For every question:
• Use the process of elimination to improve your chances of guessing correctly.
• For Multiple-Choice questions with only one correct answer choice (ovals):
• If all of the answer choices are definitely incorrect, then the remaining answer choice must be correct!
• For Multiple-Choice questions with one or more correct answer choices (checkboxes), Text Completion questions with two or more blanks (i, ii, iii, etc.), and Sentence Equivalence questions:
• For these kinds of questions, you must choose all the correct answer choices, and none of the incorrect ones. There’s no credit for an answer that is partially correct.
• Be sure you follow any instructions that indicate the number of correct answer choices (e.g., “Indicate both such statements” means you must select exactly two answer choices).
• Answer every question, even if you have to guess at random. Don’t leave any questions blank!
For Reading Comprehension questions:
• When reading each passage, ask yourself:
• What is the main idea of this passage as a whole?
• What is the topic sentence of each paragraph?
• What is the overall structure of this passage?
• What are the key details in this passage (names, dates, terms, etc.)?
• Can I use context clues, word roots, etc. to guess the meaning of any unfamiliar words?
• When considering each answer choice, ask yourself:
• Does this distort, exaggerate, or contradict in any way what’s stated or implied in the passage?
• Does this accurately reflect what’s stated or implied in the passage?
• Does this answer the question perfectly?
For Text Completion questions:
• Look for signpost words that offer clues to sentence structure and word meaning.
• Try substituting your own word(s) in for each blank before reading the answer choices.
• When considering each answer choice, ask yourself:
• Does this word work well within the context of the sentence?
• Does this word match the tone of the sentence?
• Can I use word roots, etc. to guess the meaning of any unfamiliar words?
For Sentence Equivalence questions:
• Look for signpost words that offer clues to sentence structure and word meaning.
• Try substituting your own words in for each blank before reading the answer choices.
• When considering each answer choice, ask yourself:
• Do both of these words work equally well in the context of the sentence?
• Do both of these words match the tone of the sentence?
• Are these words truly synonymous?
• Is the meaning of the sentence identical with both of these words?
• Can I use word roots, etc. to guess the meaning of any unfamiliar words?