How to Handle Multiple Choice in IGCSE Physics

Paper 2 is the multiple choice paper: 40 questions in 45 minutes. Each question has four options (A, B, C, D). There is no negative marking, so you should answer every question.

General strategy

1. Read the stem carefully. Look for negative words (“which is NOT,” “which does NOT”). These change the question completely.

2. Cover the options. Before looking at A to D, think about what the answer should be. Then find the option that matches. This prevents you from being distracted by plausible wrong answers.

3. Eliminate wrong options. If you are unsure, cross out options you know are wrong. Reducing four options to two gives you a 50% chance even if you guess.

4. Mark and move on. If a question takes more than 90 seconds, circle it on the paper and come back to it. Easy marks at the end of the paper are worth the same as hard marks at the start.

Types of multiple choice questions

Recall questions: test whether you know a fact, definition, or unit. Either you know it or you do not. If unsure, eliminate what you can and make your best choice.

Calculation questions: require a short calculation. The wrong options are usually the results of common errors (wrong unit conversion, forgetting to square, using the wrong equation). If your answer matches one of the options, check it is not a trap.

Diagram questions: test your ability to read a circuit diagram, ray diagram, or graph. Trace through the diagram carefully before choosing.

Application questions: describe a scenario and ask you to apply a principle. Identify which physics concept applies, then choose the option that correctly applies it.

Common traps

1. Unit traps: the question gives values in cm but the options assume you converted to m. Always check units.

2. “All of the above” / “None of the above”: if one option is clearly wrong, “all of the above” is wrong too. If all individual options seem correct, “all of the above” is likely correct.

3. Partially correct options: an option may contain one true statement and one false statement. The whole option must be correct to be the right answer.

4. Negatives: “which is NOT true” questions. The correct answer is the false statement. Read these slowly.

When to change your answer

Research shows that first instincts are correct more often than changed answers. Only change your answer if:

• You find a clear error in your reasoning.
• You misread the question the first time.
• You remember a fact that changes your answer.

Do not change an answer because another option “looks better.”

Final check

In the last 5 minutes, scan your answer sheet. Make sure every question has exactly one answer marked. A blank question earns zero; a guess has a 25% chance of being correct.