True or false questions are used on exams to quickly determine a student's understanding of facts, address misconceptions, and generate information recall. As there are only two possible answers, it is key that you read each question thoroughly.
When answering a True or False question, you must determine if everything the statement says is 100% true. If the entire statement is not 100% true, it is incorrect and must be marked False.
Understanding the trickier format types can help prepare you for this exam question style.
- Double negative statements
- Overly complex or run-on statements
- Absolute statements
- "Sometimes" statements
Check out our visual resource for "Test Taking Strategies: True or False" below!
What to Watch for
- Double negativestatements.
- Example: It is not true that Newfoundland is not east of Toronto.
- This style of statement can be confusing to read on an exam -make sure to always slow down and read carefully. When you spot a double negative, eliminate the two negative words and reread the statement; be mindful that this only works when there are 2 negatives.
- With the elimination of the double negative, the example now reads as "it is true that Newfoundland is east of Toronto".
- Overly complex or run-on statements.
- Example:Newfoundland and Labrador is the most Eastern point of Canada, joined Canada in 1949, has a time zone 60 minutes ahead of PEI, and houses the L’Anse aux Meadows Viking colony.
- These long, complex statements may mix incorrect information into the statement, which can be missed if not read thoroughly. In this example, we know the time zone is only 30 minutes ahead, so the statement is incorrect.
- Absolute statements.
- Example: All Newfoundland dogs have only black fur.
- These types of statements allow for zero alternatives or discretion. In our example, someone unfamiliar with the dog breed may be unaware that Newfoundland dogs can have black, grey, brown, or white in their fur. Knowing this information, we would then determine the statement is incorrect as written.
- “Sometimes” statements.
- Example: There are often puffins in Elliston, NL in the summer.
- This type of statement allows for mild exceptions to a rule and will typically be stated with a “sometimes”, “most of the time”, “often”, or “frequently” to allow that discretion. For this statement, we know we are likely to see a puffin in Elliston, NL, and that summer is also likely. However, it allows for discretion that you could see a puffin in Autumn or Spring. For these reasons, the statement would be true as the assumption it is making is correct.
Test-Taking Strategies: True or False [Visual Resources]
Is the midterm horizon filling up fast with tests? Looking to make your own practice tests, quizzes, or flashcards for optimal study success? Let's learn how to decode questions quicker so you can focus your efforts for optimal results.
References
California State University, Fresno. (n.d.) True/false test tactics. California State University, Fresno. Retrieved November 21, 2021 from https://studentaffairs.fresnostate.edu/lrc/supportnet/documents/truefalsetesttacticsA2.pdf
Umberger, N. (n.d.). Tips for true/false exams. Kansas State University. Retrieved November 21, 2021 from https://universitylifecafe.k-state.edu/bookshelf/academicskills/tipsfortruefalseexams.html
University of Waterloo. (n.d.). Exam questions: Types, characteristics, and suggestions. University of Waterloo. Retrieved November 21, 2021 from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/developing-assignments/exams/questions-types-characteristics-suggestions
FAQs
True/False Quick Tips
- Look for FALSE statement qualifiers such as: Never, None, all, only, and always.
- Look for TRUE statement qualifiers such as: Sometimes, generally, often, frequently, and mostly.
- Answer the questions you know first.
- Highlight/cross out negative words in the question.
Pay close attention to:
- Negatives, qualifiers, absolutes, and long strings of statements.
- Negatives can be confusing.
- If the question contains negatives, as "no, not, cannot" drop the negative and read what remains.
- Decide whether that sentence is true or false.
- If it is true, its opposite, or negative, is usually false.
True/False Test Preparation Tips and Strategies
- Approach each statement as if it were true.
- For a sentence to be true, every part must be “true”
- Don't let “negatives” confuse you.
- Watch for statements with double negatives.
- Pay attention to “absolute” qualifiers.
- Thoroughly examine long sentences and statements.
Dissect the statement word-by-word and phrase-by-phrase. Another helpful tip is to look at each word and/or phrase within the statement to determine whether it is true. This is because, if any part of the statement is false, then the entire thing has to be false.
What is not a good practice for answering true and false questions? ›
The words because, reason, and since often indicate a stated reason. Beware of T/F statements which contain 100 % words such as all, every, always, never, no, none, every, only, entirely, best, worst, etc. Often these statements will be false simply because there is an exception to nearly every rule.
What is the correct method of answering a true-false based question? ›
As there are only two possible answers, it is key that you read each question thoroughly. When answering a True or False question, you must determine if everything the statement says is 100% true. If the entire statement is not 100% true, it is incorrect and must be marked False.
What is the main problem with true-false questions? ›
Ambiguity: True-false questions can sometimes be ambiguous or unclear, making it difficult for the test-taker to determine the correct answer. This can result in a lower test score, even if the test-taker has a good understanding of the subject.
What is the true-false assessment method? ›
True-false test items, also referred to as alternative-response questions, are used to assess a student's ability to determine whether a statement is correct. For example, ''George Washington was the first President of the United States. '' Students would answer ''True'' because this is a factual statement.
What is the most serious limitation of true/false test items? ›
Consequently, true/false examination items provide the widest sampling of content per unit of time. The primary disadvantage is guessing [22]. Students have a 50 % chance of correctly answering an item without knowledge of the material.
How do you ace a true-false test? ›
Tips for True/False Questions!
- ♦ If you don't know, mark it true! There are usually more true questions! ...
- ♦ Look for any part of the statement that could make it false! ...
- ♦ Look for modifiers and qualifiers! ...
- ♦ ...
- * Arrive early! ...
- * Sleep and eat! ...
- * Think about your answer first! ...
- * Eliminate wrong answers!
Kansas Curriculum Center's David Clay suggests: 30 seconds per true-false item. 60 seconds per multiple choice item. 120 seconds per short answer item.
What kind of format do true-false examinations use? ›
True/False question types look similar to Multiple Choice question type formatting; however, “True” should always be listed as the first answer choice. “True” and “False” can either be spelled out, as in [ True ] or [ False ], or they can be denoted with a [ T ] or an [ F ]. Only one response may be considered correct.
How do you structure true or false questions? ›
Tips
- Keep question text to a minimum.
- Add more 'false' questions than 'true'. ...
- Use your own wording.
- Avoid using double negatives.
- Use only one fact/statement per each question.
- Keep the statement either all true or all false - no in between.
- Be clear with your wording.
- Keep both true and false statements the same length.
a) Read the question before you look at the answer. b) Come up with the answer in your head before looking at the possible answers, this way the choices given on the test won't throw you off or trick you. c) Eliminate answers you know aren't right.
How to create good true and false questions? ›
Include only one main idea in each item. As in multiple choice questions generally, use negatives sparingly. Use statements which are unequivocally true or false. Avoid lifting statements directly from assigned reading, lecture notes or other course materials so that recall alone will not permit a correct answer.
How do you answer true false not given questions? ›
5-step solving strategy for IELTS Reading True, False, Not Given Questions
- STEP I: Identify keywords in the statement.
- STEP II: Identify similar words in the passage.
- STEP III: Match the keywords and the similar words.
- STEP IV: Evaluate if they are same, synonyms, opposites or if there's no match.
If there are three choices--that is, two possible wrong answers--a student who gets one answer wrong will get one-half credit, and a student who gets two wrong answers will get a 0. In true-false questions, with only one possible wrong answer, choosing the wrong answer gets a 0.
