Does answering "C" really work?

[Paperdoc]

Originally posted by: PokerGuy
Even if you don't know the answer, you can usually rule out one or more of the other answers, so you can really improve your odds when you guess. If you are penalized for guessing, don't. Otherwise, try to narrow it down and then guess.

This, and:

Originally posted by: George P Burdell
Even without studying, most multiple choice questions can be narrowed down to two choices. After that, flip a coin. 50% chance of getting it right, which is much higher than marking "C" for every question.

If you can't narrow down to two choices, you have other problems.

Depending on the sophistication of the exam creator, they MIGHT also use this technique. One of the potential answers is the "distracter" that looks so good it will draw the attention of people who do not know the real right answer. It helps to distinguish the ones who know from the ones who guess. A local instructor might not do this, but on nation-wide exams made by experts they might. If you think that is what your test is doing, use that when you guess. After eliminating the obvious bad choices, the yummiest-looking one left over MAY be wrong!

 

[Lorax]

it'd be funny if this was a test on statistics and distributions.

 

[lozina]

Originally posted by: George P Burdell
Even without studying, most multiple choice questions can be narrowed down to two choices. After that, flip a coin. 50% chance of getting it right, which is much higher than marking "C" for every question.

If you can't narrow down to two choices, you have other problems.

Yes I've done it this way too with great success early on but it's either the glares by my fellow peers sitting next to me or the professor walking over and physically taking my coin away that spoils everything.

 

[Leros]

You're better off guessing using your intuition.

 

[Zolty]

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
I have a 15% exam tomorrow.

And I've been busting my balls studying this whole past week, but I'm not seeming to get anywhere. I'm fully contemplating just answering C to every question (it's multiple choice) instead of actually trying and putting the wrong answer because it "sounds" right.

Not if it's a true false test

 

[Turbonium]

No, it doesn't.

 

[SneakyStuff]

Originally posted by: George P Burdell
Even without studying, most multiple choice questions can be narrowed down to two choices. After that, flip a coin. 50% chance of getting it right, which is much higher than marking "C" for every question.

If you can't narrow down to two choices, you have other problems.

A much better idea.

 

[Casawi]

Have you heard of an educated guess?
I would give that a try before answering C

 

[cirrhosis]

C




for "Confirmed"

 

[GlacierFreeze]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21

Originally posted by: ra1nman
If you know it's not c, choose answer with the longest wording. Really......who'd really put that much effort in making up a wrong answer. Take it from me, I graduated HS in the middle of my class without not never studying!

A triple negative... never thought I'd see that one.

LOL. I was going to ask if that was a triple negative but looks like someone already pointed it out. I think the space time continuum almost blew up...

 

[destrekor]

C

 

[BoomerD]

Yes. When in doubt, answer "C" is correct.

I personally guarantee you'll not only get a passing grade, but you'll score in the top 10% of your class with this method.

If you don't, I'll refund double the fee you've paid for this advice.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Makes things a bit more complicated when D is always "none of the above," but if you ever run into a response where one of the possible answers is "both of the above," always pick that. Always. A lot of profs never think to include this as a possible response unless it's the correct one. A few might throw ONE in at some point just to try to trick you, but I'm guessing it's the correct answer nearly every time it's used.

 

[Kalmah]

Originally posted by: darkxshade
I'm a pro at this...


Some multiple choice tests(especially in numbers in your case) are predictable when the professors try to make it more difficult than it should be by being tricky. You can use this to your advantage.

For ex:

What is 10+5:

A. 25
B. 10
C. 15
D. 8


Looks fairly simple and straightforward but the answer is already given to you.

It's not D because it's the only number that has no relation to the others. Most questions will have one of these because the test maker thinks you're more likely to randomly guess this if you dont' know the answer because it looks more unique. Don't fall for this.

That leaves A, B & C and this is how you deciper the rest of it. Of the 3 answers, there will be mutiple answers that begin with the same number(1 in this case) and mutliple answers that end with the same number(5 in this case). The professors usually do this by making it more difficult in case you've somehow figured out half the answer(it being that it begins with 1 or ends with 5) and thus all you have to do is select the answer that has the most relationship between the rest and in this case C or 15. It's not A because the 2 is not used twice, it's not B because 0 is not used twice... it has to be C 15.

You're welcome

edit: you can apply this strategy to longer numbers

What year did *some random event* happen:

A. 1491 (does not share 91 and in fact makes C more obvious... 1491 & 1492? duh)
B. 1592 (does not share 15)
C. 1492 (shares "14" & "92")
D. 1386 (too unique)

This is exactly how I take my tests. I do study, but not in the way that you would expect. Instead of memorizing the exact details of each topic.. I memorize the *differences* of the details.

Example: (each 'letter' indicates a fact for each topic)

Topic 1: A B C D
Topic 2: A B C E
Topic 3: A B C F

Instead of memorizing the 12 facts from the three topics.. I memorize that topic 1 is 'D', topic 2 is 'E' and topic 3 is 'F'.. Everything else cancels each other out.

Now I have enough information to be able to cancel out wrong answers, and be able to narrow down the selection using the process you wrote. Sometimes a question is so 'out there' that it requires both strategies to find the answer.

 

[TecHNooB]

Study != Memorize. Use sound logic! Don't guess unless you have to.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

All of these responses sound great...butmaybe I should write a potential question so you can guys can see my struggle!

Q:The interest of the parents in the profit for the year ended June 30 20X7 of the group controlled by Wolfe Ltd is:

A: $3690000
B: $3746000
C: $3346000
D: None of the Above

There's no narrowing down responses like that, and the equations to solve them are fairly long, ie leaving room for great error as maybe one would forget to subtract retained earnings at the time of aquisition from the this year retained earnings. or the deferred tax asset from an intragroup sale of inventories.

 

[potato28]

Use the force, pick randoms.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
All of these responses sound great...butmaybe I should write a potential question so you can guys can see my struggle!

Q:The interest of the parents in the profit for the year ended June 30 20X7 of the group controlled by Wolfe Ltd is:

A: $3690000
B: $3746000
C: $3346000
D: None of the Above

There's no narrowing down responses like that, and the equations to solve them are fairly long, ie leaving room for great error as maybe one would forget to subtract retained earnings at the time of aquisition from the this year retained earnings. or the deferred tax asset from an intragroup sale of inventories.

That particular question is nonsense and unanswerable without the rest of the financial information required.

 

[ra1nman]

Originally posted by: GlacierFreeze

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21

Originally posted by: ra1nman
If you know it's not c, choose answer with the longest wording. Really......who'd really put that much effort in making up a wrong answer. Take it from me, I graduated HS in the middle of my class without not never studying!

A triple negative... never thought I'd see that one.

LOL. I was going to ask if that was a triple negative but looks like someone already pointed it out. I think the space time continuum almost blew up...

.....and who says we don't need no education.

lolz

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
All of these responses sound great...butmaybe I should write a potential question so you can guys can see my struggle!

Q:The interest of the parents in the profit for the year ended June 30 20X7 of the group controlled by Wolfe Ltd is:

A: $3690000
B: $3746000
C: $3346000
D: None of the Above

There's no narrowing down responses like that, and the equations to solve them are fairly long, ie leaving room for great error as maybe one would forget to subtract retained earnings at the time of aquisition from the this year retained earnings. or the deferred tax asset from an intragroup sale of inventories.

That particular question is nonsense and unanswerable without the rest of the financial information required.

I think you just gave the OP the piece of the puzzle he was missing...

 

[dr150]

Originally posted by: MichaelD
I've always found that using the zig-zag method works best on those bubble sheets.
ABCDCBABCDCDBA

I'm more partial to an "S" style myself.

 

[thecrecarc]

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
All of these responses sound great...butmaybe I should write a potential question so you can guys can see my struggle!

Q:The interest of the parents in the profit for the year ended June 30 20X7 of the group controlled by Wolfe Ltd is:

A: $3690000
B: $3746000
C: $3346000
D: None of the Above

There's no narrowing down responses like that, and the equations to solve them are fairly long, ie leaving room for great error as maybe one would forget to subtract retained earnings at the time of aquisition from the this year retained earnings. or the deferred tax asset from an intragroup sale of inventories.

Given that both C and B end in 46000 I would guess that it is one of those. After this, it becomes more complex, but given that B is closer to A than C is, I would wager the answer is B.

Unless of course, the answer is D

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Mr Smiley
Just make sure it isn't true/false.

Indeed.

 

[Howard]

Generally, no.

 

[Modelworks]

You should make the answer sheet look like ascii art !
http://www.instructables.com/f...9I5F4ULN87C.MEDIUM.jpg