Answering Multiple Choice Questions (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Biology): Revision Note

Multiple choice papers

• Every student sits a multiple choice paper

  • Core students sit Paper 1

  • Extended students sit Paper 2

• Each paper has 40 questions

  • Each question is worth 1 mark, so the paper is worth 40 marks

  • Each question has four options: A, B, C and D

• The multiple choice paper is worth 30% of your final grade

Eliminate answer options

• Read the multiple choice question carefully and make sure you know what it is asking before you look at the answer options

• Where you can, work out your own answer first, then look for it among the options

  • You can then check this answer by discounting each of the other options

• Other strategies for determining the correct answer include the following:

  • Rule out any option you know is wrong, and cross it out on the question paper

  • Look at what is different between the options that are left, because this shows what the question is really testing

  • If you are still unsure, choose between the options that are left

    • An educated guess between two options gives you a much better chance than a blind guess between four

• Watch out for:

  • questions that ask "Which is not correct?", where the answer is the false statement

  • options that are true statements but do not answer the question

  • options that are built from common mistakes, e.g. an equation used the wrong way round, or a unit that has not been converted

Manage your time

• Each paper lasts 45 minutes and has 40 questions, so you have just over 1 minute per question

• Tips for time management include:

  • aim to be about halfway through the questions when you are halfway through the time

  • every question is worth 1 mark, so do not spend significantly longer than this on one question

    • If a question is taking too long, put down your best guess, mark it on the question paper and move on

    • You could also mark this question to return to at the end if you have time

  • Never leave a question blank; if you are running out of time, fill in an answer for every question that is left