How to Guess MCQ Correctly in Entrance Exams

Entrance exams are a common part of admission to most courses, and MCQs are an important aspect in almost all of them. Whether it is a national entrance exam like CLAT, CUET or state level exams like MH CET Law , UP B.Ed JEE, TS LAWCET , etc, multiple choice questions are a part of all major entrance tests. Certainly, studying well and knowing the subjects deeply are important but also crucial is your skill to guess intelligently when you don't know the answer for sure as this could make quite an impact on your final score.

Guessing MCQ correctly in entrance exams is not just about luck, as many believe. There are strategies and methods that can improve your chances of picking the correct option even if you are unsure about a particular answer. This incisive article will help you understand how to make educated guesses work in your favour and enhance your performance on entrance exams based on multiple choice questions (MCQs). These MCQ guessing strategies can be used in any of the entrance exams after class 12 .

Also Read: 7 Smart Tips to Solve Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) in NEET 2024

Understanding the MCQ Format

Before we look at these strategies for guessing, let us first understand the basic setup and features of multiple-choice questions. Usually, an MCQ has a stem - this is the question or problem statement - and it also includes some options that you need to select from. Among these choices, there will be one correct answer but the rest are distractors.

The quantity of choices fluctuates, but a typical pattern is having four or five options. Exams that apply negative marking and penalise wrong answers may include more alternatives to dissuade random guessing. Knowing these characteristics could give a helpful understanding of how to tackle MCQ style tests.

How to Guess MCQ Correctly?

Here are some of the best strategies to guess MCQ correctly during your entrance exam:

• Frequency of Occurrence Strategy: In case there are choices that are similar in many questions, you should most likely choose them. These are more likely to be correct as the test makers tend to recycle some of the concepts or the vocabulary words.
• Root and Prefix Clues: Getting acquainted with the frequently used letter combinations of Latin and Greek will also be useful to eliminate choices in multiple-choice questions, as well as such prefixes as “dis-,” “im-,” “ir-,” “il-,” “in-,” and “un-. Such linguistic clues are frequently informative when it comes to the meaning of a particular word or concept. For instance, the prefix ‘dis-‘ means ‘not’ or ‘separation’ like ‘disapprove’ or ‘disassemble.’ It is considered useful to learn the prefixes to rule out the options that do not correlate with the content of the question. In the same way, the prefixes “im-,” “ir-,” “il-,” and “in-” suggest the sense of negation and “un-” refers to “not” or “opposite of.” If you cannot quite remember a topic, there may be roots and prefixes in the question stem or in some of the answer choices that help you narrow it down or rule out something that is not true. This strategy is especially beneficial if you have questions about the meaning of a certain term or idea.
• Eliminate Extremes: If numerical choices are offered, then the correct answer will be in the middle of the given options. Exclude the minimum and the maximum values as they are likely to be inaccurate.
• Similar Choice Strategy: If there are two choices and one of them is only slightly different from the other, then the slightly different option is the answer. The test-maker may be attempting to determine whether you are capable of differentiating between two related ideas.
• Opposite Choice Strategy: In some situations, the only strategy is to select between two extremes or polar opposites. This is effective when the question is of the ‘vice versa’ or ‘otherwise’ type.
• Umbrella Option Strategy: It is relatively easy to detect when one of the options seems to cover or involve the rest of the options, as it is usually the correct answer. This is often the broadest and most encompassing of any of the options available to the customers.
• Avoid Absolutes: Avoid those that use words such as ‘always’, ‘never’, ‘every,’ ‘none’, etc., since in most real-life scenarios these words are, more often than not, inaccurate.
• The Exception or Most Different Answer: Go through the question once and look for the option that is unique or stands out most from the rest. It may be the correct answer for this ‘odd one out’.
• Longest Answer Strategy: Finally, the longest answer is often correct because test makers offer additional information to its parts to facilitate comprehension of the right answer.
• Key Word Strategy: Select answer choices that bear key words which are present in the question stem. This can be very powerful evidence that the option is important and may be the right one.
• Grammatical Correctness: For example, remove the answers that do not make grammatical sense in the context of the formed question. The correct answer should fit in the context of the specific sentence.
• All of the Above/ None of the Above: If all of the choices offered include ‘all of the above’ and ‘none of the above’, there are high chances that ‘all of the above’ is the correct answer. These choices allow the test-makers to determine how well you comprehend the connections between the other options.

It is necessary to understand that these techniques are not always effective and they need to be combined with good knowledge of content and logical thinking. Guessing must always come last, and you have the goal of answering questions by using your understanding and preparation.

How to Apply MCQ Guessing Strategies Effectively?

Follow the tips mentioned below to properly apply MCQ guessing strategies:

• Read the Question Carefully: Do not rush to answer the question before you have read it carefully and understood what it wants you to do. If a student misunderstands a specific question they are likely to guess wrong.
• Eliminate Clearly Incorrect Options: Whittle down the options and eliminate the choices that are perceived as wrong or irrelevant. This helps in eliminating what you have to choose from to make the best decision.
• Apply Relevant Guessing Strategies: In the process of guessing, depending on the nature of the question and the offered options, the best strategy must be used to eliminate as many options as possible.
• Use the Process of Elimination: If you are still confused, try using what is left as the answer after crossing out the options that cannot be right.
• Manage Time Wisely: Don’t forget to schedule time well. Focus on questions that you know you can answer and dedicate any remaining time that you have to guess the questions that may be difficult.

Guessing MCQ Tricks for Exams with Negative Marking

Many entrance exams that are conducted for college admission have negative marking for wrong answers. In such cases, the guessing strategies have to be used more judiciously since random guessing will prove costly to your overall score.

If you are attending an exam that has negative marking then you may focus on the following tips:

• Eliminate Incorrect Options: First, as in previous problems, one should cross out the choices that are unquestionably incorrect.
• Apply Logical Reasoning: If you are not sure, make an educated guess using the information you have gathered in your chosen subject and think through the logical conclusion as to what is the correct answer.
• Avoid Guessing if Unsure: If a student has no proper grounds to lean on and genuinely cannot distinguish between two possible answers, it is rather wise not to answer than to guess and consequently lose points.

Developing a Mindset to Guess MCQ Correctly

The most appropriate attitude for guessing on MCQ based exams is to adopt specific strategies that can be applied effectively. Here are a couple of things to consider when you are using guesswork to choose an MCQ correctly:

• Embrace Uncertainty: Accept the fact that it is normal not to know much for the simple reason that it is an exam and exams have questions that you may not have come across before. Games of guessing should not be looked at as one’s shortcomings or a sign of weakness but rather a chance for one to apply knowledge and skills.
• Practice Consistently: The more frequently you encounter sample MCQ questions and practice varied guessing techniques, the more of an expert you will become at this method.
• Stay Calm and Focused: Pressure can increase the likelihood of making outright guess work that is likely to see the test taker make random choices. Be relaxed and concentrate fully throughout the test to get the best results with your guessing strategies.
• Combine Guessing with Logical Reasoning: Using guess as the only option is considered wrong. Combine it with your knowledge of the subject matter and analytical ability in order to optimise your performance.
• Learn from Mistakes: Devise a plan for reviewing your guessing after the exam and find out the potential ways to enhance it. You can then apply this information in order to improve your tactics for subsequent tests.

Solve MCQ through Contextual Cues

Here are some tips on using context clues to improve your accuracy when guessing multiple choice questions (MCQs) in various entrance exams:

Understand the Question Stem

Pay close attention to what the stem of the question is asking and what information is relevant. You should look for words such as who, what, when, where, why, how, tenses of verbs, and other modifiers.

Analyse the Options

After fully understanding the context of the question, the next step is to read through the answer choices. You will search for contextual cues within the options themselves:

• Cross out choices that are not grammatically correct or do not seem to fit the passage.
• Find answer choices that are antonyms or synonyms of the question
• Look for options that are broader or narrower than the question being asked
• Point out options that include words such as ‘always’, ‘never’, ‘all’, ‘none’

Use Surrounding Text

If the MCQ is in a passage, one can rely on clues from the passage to help answer the MCQ. Look for:

• Repetition of key words or phrases used in the question
• Antonyms of words that have the same connotation
• Illustrations or definitions that elucidate the concept
• Opposing concepts that eliminate some of the possibilities

Identify Logical Connections

Think about how the options are connected and how they relate to the question. Look for:

• Cause and effect relationships
• Chronological or sequential order
• Comparisons and contrasts
• Part-whole or whole-part relationships

Eliminate Implausible Options

Thinking critically and applying your prior knowledge and logic can help you cross out choices that do not make sense to answer the question in the given context.

To sum it up, by searching for context clues within the question stem, the possible answers, and any nearby text, you can improve your chances of getting MCQs right through educated guessing. Adding it to other guessing approaches will enhance your chances of coming up with the right answer even more.

How to Memorise MCQs?

It might feel like an unusual task to memorise multiple choice questions (MCQs) but if you use the correct methods, it is definitely possible. No matter if you are preparing for an important entrance exam or just trying to make your understanding stronger, these tips will aid in committing MCQs and their answers to memory efficiently.

Understand the Material First

Before attempting to memorise specific questions and answers, it is important to have a good understanding of the knowledge or material. Devote sufficient time for reviewing the materials of the course, note taking and making sure you grasp all the concepts. It will also make the memorization process much easier because of this foundational understanding.

Use Mnemonic Devices

Mnemonic techniques are effective memory tools that can help operationalize otherwise boring facts and figures. For instance, you might use an acronym or a catchy phrase so that you can easily remember some facts and figures. Another type of mnemonic technique involves the visualisation of absurd or exaggerated mental images.

Use Flashcards and Spaced Repetition

Flashcards are one of the most traditional methods of memorising MCQs. Write the question on one side of the paper and the answer on the other side, then take the test a number of times. Applications like Anki go even further, employing mathematical algorithms to determine when exactly you should review each card.

Practise Actively

Simply rereading your notes or flipping through the flashcards is not sufficient. Utilise the content through oral teaching, making flashcards or quizzes for yourself or friends, etc. This means that the more often you actively search for and use the information, the more well-established these neural connections will become.

Organise and Categorise

Cluster related MCQs together and search for associated patterns or subjects. This will assist in reading beyond individual questions and help to identify patterns. It is also possible to sort the questions by subject matter, by level of difficulty, or in any other logical manner you deem fit.

Embrace the Use of Stories

One of the key concepts is transforming dry facts into interesting stories. Incorporate the relevant aspects of an MCQ into an interesting story or situation. Not only does this make the information more interesting but the narrative form can also enhance retention of the material.

Distribute Your Study Time

It is very unwise to cram the night before the exams since it is highly counterproductive. However, it is recommended that you spread your study periods over a long period of time. This form of spaced repetition is particularly effective in enhancing long-term retention of information.

Also Read: MCQ-Based Questions in Entrance Exams

Guessing about MCQs involves thinking through the question and its answer options. For starters, get rid of answers you know are not right. If you have no idea, pick the longest or most detailed answer. Don't pick answers that are too extreme or absolute. If two choices appear similar, choose the one that gives more details. If you can remove 2-3 answers, guessing correctly becomes much more likely. Smart guessing can help you improve your score, but it is better to use it as a final strategy. The main plan must be to study effectively and master the content so that you can answer MCQs correctly without relying on guesswork.

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