Multiple choice questions are more difficult than they look in IB exams because the examiners usually include tempting distracters amongst the choices of answers. Students who are alert to the possibility of partly correct answers will achieve higher marks.
Read on to find out how to spot a distracter. Following this guidance you may avoid several accidental errors in paper 1 and improve your grade.
Success with multiple choice questions
As can be seen from the slides multiple choice questions are more difficult than they look. The simple steps shown will help you to get the highest mark possible from your Biology knowledge and understanding.
Remember
- Read the full question carefully.
- Avoid choosing by word association or a reflex.
- Don't linger on a question, you have 1 minute 20 secs.
- Come back to longer questions at the end.
(mark them with a "?" on the question paper) - Keep the answer sheet clean.
- Do exactly as the instructions say with the answer sheet.
Practice more of these questions on the free InThinking Revision App ( with a photo of the app)
On topic pages you can also find plenty of longer answer exam style questions with model answers and question sets we call quizzes.
Get our free InThinking Revision App
Google play store and Apple app store.
With our mobile app even without a site subscription you can access hundreds of multiple choice questions specially written for IBDP Biology students.
Filter them by topic or sub-topic and chose between 5, 10, 15 or 20 questions to practise in a test. You choose the questions from a bank of over 1000.
Alternatively you can train yourself with Biology terms using our flashcards. On your phone. It's revision in the palm of your hand so you can practice anywhere!
Further practice
Here are a few options for how you could use our resources for more practise:
(Note: links to an object on a selection of pages from the site - which illustrate the resources. The first one must be a free page, the others behind the paywall)
Cell division 1.6
Practise some multiple choice questions about mitosis and the cell cycle on this page. They all contain short explanations about the correct answers.
Carbohydrates & Lipids 2.3
Getting to know the molecules is good to do using multiple choice questions. Try these questions.
Energy flow 4.2
Energy flow in ecosystems is a topic where the essential understandings are often confused by an unusual example. Practise multiple choice skills in this topic. They all contain short explanations.
Translation 7.3 HL
Test your biological understanding of the complex process of Translation. The multiple choice questions on this page each contain short explanations to help you understand why the answer is correct.
Kidney and osmoregulation 11.3 HL
These multiple choice questions summarise some essential understandings and skills in this topic. Each question displays a short explanation after you submit the answer.
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