Prometric Test Testing Strategies — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the recommended approach for multiple-choice questions where you are unsure of the answer?
- Skip the question entirely
- Eliminate obviously wrong answers first, then make your best choice from the remaining options (Correct answer)
- Always choose the longest answer
- Choose randomly and move on
Correct answer: Eliminate obviously wrong answers first, then make your best choice from the remaining options
Process of elimination increases your odds of selecting the correct answer by removing options you know are wrong before making your choice.
Question 2: How should you manage your time during a Prometric exam?
- Spend equal time on every question
- Calculate time per question, pace yourself, and mark difficult questions for review (Correct answer)
- Rush through the first half to save time for later
- Do not track time at all
Correct answer: Calculate time per question, pace yourself, and mark difficult questions for review
Dividing total time by number of questions gives you a pace target. Marking and skipping difficult questions prevents spending too much time on any single question.
Question 3: Should you change your answers on a multiple-choice exam?
- Never change answers, your first instinct is always right
- Change answers only when you have a clear reason to believe the original answer was wrong (Correct answer)
- Always change at least 25% of your answers
- Change answers randomly during review
Correct answer: Change answers only when you have a clear reason to believe the original answer was wrong
Research shows that changing answers when you have a good reason improves scores. However, changing answers based on anxiety or second-guessing tends to decrease scores.
Question 4: What is the benefit of reading ALL answer choices before selecting one?
- It wastes valuable time
- It may reveal a more accurate answer than the first option that seemed correct (Correct answer)
- It is only necessary for difficult questions
- There is no benefit
Correct answer: It may reveal a more accurate answer than the first option that seemed correct
Sometimes the first plausible answer is not the best answer. Reading all options ensures you select the most complete and accurate choice available.
Question 5: What should you do with the scratch paper provided at a Prometric center?
- Do not use it to save time
- Use it to organize thoughts, eliminate answers, and jot down key formulas or information (Correct answer)
- Draw pictures to relax
- Write down answers to share with others later
Correct answer: Use it to organize thoughts, eliminate answers, and jot down key formulas or information
Scratch paper is a valuable tool for organizing your thinking, working through calculations, eliminating answer choices visually, and writing down important information from memory.
Question 6: What is the 'brain dump' technique at the start of an exam?
- Forgetting everything you studied
- Immediately writing down memorized formulas, facts, and key information on scratch paper before starting questions (Correct answer)
- Telling the proctor everything you know
- Clearing your mind of all thoughts
Correct answer: Immediately writing down memorized formulas, facts, and key information on scratch paper before starting questions
Writing down memorized information immediately preserves it on paper so you do not have to hold it in working memory throughout the exam, reducing cognitive load.
Prometric Test Testing Strategies
What is the recommended approach for multiple-choice questions where you are unsure of the answer?