When it comes to college exams, "true or false" questions seem deceptively easy, especially when compared to essay exams and multiple choice tests. After all, there's a fifty percent chance you're correct, right?
However, these questions can be trickier than you might think. Watch out for trick questions! Here are some tips for maximizing your success on the true-false section of your exams.
True Means 100% True
Here's one trick that true-false question writers use: they write questions that are partly true, but not completely .As the Penn State Learning Lab warns students, "What makes the choice more difficult is that to be true, a statement must be 100 percent true!" [2]
True-false questions often contain multiple parts, and only some of the parts are true -- so if the test-taker skims the questions but doesn't read the whole thing carfully enough, he or she will get the question wrong. Here's an example:
True or false: The characters that appear in all six of the Star Wars films are Anakin Skywalker (who later appears as Darth Vader), C-3P0, R2-D2, Princess Leia, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Four out of five of the characters listed above were indeed in all of the Star Wars movies, but Princess Leia was not. A test-taker who skims the question too quickly could miss that -- so always be surte to read the whole question carefully. Also, if you come across a long true-false questions, be suspicious.
Watch for Qualifier Words
Qualifier words are terms that provide clues on the degree to which a statement is true. There are two kinds of qualifier terms. Absolute qualifier words are terms that are used to indiciate that there are no exceptions. Words in this type of category include always, never, absolutely, none, and never. If a true-false question contains absolute qualifier words, there's a good chance that the answer is false. [1] Here are some examples:
True or false: Calico cats are never male.
True or false: Autistic children always have high IQs.
Both of these statements are false because of the absolute words "never" and "always." Calico cats are rarely male, but the statement says they never are male, so the statement is false. Autistic children often have high lQs, but not always, so the statement is false.
The second type of qualifier word is a conditional qualifier word. These are terms that are used to indicate that something is true to certain degree, but not to an absolute degree. Words in this category includes sometimes, frequently, usually, often, probably, and possibly. If a true-false question contains a conditional qualifier word, there's a good chance the question is true. [1] Notice how these true statements are different than the false statements above:
True or false: Calico cats are usually female.
True or false: Autistic children often have high IQs.
An important note: Keep in mind that while questions with absolute qualifier words are often false, and questions with conditional qualifier words are often true, this is not always the case! Qualifier words are important clues, but you should always read the whole question carefully.
Are There More True Questions than False Questions?
Many study guides that offer advice about true-false tests say that there tend to be more true questions than false questions on these exams -- and that therefore you should always guess "true" if you're really not sure.
So, is this true? It's difficult to say for sure. On the one hand, it's easier to write a "true" statement than a "false" one, so test writers may be more inclined to write easier questions. But on the other hand, college exams are more difficult than high school exams, so someone who's writing a college test may be inclined to write more tricky false questions. It's probably better to read the question carefully and make an educated guess than to simply decide that it's true because you don't know.
Common Sense on True-False Exams
As with all test-taking strategies, be sure to use common sense when it comes to answering true-false questions. Read the questions carefully, and be sure to read the whole questions. Don't spend too much time on these questions, especially if there are essay questions to answer. Be sure to answer all the questions unless there is a penalty for guessing (which is probably not the case). And remember, true-false questions are rarely the most difficult tests on an exam, so don't stress about these too much!
References
[1] University of North Carolina Greensboro Learning Assistance Center. (2010). Academic Skills Series: Taking True/False Tests.
[2] Penn State Learning Lab. (2008). Test-taking strategies.
Naomi Rockler-Gladen - Instructional designer and freelance writer, Naomi Rockler-Gladen writes some of Suite101's most read work.
