayed at the top of the screen, and for on-campus exams you are not allowed to have a mobile phone or smart watch, so keep track of time with a room clock.

Read each question carefully

Take note of any words which give you direction or a clue to the correct or incorrect answers. For example:

• Negative phrasing – you need to look for answers that don’t agree with the stem. For example, ‘Of the following, which is NOT an example of intrinsic motivation?’
• Absolute language – words such as always, never, only, no, all. Options that don’t comply with the phrasing can be eliminated
• Modifying language – words such as some, most correct, closest, best. If these words are used, some options will contain elements that are correct, but one option will be 'more correct' than the others.

Read the questions before text or graphic elements

If the questions are accompanied by text or graphs/tables, read the questions first. This will highlight what you should focus on while reading the text or graphics.

Be strategic in choosing answers

Some strategies for choosing answers include:

• Try covering the answers, then read the question and see if you can answer it yourself – if that answer's there, it's probably the right one. However, read every alternative answer before making your final choice
• If there are any clearly incorrect answers, eliminate them and focus on the remaining choices
• If you can’t decide which is the most correct option between two similar answers, rephrase each answer in your mind. You can do this by adding ‘because’ to the end of the answer, then stating any theories, concepts or evidence you’ve learned about during semester that supports the answer
• Select the ‘best’ answer. Often two or more choices are broadly speaking correct, but one answer will always be more correct than the others.

Do a final check

If you can, leave some time at the end of the exam to go back to check your answers.

Make sure you have:

• Selected the answer you intended to choose
• Complied with the instructions. For example, if asked ‘select three from the following options’, you should have three answers
• Answered every question. As long as you are not penalised for incorrect answers, your best guess is better than a blank. In a 4-choice MCQ, a guess has a 25% chance of being correct.

After the exam

Final tip

If you get stuck, pause and re-read the question and options slowly. This can reveal a detail you might have missed on first reading and help you to make the right choice.