Thierry,

Welcome back to Advanced Strategies for Taking the PMP exam

Multiple choice tests might seem easy - after all, they give you the correct answer right there are on the exam paper. But it can be difficult to select the right answer when confronted with four or more complex choices. You can give yourself the best possible chance of success with these test taking tips.

Work out the answers yourselfRead the question first, and then try to work out the correct answer yourself, without even looking at the possible solutions presented to you. Cover them up on the screen if you can. Having a clear idea of what the answer should be will help you select it from the options without being distracted by the other responses. You'll also be less likely to select an answer that is close to being right but is actually wrong. Of course, if this strategy slows you down then don't use it for all the questions. Instead, if you don't know immediately know the answer, uncover the choices and work it out from there.

Think positiveTry to eliminate answers that you know to be wrong. Once you have done that, look for the wording of the responses to give you clues. Positive choices are more likely to be true than negative choices. This is a generalization, so use your common sense, but if you have to guess at an answer then choose the one formulated in a positive way.

Equally, if two responses look very similar, the chances are that one of them is correct. Try to establish the differences in the responses so you are clear about what differentiates one choice from the other. Then pick the best response to the question.

Choose your best guessUse a similar approach if two responses are the opposite of each other. Again, this is an indicator (generally speaking) that one of the responses is true. If you can't work out the best response from the opposites, guess. There is no negative marking in the PMP exam so you won't lose points for wrong responses. Guessing is the last resort, but it gives you more chance of a right answer statistically than if you miss the question completely.

Here's another tip to use if you have to guess at an answer: pick the longest response. Again it is a generalization, but the longest answer in a set is often the correct answer. Incorrect answers are usually shorter, as you don't have to do so much explaining to write something that is untrue. It takes more words to fully explain the best response to a given situation, so choose the longest answer.

Use other questions for helpThe exam questions are chosen at random from a bank of questions. This means that there could be a clue in one of the questions that helps you with the answer to another question. For example, one question may use a term that is then referred to in the answer of another question. You want to quickly go back to the question where you saw the term in context as you feel this will help you choose the right answer to the second question.

As the PMP exam is computer-based, it is difficult to flick back quickly to the question where you saw 'the clue'. Make a note of the second question where you

would benefit from remembering that tip. When you review your paper at the end of the exam you'll see the original question and be able to quickly verify your response to the second question. Practice doing this when you see linked questions and answers in the PM Exam Simulator and you will soon get used to navigating your way around the questions on screen.

There is so much to share about taking multiple choice exams. Next time I'll have some more great tips for you.

Last time we looked at some test taking strategies for multiple choice exams, and this time I have some more great tips to share with you. As I said, multiple choice exams give the impression of being easy, and if you discuss the PMP exam with colleagues or friends you might find them responding with comments like: "How hard can it be?" That's because the answer is provided. But as you'll know from your PMP studies and from using the PM Exam Simulator, multiple choice questions can be very tricky. Here are some more strategies for handling multiple choice questions.

Rephrase the questionIf you are struggling with a question, replace some of the words. Change "always" for "sometimes", change "some" for "every, or vice versa. If the sentence contains specific words, change them for more general terms. Can you eliminate an incorrect response now?

Replace long clauses with shorter ones so that you get to the true meaning of the question without changing the sense. Long phrases block our understanding, so simplify the question as much as you can without altering the meaning. Then look at the answers. Do any of them seem wrong now?

Success with guessesSometimes you will hit a question where you really don't know what the correct response will be. You can improve your chances of selecting the right answer with some simple rules:

If the responses include numbers, choose the option in the middle, not the highest or lowest values.

Choose the most general option from a list of choices, avoiding responses that are very specific.

Choose the response that is the most similar to the question. By that I mean take a look at the words in the question. Which response contains words that mean almost the same thing? Synonyms are often a sign that the answer is correct.

Of course, these are general rules, and you should try to avoid guessing if at all possible. If you do have to take a guess, make it the most logical choice.

Dealing with multiple correct responsesDon't forget that in the PMP exam you are looking for the best answer. There may be more than one 'correct' response but only one will be the best possible fit for the context of the question.

The answer the examiners are looking for does not have to be to true all of the time, or in every situation, for every project. It just has to be correct and logical in this particular situation. Things in project management are rarely black and white.

Finally, remember that the right answer is always there. The PMP exam is not designed to trick you, so one of the responses will be the right one. With these tips, and the advice from last time, hopefully you will be able to spot it every time.

Next time we'll be looking at the types of questions you can expect to encounter on the

PMP exam. Remember, forewarned is forearmed! Studying the types of questions you will be seeing in the exam will help you prepare for them.