Pros and Cons: Choosing the Longest Answer Option

There’s always lots of chat about outsmarting multiple choice testing. It’s bound to be popular given that millions of people face MCQs for admission to colleges, universities and professional societies, not to mention numerous national and international organizations and companies who rely on standardized tests for job/skills certification.

Some MCQ researchers believe that the longest of the four options in an MCQ is the best choice, if you’re really stumped. The logic is that the longest answer option often contains qualifiers. An exam writer has to ensure that the right answer is completely correct. Therefore, he or she may enthusiastically add qualifiers to ensure that the statement is true.

​​​​​​​While it’s logical, don’t dismiss clever exam writers who deliberately shorten correct answers for that very reason. After all, they know about the same research that you just discovered. Our suggestion: Stop worrying about guessing. Develop good study habits and get lots of practice.