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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that they need more information regarding an exam at uni?

92 replies

00100001 · 20/07/2019 12:15

So, if you sat a 30 credit university module and you were told "you will be given a 45 minute multiple choice test" this is to be satin 2 months time.

Would that be enough information for you to adequately prepare?

OP posts:
WhatTheAbsoluteFuck · 20/07/2019 12:58

OP check out The Learning Scientists for revision and have a Google for MCQ methods, they helped me immensely.

SmartPlay · 20/07/2019 13:01

"Lets be honest, multiple choice is not exactly intellectually taxing, is it?"

Hahaha. I've had ONE multiple choice test during my BA and it was the hardest test I've ever had. People were terrified of it, most studied for it like crazy and the majority of students failed the test at the first attempt.
There were A LOT of questions, around 5 possible answers for each, while any question could have between 0 to 5 correct answers. You got penalty points for wrong answers, and not ticking all right answers is a wrong answer.

Even if you felt very prepared before the exam and were convinced you knew everything, at latest a few questions in, you felt like you knew absolutely nothing. The way the questions and answers were phrased, made you question whether you knew anything about the topic at all.

Ariela · 20/07/2019 13:03

My daughter cannot do multiple choice so this would be her worst nightmare - she gets swayed by plausible wrong answers even if she knows the answer she wavers, has to discipline herself to cover the answers up before hand, write down the answer then pick one of the 4 and even then finds it difficult.
So what she does is condense the entire content of the topic covered to as many facts as she can on cards and learns them all thoroughly, she has to minimise the guesswork or she makes silly errors and loses marks.

Fink · 20/07/2019 13:04

Wow, I would love the low-stress option of a multiple choice questions. All my exams at undergraduate level were 3x essays.

Agree with pp, you just have to revise everything that's been taught/ is on the syllabus.

Original poster
00100001 · 20/07/2019 13:05

It's just I've never known any test/exam in my entire life to never have even had sample questions Confused every other module we were practice/sample papers.

If IABU so be it...

OP posts:
VickyEadie · 20/07/2019 13:06

My degree was entirely assessed by 3 hour exams - in the final year, we got nine of these, covering each module we'd learnt. We had to learn it all and then write 3 essays in each exam.

Multiple choice for 45 mins is a piece of piss, frankly.

Passthecherrycoke · 20/07/2019 13:07

People always think anything kids do now is easier than when they were at uni Grin of you haven’t experienced MCQ you don’t have a clue.

Tbf OP, past papers are fairly usual, but if you can’t get them what can you do?

Original poster
00100001 · 20/07/2019 13:08

I had multiple choice programming questions, all deliberately designed to "trick'" you

Out 4 options, 2 were just wrong, 1 was correct, 1 was correct if you misread the question in any way. Shock
But we had practice questions,so we knew what to expect...

OP posts:
SmartPlay · 20/07/2019 13:08

@ "It's just I've never known any test/exam in my entire life to never have even had sample questions confused every other module we were practice/sample papers."

Well, I've never had any samples or practice papers in university. I would think this shouldn't be necessary on that level.

Butterymuffin · 20/07/2019 13:09

Have you been to all the classes?

HeadintheiClouds · 20/07/2019 13:09

I imagine everything they’ve studied so far is fair game for being tested. Did you expect them to be given narrow parameters regarding what parts of the course will and will not be examined?
That’s just odd.

happystrummer · 20/07/2019 13:12

Maybe look for past papers on the net?

FriarTuck · 20/07/2019 13:12

Why do you need sample questions? It's only picking the correct answer out of the selection. You don't get extra marks for how you tick it or colour in the box! Just learn the material you've covered Confused

Original poster
00100001 · 20/07/2019 13:12

No. I just wanted an example of the type of questions we will be asked.

multiple choice is a PITA. And to have no idea about what level we will be examined at is bothering me.... I have no Idea if I need to remember regulations 'to the letter', or just over arching ideas.... Confused

Oh well, time will tell.... Sitting in September....

OP posts:
xyzandabc · 20/07/2019 13:17

I would want to know, date, time, venue and whether you lose marks for wrong answers as it is multiple choice. But I don't think that is what you're getting at is it OP. How long was the module? If it's everything covered in a 3 year course then yes, perhaps a good idea to know some more specifics. But if it's just a terms worth or evens years worth of study, then it's fair to be expected to revise everything.

Cloudsurfing · 20/07/2019 13:17

Yes really don’t see the issue. You learn all your module content, and your tested on the same content. You can’t know the topics/questions before the test or it would defeat the point of the test.

I really hope this is a first year module, would really be de-valuing degrees if universities are using multiple choice for their proper exams nowadays!

RevealTheLegend · 20/07/2019 13:18

Those of you mocking multiple choice. It isn’t necessary an easy option. I’ve sat some utter bastards of multiple choice exams. I’d 100% take a 5,000 word essay or a 3hr exam over them anytime.

Depending on how it is written, with the wrong answers being plausible traps, and with punitive negative marking they can easily be an immensely difficult exam.

Passthecherrycoke · 20/07/2019 13:18

I don’t think most the posters on this thread understand OP 😂

HeadintheiClouds · 20/07/2019 13:19

Oh, it’s you sitting the exam Confused. Why are “they” that need more information, then? I thought you were an over involved mum!

HeadintheiClouds · 20/07/2019 13:19

Who are they, that should read...

Passthecherrycoke · 20/07/2019 13:21

Me too RevealTheLegend. Mine were also (for masters) very tightly time controlled BUT forced you to work out the answer (math type questions) which put you in very pressurised position.

The only advantage is that in the worst case scenario you could guess and have a 25% chance of success. But that’s not going to pass you the exam if you don’t know what you’re doing.

I don’t know why MN think they’re smarter than the universities or professional bodies who set the exams. They know best how to test standards, obviously!

soulrider · 20/07/2019 13:24

The only advantage is that in the worst case scenario you could guess and have a 25% chance of success. But that’s not going to pass you the exam if you don’t know what you’re doing.

All the multiple choice exams i had at university were negatively marked, so guessing not a wise choice.

TheFirstOHN · 20/07/2019 13:25

Before the test starts, I would want to know whether it is negatively marked (i.e. are points subtracted from the total for incorrect answers) as this affects the way I would answer the paper (i.e. no guessing if you're not sure of the answer).

Passthecherrycoke · 20/07/2019 13:26

Oh right soul rider we didnt have that- makes it even tougher

TheFirstOHN · 20/07/2019 13:28

Cross-posted with soulrider
Like soulrider the MCQ exams I had at university were negatively marked. You very quickly learn not to use guesswork. Smile