Quizzing

Quizzing is an effective way to revise. Research suggests self-testing is one of the most effective revision techniques you can use! Self-testing helps build your knowledge and helps with remembering. Self-quizzing not only improves learning but also helps reduce exam anxiety. You can use a wide range of techniques for self-testing, including completing multiple-choice questions and completing short answer questions.

Multiple-choice or short answer questions? 

You might wonder which approach to self-quizzing might be best. The two most common approaches are multiple-choice questions and short answer questions. Short-answer questions require you to think of and produce an answer. However, multiple-choice questions provide several alternatives  (often three to five) and need you to choose the most appropriate response. Research suggests short answer questions might improve your learning more than multiple-choice. However, in the early stages of revision, it might be helpful to start with multiple-choice questions, moving on to short answer questions as you become more confident.

Multiple-choice questions 

An effective multiple-choice question will be relevant to what you are studying and will include wrong answers (distractors) that are plausible (convincing)

Poor example: 

What process of coastal erosion involves material carried by the sea wearing away the base of a cliff?

1. Suspension
2. Traction
3. Abrasion
4. Saltation

This is a poor example because 1, 2 and 4 are all examples of processes of coastal transportation rather than erosion. The question would be better framed as:

What process of coastal erosion involves material carried by the sea wearing away the base of a cliff?

1. Hydraulic action
2. Abrasion
3. Attrition
4. Corrasion

Short-answer questions 

A short-answer question is an open-ended question that requires an answer. The answer is usually short, from one word to a few lines. Below are some examples of how short-answer questions can be structured.

Example 1

_______________ is the process of coastal erosion involves material carried by the sea wearing away the base of a cliff?

Example 2 

What process of coastal erosion involves material carried by the sea wearing away the base of a cliff?

Example 3 

What is abrasion?

Moving forward

Your teacher may provide you with multiple choice quizzes or try some of our online multiple-choice quizzes. However, it would help if you also create your own multiple-choice and short-answer quizzes. Even better, use flashcards to self-test.