The answer is stem. Milady defines the exam term directly: study the stem, which is the basic question or problem — and notes it often provides a clue to the correct answer.
The book recommends looking for a match between the stem and one of the answer choices as a specific test-taking strategy. "Choice" refers to the answer options themselves, not the question, which is why it doesn't fit this definition even though it's a plausible-sounding distractor.
Milady Standard Barbering, 6th ed., Ch. 19 (Preparing for Licensure and Employment), p. 711: "Study the stem, which is the basic question or problem. It often provides a clue to the correct answer."
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