How To Solve MCQS - Page 2
Making educated guesses
When faced with an MCQ that you are unsure about, a number of points can help you make an educated guess.
Key words
An understanding and familiarity with the key words and phrases that commonly feature in MCQs is vital to maximising your score (table). Questions which include absolute and sweeping statements such as never, always, or exclusively are generally false (because exceptions can be found to virtually any rule). Questions which include the keywords could, possible, or may are more often true than not (after all, anything is possible).
Statistical statements
When a question states an exact statistic--for example, the five year mortality after a first myocardial infarction is 12.9% it is often false (as different studies will produce different figures). This general rule does not apply to less precise statistics--the five year mortality after a first myocardial infarct is greater than 5%.
Unfamiliar information
If you encounter a question on a topic which you believe you have a good knowledge of, but the information stated is completely unfamiliar to you, then the chances are that it is false. (For example, if having revised myocardial infarcts you find an MCQ stating Colanss syndrome is a frequent sequelae of myocardial infarction you should answer false as you will not have heard of Colanss syndrome before.)
Conclusion
MCQs are often perceived as being inordinately difficult. But with a planned approach to revision, incorporating a general overview of the syllabus, and careful attention to technique, many questions can be confidently answered correctly and further marks gained by making educated guesses.