Choose the correct letter A, B or C. Mary criticises multiple-choice questions, because

Now listen carefully and answer Questions 21 to 25.
A: So what did you think of the practice exams last week?
M: You mean the mock exams?
A: Yeah. I thought some of them were tough.
M: They were certainly hard and generally they were very long.
A: Yeah. They were spread over a whole week, which made it impossible to relax.
M: Exactly. But what did you think of each test?
A: Of the seven exams we did, the least enjoyable for me were the two three-hour essay papers.
M: Why didn’t you like the essay papers?
A: I am not particularly good at writing things down like that in a short space of time. And I don’t think it’s a good way of testing our theoretical knowledge of medicine.
M: I’m the opposite, I’m afraid. I’m much better in the written essay exams than other types of tests. But what about the two multiple choice exam papers in basic science and anatomy?
A: They weren’t too bad. If you didn’t know the answer, all you had to do was guess.
M: Mmm. That’s okay but I never feel comfortable with guessing. And you know that there is research that shows that women are disadvantaged when doing multiple-choice questions compared to men.
A: You have mentioned this before, but I am not sure I believe it.
M: It’s true. Multiple-choice questions benefit men more than women. They are a male construct.
A: If you say so!
M: It’s not if I say so. Anyway, you have to be careful with multiple-choice questions because of the negative marking. That can really bring the score down if you keep guessing and get all of the guesses wrong. It’s double negative.
A: Yeah, that is a danger.
M: What about the role-play? Did you like that?
A: Yeah, with the actors and actresses as simulated patients. Yeah, I thought that was by far the best part of the exam.
M: Why was that?
A: What I liked about it was during the 24 test stations, we had a chance to show what we know about communicating with patients and show our practical medical knowledge etc.
M: Yes. I think I agree with you there. I enjoyed all of the stations, but I can tell you I was tired at the end. I have done a practice exam with 12 test stations, but not 24. It was exhausting, but also exhilarating.
A: I completely agree. It lasted nearly four hours in total with the break.
Now listen and answer Questions 26 to 30.
A: What did you think of the other two exams?
M: The two problem-solving tests? Mmm...l didn’t think I was going to handle them very well, but in the end I think they went better than I thought they would. What I liked most was the test where we had to work in groups of four and to solve a problem we had to prioritize prioritise actions.
A: That was interesting! I am not sure I did very well in that, though. Did you feel comfortable being in a group of four and having four examiners watching you as you discussed the problem?
M: We did practice it several times before. You learn to forget that someone is watching you.
A: But some people are better at speaking in group situations like that and they get the best marks.
M: The test doesn’t just assess whether people can talk a lot. It’s about showing you can listen, organize your thoughts and then show you can be part of a team, allowing other people to speak.
A: Well, we’ll have to see how it goes. When do the results of the mocks come out?
M: They said next week. And then it’s the Finals two weeks later.
A: Yeah, we’ve got that to look forward to. What is the policy on re-sits?
M: Why? Are you planning to fail?
A: No, but well, you know what I mean.
M: The re-sits are held in September and if there is any problem after that, it goes to appeal.
A: We’ll just have to make sure we don’t fail any part of the whole examination. I certainly wouldn’t want to do any of it again.
M: Me neither. It’s hard when you are not allowed to fail any of the exams.
A: I bet they don’t have that policy in any other subject.
M: Probably not.