Los Angeles City College

Objective Tests

(True/False, Fill in the Blanks, Matching, Multiple Choice)

1. DRILL YOURSELF. Flash cards are particularly useful for objective exams.
2. RE-STUDY. Even after you know the material, keep studying.
3. READ INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. Before you begin the exam, read all of the instructions carefully. Read anything that confuses you.
4. GUESSING. Find out if there is a penalty for guessing the wrong answer. If there is no penalty, then you should guess.
5. PLAN YOUR TIME. Figure out about how much time you can spend on each question and each section. Keep track of your time.
6. DO THE QUESTIONS IN ORDER. Do not skip around.
7. MARK DIFFICULT QUESTIONS. If you are unsure about an answer, mark the one you think is best, place a question mark in the margin, and go on. Later, if you have time, you can come back to this question.
8. KEEP MOVING. Do not skip around.
9. DON'T PANIC. Everyone draws a blank on a question or two. So if you just can't remember an answer, leave it blank and go on. Again, put a question mark or a check in the margin to remind you to go back. The answer will probably pop into your head as you continue.
10. READ EACH QUESTION CAREFULLY. If you feel confused, reread the question. If you remain confused, ask your professor if he can clear up the problem.
11. DON'T CHANGE AN ANSWER. Unless you have strong reasons to change it, your first answer is usually right.
12. DON'T WORRY ABOUT FINISHING FIRST. Don't feel flustered if others finish long before you do. Finishing fast does not mean you have done well!
13. NEGATIVES. Read over all questions with negatives (not, isn't, least).
14. WATCH FOR MODIFIERS like "always" or "never." Few things are always true or never true.
15. CHECK OFF ANSWERS you have already used when taking a matching test.
16. IF YOU CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT PHRASE for a fill-in-the-blank question, write in what you can or any explanation of what you do remember.
17. READ ALL THE ALTERNATIVES for multiple-choice questions. The best answer may come last. And look for grammatical clues in the questions and answer (e.g., plurals and singulars).