MCQs, MCQs everywhere!

For a variety of reasons, our universities and colleges have made multiple-choice and multiple-response questionnaires ( QRM) as examination methods. These MCQs/QRMs have the merit of objectifying the quotation. However, their very 'dryness' makes them understandably apprehensive for our students!

Stress among our students

Many students find these examination methods stressful and unsettling. They feel they don't know how to proceed when the right answer doesn't appear immediately. Among the questions they ask themselves:      

Questions to ask yourself

• Should we try to answer the question before looking at the options?    
• What happens if the answer is not one of the options available? What should I do?    
• What is the 'plausibility coefficient'?    
• Does it make sense to 'turn back the clock'?    
• Why and when should the internal coherence of the proposed options be assessed?    
• In the case of negative points, how do I decide whether or not to answer a question when I'm not sure? etc. 

It is useful to examine these questions calmly, with a clear head, before the exams begin. The aim is to avoid finding yourself in the unenviable position of failing an exam even though you knew the material !