Multiple Choice

The entire section i s basedon Michael Josepheson, Evaluation and Grading in Law School, AALSSection on Teaching (1984).

Howto guess intelligently when your reasoning fails you

Don't be lured into unsophisticated guessing.

Ignore some things you already know about objective tests: don't wasteyour time searching for lapses in test construction.

Don't guess until you've eliminated all the definitely wrong responses.

Factors that should influence your guess:

• Look at the facts and ask yourself, so what? The issue that jumps out islikely to be the issue that the correct response addresses.
• Beware of distracters, foils, seducers.
• Beware of certainties: always, never, cannot, must.
• Beware of responses that rely on relationships between people.
• Beware of focusing on results.
• Be wary of answer choices from unrelated subjects or unstudied theories.
• If two answers are opposites - one is probably true.
• Look for a common issue, if you are asked to argue both ways.
• Remember the minority rules.
• Don't get bogged down things you don't know.