The Best Time Management Tips for FMGE MCQs

The Best Time Management Tips for FMGE MCQs:

• Knowing the theory is not enough because the key to success in FMGE depends on the FMGE aspirants’ ability to implement the knowledge & choose the correct option within the given “time frame”, therefore, Time management at the realtime FMGE or FMGE MCQ practice is an essential skill to be groomed during the FMGE preparation.
• About 70-75% of the FMGE have difficulties in handling the time management when they attempt or approach the MCQs in the FMGE due to the lack of time management skills/techniques.

5 Skills that determine the successful approach to the FMGE MCQ:

1. Comprehension of the question
2. Analysis of the question
3. Recalling the necessary information
4. Reasoning while choosing the answer
5. Time management

This section will be dealing with the 5th factor- the time management tips which determines the successful approach to the FMGE MCQ.

The Smart Pacing in the FMGE & FMGE MCQ practice (The Best Time Management Tips for FMGE MCQs):

1. Answer each question in 40-50 seconds: Time yourself to strictly adhere to an average of 45-seconds-a-question regimen→ during the exam.
   • NB: Usually you will get a number of MCQs that are easy enough not to spend 45s & also you will find hard or bulky questions especially in Part B that need more than 45s to engage. The 45s regimen is to train all those who tend to overlook the MCQ, jump to conclusions without reading all the options, linger too long over the MCQ & can’t resist the urge to complete the FMGE ASAP However it’s wise to note that some FMGE aspirants might have their own techniques, therefore, it is important to emphasize that this technique is not rigid you can always adjust/adapt/modify to fit your style, comfort & effectiveness.
2. Read every aspect of the question thoroughly then the options carefully (Answers contain distractors).
3. Do not shuffle up: Answer each question in the order in which it appears (Some aspirants leave some easy MCQs to be answered later after tacking the tougher ones! beware you might not get time to scroll back & answer such easy MCQs later!).
4. Do not skip: Read each question and mark an answer before moving on to the next one unless it’s a difficult question which you don’t know!  (Check out how to use the Mark option to tackle the difficult/confusing FMGE MCQs in the section below).
   • First, attempt all simple/easy questions & Leave the difficult questions unanswered (do not linger too long over a tough question → Allot time to go back to rethink difficult questions at the end while setting your pace)
5. Answer questions in clusters of 5 or 10 as a minimum: Working in short bursts of time can help to improve your attention on a set task therefore after a set of 10 MCQs → Stretch out, take a deep breath & relax before starting the next set (Never attempt to Solve all questions in one go).
6. Keep moving and don’t break your concentration &  stop checking up the answers you chose in the previous MCQs after each question.
7. Look at the clock after answering 30 questions (you should have used around 23 min).
8. Review the unanswered/marked MCQs & answered MCQs with the Options you chose: only after you have completed the timed group of questions (Check out how to use the Mark option to tackle the difficult/confusing FMGE MCQs in the section below).
9. Resist the urge to complete the FMGE as soon as possible & make sure you have answered all the 300 questions.

Tackle the pacing & the difficulty levels of the FMGE MCQ (The Best Time Management Tips for FMGE MCQs):

• The challenging part of the exam is the pacing through the questions with variable levels of difficulty (Take only 45 seconds to answer each question).
• Difficult questions:
  • Leave the difficult questions unanswered.
  • Don’t linger too long over a tough question → otherwise, you will have to rush through answers to the upcoming easier questions & lower your confidence (Educational researches tell us that students tend to spend the most time on questions they get wrong).
  • Allot time to go back to rethink difficult questions at the end while setting your pace (stop looking at the clock while you are reading a difficult question which will slow you down and rattle your confidence like a racer who looks at the runners behind).
• Each question/FMGE MCQ is unique & a separate entity:
  • Do not allow a tough question to contaminate your skill/positive attitude as you move through to answering the next more manageable ones.
  • Adjust/adapt rapidly as you move from item to item.

DMA’s Best Time Management Tips for FMGE MCQs while handling the FMGE/NBE software per each part (150 min):

• Initial 100 min: It’s wise to emphasize that about 20 MCQs might be tough for most of the students, therefore, they shall be left to be tackled at last.
  • 130 MCQS (easy & confusing questions) X 45 s = about 100 min
  • How to Use the Mark option?

• Next 50 Minutes: Review the unanswered/marked MCQs & Options you chose.
  • Use the Review option: Click on ‘Review’ & you shall advance back to the ‘unattempted MCQs’ or move to the ‘Marked and Attempted MCQs’.

•  Rapid check of the answered MCQs (20 min): This window of time can be used to rapidly check the answered MCQs with the Options you chose at a glance & consider to change the answer choices if you have overlooked a significant qualifying word or you can think of an obvious (You are sure about the mistake made).
• NB: This time management technique is devised by Dr.Haris’s Team of Toppers & experts which gives you the strategy to cover maximum MCQs & to choose the best option  However its wise to note that some FMGE aspirants might have their own techniques, therefore, it is important to emphasize that this technique is not rigid you can always adjust/adapt/modify to fit your style, comfort & effectiveness.

Educated guess/Intelligent Guesswork vs Blind Guess during the FMGE / FMGE MCQ practice:

• There is no substitute for knowing your material.
• Trust your educated guess: there are ways to use the information presented in the stem to make an educated guess when you can’t remember your material.
• The first-guess answer comes from somewhere in the deep recesses of your unconscious memory bank  (high likelihood of being correct according to educational researches).
  • Eliminate completely irrelevant alternatives → Analyze the remaining options → Choose the most appropriate one which satisfies the question.
• Every question counts: Although guessing can make you uncomfortable but do not leave any answer blank or do not skip any MCQs & mark all because there is no negative marking.
• Magic of (b) or (c): Most of the students & toppers share that (b) or (c) tend to be correct statistically when the question is absolutely unknown (According to psychology it’s believed that b/c are masked by the distractors in a & d, therefore, examiners tend to make b/c as a correct choice).
• Important note on All or None of the Above option: Choose this option when you feel more than one option/choice is probably correct/incorrect.

Changing the answer choices in the FMGE / FMGE MCQ practice:

• Changing once: the scores improved when students changed their answers once (57.8%: Wrong to right & 20.2%: Right to wrong) but further changes of answers did not improve the scores.
• Beware of the Von Restorff effect: our brains try to retain the events that are unusual/unfavorable therefore based on such events we tend to be apprehended about changing the options that might be wrong!   
  • Change the hunch-based, first-guess answer: only if you have overlooked a significant qualifying word or you can think of an obvious (You are sure about the mistake made).
  • Pitfalls: When you are anxious, feeling emotionally vulnerable, or overtired, you will have a  tendency to second-guess yourself into wrong answers.

Why practicing test should be an essential component of FMGE preparation for FMGE?

• Practice tests (FMGE MCQ practice) regularly aids in the following:

1. 1. Diagnose your competence (strengths and weaknesses): after an initial reading of a subject, take practice exams to cope up with the Illusion of Competence (you will not be able to know how much you have learned during the FMGE preparation without practicing).
   2. To maximize your efficiency of FMGE preparation (70/20/10 Model of Lombardo and Eichinger).
   3. To practice time management (speed) in FMGE.
   4. To improve accuracy & increase the confidence level in FMGE.
   5. To desensitize the exam anxiety (increase the familiarity with the online platform) in FMGE.

• Tests to be practiced (FMGE MCQ practice) :

1. 1. Chapter-wise/subject/module wise practice tests
   2. Previous years (FMGE MCQs + NBE MCQs) Question Papers: must practice on a regular basis (Read more about the Reasons to practice past papers).
   3. Attempt FMGE mock tests regularly to boost your confidence level, sharpen accuracy & aid in time management.

• • • The optimal number of mocks/week: 2 full-length FMGE mocks/week will be Optimal however a minimum of 1 full-length FMGE mocks/week will be required.
    • Whhen to start practicing the mocks? Start practicing mock exams as early as possible otherwise at least 6-8 weeks before your exam.

FMGE Toppers’ Dos & Dont’s while approaching the FMGE / FMGE MCQ practice: