# A Strategic Approach to Succeed on Clinical Case-Based Multiple-Choice Exams

## TL;DR

This paper offers a structured strategy for answering clinical case-based multiple-choice exams, including tips for students and educators.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a systematic and meta-cognitive approach to answering CBMCQs, including strategies for neurodiverse students and teaching methods for educators.

## Key findings

- A structured approach to CBMCQs improves students' ability to apply their knowledge effectively.
- Meta-cognitive strategies help students understand and learn from their errors.
- Educators can use the proposed methods to teach exam skills to diverse learners.

## Abstract

Despite the importance of case-based multiple-choice question (CBMCQ) exams, medical educators rarely discuss strategies to systematically approach these questions, and literature on the topic is limited. Through trial-and-error, many students discover or develop more refined and efficient approaches to answering CBMCQs that help them maximize the application of their knowledge base. In this article we present a structured approach to answering CBMCQs, including meta-cognitive strategies to understand the reasons for errors. We provide strategies for success on CBMCQ-based exams and approaches to challenging question types. We also present tips for helping neurodiverse students and an approach for medical educators to teach these skills to their learners.