MCQ Tip Talk 1: True or False or… Half Truth?

[10 Feb 2023]

Over the years, I have been analyzing the PSLE trends and observed that there are a fair number of 🤯 tricky MCQs in PSLE Science.

Do you know that there are actually many ways examination setters can make wrong answers seem right?

In today’s ✨MCQ Tip Talk, let’s look at this question to identify some common tricks used.

Q: Photosynthesis and respiration are two processes that plants carry out. Which of the statements below describe the differences of the two processes correctly?

1. Water is required for photosynthesis but not respiration.

2. Photosynthesis produces energy while respiration releases energy.

3. Photosynthesis takes place in the day only while respiration takes place at night only.

4. Both carbon dioxide and oxygen are taken in during photosynthesis while during respiration, only oxygen is taken in.

✔️While statements 1 & 2 are true, let’s examine the other 2 statements.

Statement 3: 
Photosynthesis takes place in the day only while respiration takes place at night only.
❌This is the typical half truth statement which is correct for the first half but wrong for the second half. Respiration takes place all the time!

Statement 4:
Both carbon dioxide and oxygen are taken in during photosynthesis while during respiration, only oxygen is taken in.
❌This is the other kind of half truth statement which is wrong for the first half but correct for the second half. During photosynthesis, only carbon dioxide is taken in!

To avoid falling for half truth tricks, students need to learn to read all options thoroughly and not make assumptions based on just one part of the sentence.

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