How to answer MCQs (aka multiple choice questions)
Love them or hate them, the fact is that MCQs – multiple choice questions – are going to be a key part of your accounting exams. All professional accounting exams now have an element of MCQ testing, whether this be parts of online exams or the whole exam.
An MCQ will typically have a paragraph setting out the question and any details that you will need to know, followed by 4 or 5 possible answers. It may be tempting to dive straight in and pick answer under time pressure – but this isn’t the quickest way to maximise your marks.. Always take the time to read and think through every option before just picking one..
Here are our top tips for smashing your MCQ exams:
Read more slowly
When the exam starts and you see the first question you’ll be desperate to get on with answering it – but make sure to take the time to read (and re-read if necessary) the question set. Force yourself to slow down! The question will be full of little details and hints which will guide you towards the right topic. Don’t make the mistake of skim-reading the question and rushing to choose your answer.
Whilst we would always recommend you to come back to check your answers, you are more likely to do better in your exam if you spend a little more time getting the answer correct first time than rushing it and falling into one of the obvious traps the examiners like to set.
Pay attention to the details
In such a short question there is a reason why the examiner has included some particular detail. For example, if the question refers to a specific detail like the economic life or expense it is very likely to be required to be able to answer the question. If you find that you are not using a piece of information given by the examiner, make sure you double check to ensure that you are making the correct assessment by ignoring it.
Look out for red herrings
Some answers to MCQs will seem very similar to others – and sometimes it can be hard to know which one to pick. Resist the temptation to try to second-guess what the examiner wants you to pick. Instead, check the question again and look for the tiny details – the “red herrings” – that are there to throw you off. This could be something as simple as a fact which is irrelevant to the calculation, or a particular date or transaction.
Think through each option
Always take the time to think through every option. If you’re unsure which answer is correct, it may instead help to look at the options the other way around – first discount the wrong answers. Look at each option and reason why it is wrong. That should leave you with one correct answer.
Don’t get bogged down
Make sure you don’t get stuck on one question. If you know you it is an area you struggle with, or requires a calculation that will take you a while, flag the question and make sure you come back to it at the end. You want to ensure that you gain the maximum number of marks you can to pass, so focus on the easy marks first!
Check the time
Make sure you know how long you have to go through all your MCQs and how long you can spend on each MCQ. Don’t waste precious minutes getting stuck on one MCQ and risk running out of time to answer the others – move on to the next question! Remember to flag anything that you need to come back to.
Stick to your answer
Research on answering MCQs has shown that those who later revisit their initial answers are more likely to change their answers to the wrong answers than to change wrong answers back to correct answers. So, if you’ve already thought your answer through, resist the urge to go back and change your answers late in the exam – trust your instincts!