On multiple choice tests, your first answer is usually correct

the verdict

REFUTED

the evidence says no

Recorded sources

0 sources for · 2 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Evidence shows that the common belief that your first answer is usually correct is a myth, and changing answers on multiple-choice tests is generally beneficial.

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Judged against fact-checker rulings and reference works: claims of this kind are settled by the fact-checking record, not journal abstracts.

Evidence against · 2

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov: Answer changing in multiple choice assessment change ... - PMC - NIH

Recorded source metadata

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov: Answer changing in multiple choice assessment change ... - PMC - NIH. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2020461/

States that answer changing in multiple choice exams is generally beneficial.

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More against · 1

skeptics.stackexchange.com: On multiple choice tests, is your first answer usually correct?

Recorded source metadata

skeptics.stackexchange.com: On multiple choice tests, is your first answer usually correct?. skeptics.stackexchange.com. https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/5874/on-multiple-choice-tests-is-your-first-answer-usually-correct

Notes that research contradicts the common belief that changing answers is harmful.

Source citation format

The paper trail · every fact has a biography

first checked01 Aug 2026

judged → REFUTED · 1001 Aug 2026

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