By Helen C
There is at least one good thing about multiple choice tests: the correct answer is right there in front of you, even if you’re not exactly sure which one it might be. Use the three logic hacks below to eliminate incorrect answer choices and clear the path to the correct choice.
Here’s a multiple choice question (that I invented) to demonstrate how to eliminate answer choices containing these logical flaws.
Emperor penguins, the world’s biggest penguin species, migrate inland every spring to breed. As summer approaches, the adult Emperors and their chicks travel back to the ocean to feed on marine life.
Based on the text, which of the following is true about Emperor penguins?
- They typically take one mate per year.
- They spend their entire life cycle by the sea.
- They make yearly travels inland to breed.
- They only eat fish.
Irrelevancy
Eliminate any answer that references information that has no evidence in the passage OR references information that is not within the scope of what the question is asking.
Example: Answer choice A is irrelevant because the text does not provide any information about the mating habits of Emperor penguins.
Contradiction
A corollary to number one, eliminate answers that directly contradict the information in the passage.
Example: Answer choice B directly contradicts the information provided in the text, which states that Emperor penguins “migrate inland every spring to breed.”
Leaps of Inference
Eliminate answers that require too many logical steps to prove.
Example: Answer choices A and D both require leaps of inference. While the text mentions that penguins “migrate inland …to breed” and that they “feed on marine life” we have to make too many logical leaps in order to arrive at “Emperor penguins typically take one mate per year” OR that they “only eat fish.”
*Bonus Pro-tip for Main Idea questions: eliminate answer choices that are “too broad” or “too narrow.”
Example: If this question asked for the main idea, an answer choice that characterized the main idea as “The migration patterns of penguins” would be too broad since this text only talks about Emperor penguins. Likewise, an answer choice that characterized the main idea as “The mating habits of Emperor penguins” would be too narrow, since this text only mentions “breeding” in the context of their migration patterns.
Now that we’ve used these logic hacks to eliminate 3 of the 4 answer choices, we are left with the correct answer. Cool, right?
Key takeaway: Use these logic tools to spot wrong answers to give you a much better shot at answering the toughest multiple choice questions correctly.
