The dilemma of choosing the right options in MSQ in the CEED/UCEED and NID exam is quite difficult. It is not quite practically possible to solve all questions in a given time.

For the freshers here is a quick definition: MSQs are multiple select questions wherein a given objective type question, more than one option can be selected. And, yes if you mark any incorrect option, there are negative marks.

So, how do you attempt the MSQ question?

There are just 3 methods of solving objective type questions (specifically when we talk about design exams)

• Knowledge
• Eliminating Options
• Intelligent Guessing

While knowledge is important for any exam (I think this is just one of the aspects that are tested in an exam). Relying solely on the knowledge part would not be efficient in exams like CEED-UCEED or NID.

Let’s jump to a question:

2018 MSQ, Question Number 11)

Goethe said, “Doubt grows with knowledge”. From this perspective which of the following statements is/are TRUE?

1. The less one knows, the more sure one is.
2. Knowing is the cause of doubtfulness.
3. The more one knows, the more sure one is.
4. Knowing means having more doubts

To start with, I call this question “Low Hanging Fruits” (but that’s a discussion for some other time). Now, look closely and you’ll observe the question is testing your analytical skills and not knowledge.

So, here is a method I recommend while attempting MSQs.

• Elimination- Look for incorrect answers: Read the options with a mindset to see which options are not making any sense or exactly opposite to the logic given in the question. Here: Read option C: The more one knows, the more sure one is. Don’t you think this is exactly opposite to Goethe’s quote: Doubt grows with knowledge”. Hence, C can be eliminated.
• Be aware of your biased thinking: While reading options, there will be instances when you’ll feel that this also looks correct! Why can’t this be true? Beware of this thought process in MSQ questions. At this point remember, this thought process is exactly opposite to step-1 above. To avoid this, remember you are supposed to limit your knowledge to the statement given in the question i.e. Doubt grows with knowledge.

The correct answer for this question is A, B, and D because we cannot eliminate any other options. 

We dive deeply into questions like these in our live sessions at C2D. This explanation here is just a tiny bit of what’s inside our C2D program