Elimination Strategies

Strategy 1: On hard problems, if you are asked to find the least (or greatest) number, then eliminate the least (or greatest) answer-choice.

This rule also applies to easy and medium problems. When people guess on these types of problems, they most often choose either the least or the greatest number. But if the least or the greatest number were the answer, most people would answer the problem correctly, and it therefore would not be a hard problem.

Example: What is the maximum number of points common to the intersection of a square and a triangle if no two sides coincide?

(Don't solve the problem; just figure out which answers can be eliminated)

(A) 4

(B) 5

(C) 6

(D) 8

(E) 9

By the above rule, we eliminate answer-choice (E).

Strategy 2: On hard problems, eliminate the answer-choice “not enough information.”

When people cannot solve a problem, they most often choose the answer-choice “not enough information.” But if this were the answer, then it would not be a “hard” problem.

Quantitative comparison problems are the lone exception to this rule. For often what makes a quantitative comparison problem hard is deciding whether there is enough information to make a decision.

Strategy 3: On hard problems, eliminate answer-choices that merely repeat numbers from the problem.

Example: If the sum of x and 20 is 8 more than the difference of 10 and y, what is the value of x + y?

(Don't solve the problem; just figure out which answers can be eliminated)

(A) –2

(B) 8

(C) 9

(D) 28

(E) not enough information

By the above rule, we eliminate choice (B) since it merely repeats the number 8 from the problem. By Strategy 2, we would also eliminate choice (E). Caution: If choice (B) contained more than the number 8, say, 8 + √ 2 , then it would not be eliminated by the above rule.

Strategy 4: On hard problems, eliminate answer-choices that can be derived from elementary operations.

Example: In the figure below, what is the area of parallelogram ABCD?

(Don't solve the problem; just figure out which answers can be eliminated)

(A) 12

(B) 15

(C) 20 + $\sqrt{2}$

(D) 24

(E) not enough information

Using the above rule, we eliminate choice (D) since 24 = 8(3). Further, using Strategy 2, eliminate choice (E). Note, 12 was offered as an answer-choice because some people will interpret the drawing as a rectangle tilted halfway on its side and therefore expect it to have one-half its original area.

Strategy 5: After you have eliminated as many answer-choices as you can, choose from the more complicated or more unusual answer-choices remaining.

Example: Suppose you were offered the following answer-choices:

(Don't solve the problem; just figure out which answers can be eliminated)

(A) 4 + √3

(B) 4 +2 √3

(C) 8

(D) 10

(E) 12

Then you would choose either (A) or (B).