Many people think that the MCQ section of an exam paper is trivial and thus often do not pay much attention to it. But MCQ can be a powerful tool to score well in your O Level Exams. In fact, at Physics Academy, all our students who scored A started by just building a strong foundation in Physics via MCQ! We at the Physics Academy love the MCQ section because it is highly effective in building confidence for problem solving. This is because, given the formatting of the MCQ section, we are able to adopt a bite-sized learning approach, enabling even the weakest students to keep up and eventually score well in their O level Physics MCQ.
The tips and strategies mentioned below will help you to successfully complete all the MCQ in Paper 1 of your Physics O level exams with flying colours.
1. Read and Understand The Parts of Each Question Properly
Physics MCQ questions require you to focus on each question carefully to understand the exact import of the question. The questions may have words like “not” and “always” which can change the meaning of the question, you should underline these words to ensure that you have truly understood what is being asked. For some questions, all the answer choices given may seem correct, and with some questions you may feel that none of the choices are correct. Break down each question into logical parts to arrive at the correct answer.
2. Make an Assumption Prior to Reading the Options
Don’t read the question and the options all at once. Once you have understood the question completely, take a short pause and try to figure out the answer by recollecting learnt concepts. Then move on to the options to check if your answer has been provided as an option, and select the answer that best matches your assumption. The answers in an MCQ are designed to be confusing, that’s why this strategy proves effective in avoiding unnecessary mistakes.
3. Process of Elimination
This is another effective method to accurately answer MCQ questions is to eliminate options that are incorrect. From the get-go, go through each option carefully and strike out answers that are clearly irrelevant to the question or seem completely off. This narrows down the choices further, leaving you with the most probable correct options. You can then select the one which you think most accurately answers the question.
4. Underline and Focus on Keywords
Some of the questions in the MCQ can be long and complicated. In such a case, don’t panic or get confused. Carefully read the question and underline the main phrases or words in the question and then check through the options to determine which one of them correctly addresses the keywords you have underlined.
5. Practice and Pace
We cannot emphasise the importance of practice enough. It is vital that you solve as many practice Physics O level MCQ papers as possible. This will inculcate all the above strategies and help you to overcome any stress you might have about the exam. You can also learn to pace yourself by determining how much time to spend on each question and how to deal with the more difficult questions.
The Physics Academy Approach to Mastering Physics MCQ
At Physics Academy, we believe that MCQs are the most effective when it comes to transforming our students results from failure to pass, and then to a distinction. It is the fastest way to test the students’ understanding of each concept. On average, students can solve 50 MCQ questions in 1 hour. And since these questions are designed to strengthen their foundation before they move on to the structured questions, it ensures that their understanding is reinforced step by step. In order to get the most out of the MCQ section, we also use it to train our students almost on a daily basis so that everything Physics-related becomes second nature to them.
We use our exclusive unlimited online Adaptive MCQ to track students progress concept by concept with increasing difficulty levels. Students are required to score 70% and above before they can move on to the next concept. This ensures that everyone has a solid foundation before they proceed to handle the mastery structured questions. Through our new learning app, the students can track their own progress 24/7, and thus target to reattempt the topics they are weak at. This ensures that there are no weak spots or gaps in their learning. The app also sends students constant reminders if their progress falls below average, or if they don’t attempt the MCQ questions at all. This way, no student is left behind!
Moreover, our diagnostic test can help assess your skill levels so our Physics tutors know how to help you best.
If you want to ensure foolproof success in your O level exams, it is always advisable to enrol in a Sec 4 Physics tuition class conducted by an expert O level Physics tutor who can guide you through the maze of confusing concepts and complex principles of Physics. Once you are clear with each and every aspect of the subject, you can confidently prepare yourself to sit for the exam.
Build a Super Strong Foundation in Physics with Physics Academy
Our students are mentored by award winning Physics tutor Mr. Bryan Lai, who believes that no student should be left behind. To ensure a comprehensive learning environment, Mr. Lai designed the exclusive Physics Compendium (known as the Physics Bible) for our students, along with digital lessons, Physics test quizzes, Physics concepts list and in-house books. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you to excel in Physics.