Multiple-choice questions: fast, accurate methods

Where MCQs appear and how long you have

Every board below uses four options (A–D), one correct answer, 1 mark each and no negative marking.

Eduqas, WJEC and CCEA have no multiple-choice section, but the methods below still speed up checking in structured questions.

The two-pass plan

The average time hides the real shape of the section. About half the questions are one-line recalls or single substitutions that take 30–45 seconds, and the time saved goes to the four or five multi-step items.

AQA Section B (35 minutes):

1. Pass 1 (about 22 minutes). Go through all 25. Answer anything you can finish in under a minute. For anything longer, cross out options you can already eliminate, mark the question number and move on.
2. Pass 2 (about 10 minutes). Return to the marked questions, easiest first.
3. Last 3 minutes. Every question has an answer. A blank is a guaranteed zero and a guess is worth 25–50%.

For Cambridge Paper 1, check the clock at Q10 (17 min), Q20 (35 min) and Q30 (53 min), aiming to finish Q40 by 70 minutes. Record answers on the separate answer sheet in soft pencil as you go, not in a rush at the end.

AQA lets you do Sections A and B in either order. Doing the MCQs first builds momentum, but only if you stop at 35 minutes whatever happens. Choose an order in your mocks and keep it for the real exam.

Six fast methods

1. Ratio, not recalculation

When a question says “doubles” or “increases by a factor”, write the proportionality and scale it. Never recompute from scratch.

Change two things at once? Multiply the factors. For a wire with length doubled and diameter doubled, $R = \rho L/A$ gives $2/4$, so the resistance halves.

2. Units check

If the options are formulae, check the units first. It is often quicker than recalling the equation.

3. Limiting cases

Put in an extreme value (zero, infinity, two equal quantities) where you already know the answer.

4. Estimate before you calculate

For “closest to” or “order of magnitude” questions, round everything to one significant figure. A sprinter (70 kg at about 10 m s⁻¹) has kinetic energy $\frac{1}{2} \times 70 \times 10^2 \approx 3500\ \text{J}$, so pick J from options spread by factors of 10. The options are usually far enough apart that 1 s.f. arithmetic decides it.

5. Graph meanings on autopilot

Many MCQs are a graph plus the question “what does the gradient or area represent?”. Know these without thinking:

6. Cover the options

For “which statement is correct” questions, cover the options, decide what is true, then look. Test each option on its own merits. Then read the question again, because “NOT” and “incorrect” are in bold for a reason.

Distractor patterns

Examiners build wrong options from predictable mistakes. If your answer matches one of these, check the step that produces it.

Guessing and changing answers

• Eliminate, then guess. Knocking out two options doubles your odds. Units and limiting cases usually remove at least one.
• Change an answer only for a concrete reason, such as a slip found or a unit you missed. Changing on a vague feeling makes answers worse more often than better.
• Never leave a blank. There is no penalty for a wrong answer on any board.

How to practise

• Timed sets, not single questions. Do sets of 25 in 35 minutes (15 in 20 for OCR A, 40 in 75 for Cambridge). Speed only comes from the full-length rhythm.
• Log each miss by type: knowledge gap, method choice, arithmetic slip, misread or a distractor from the table. Two misses of the same type means that fix goes into next week’s plan.
• Targets: 18/25 is on course for an A; for A* security, aim for 21/25 or better in 32 minutes, leaving time to check.