Grade: Grade 3 Subject: SAT/ACT Skills Unit: Eliminate Wrong Answers SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

Elimination Strategy

Learn a powerful test-taking trick: crossing out wrong answers to find the right one! This strategy will help you on reading tests and quizzes.

What is the Elimination Strategy?

Cross Out Wrong Answers!

When you take a test with multiple choice questions, you can make it easier by crossing out answers you know are wrong. This is called elimination!

🎯 How Does It Help?

Imagine you have 4 answer choices. If you can eliminate (cross out) 2 wrong answers, you only have 2 left to choose from! That makes picking the right answer much easier.

Without elimination: 4 choices = 1 in 4 chance (25%)

Eliminate 1: 3 choices = 1 in 3 chance (33%)

Eliminate 2: 2 choices = 1 in 2 chance (50%)

Eliminate 3: 1 choice = You found the answer! (100%)

Test-Taking Tip: Even if you cannot find the right answer right away, you can still improve your chances by getting rid of answers that are clearly wrong!

Why Use Elimination?

The elimination strategy is helpful because:

  • It saves time - You do not waste time thinking about obviously wrong answers
  • It reduces confusion - Fewer choices means less to think about
  • It builds confidence - Each wrong answer you eliminate makes you feel more sure
  • It helps when you are stuck - Even if you do not know the answer, you can still make progress
  • It improves guessing - If you must guess, eliminating first gives you better odds

Types of Wrong Answers

Wrong answers on tests often fall into patterns. Learning these patterns helps you spot them quickly!

🔥
Too Extreme

Extreme Answers

These answers use words like "always," "never," "all," or "none." Real life is rarely that simple!

Example: "Dogs never like cats."

This is too extreme - some dogs do like cats!

🗺️
Off-Topic

Off-Topic Answers

These answers talk about something different from what the question asks. They might be true, but they do not answer the question!

Question: "What color was the dog?"

Off-topic answer: "The dog liked to run."

True, but not answering about color!

🧩
Partially Correct

Partially Correct Answers

These answers have some right parts but also some wrong parts. Be careful - they trick you by looking almost right!

Story says: "The red bird sang in the morning."

Tricky answer: "The blue bird sang in the morning."

The time is right, but the color is wrong!

Watch Out! Test makers put wrong answers that look almost right on purpose. Always read each answer carefully and compare it to what the passage actually says.

Process of Elimination: Step by Step

📋 Follow These Steps

  1. Read the question carefully.
    Make sure you understand what the question is asking before looking at the answers.
  2. Read ALL the answer choices.
    Do not stop at the first good-looking answer. Read every choice before deciding.
  3. Cross out obviously wrong answers.
    Look for extreme words, off-topic answers, or facts that do not match the passage.
  4. Compare the remaining answers.
    Look back at the passage to check which answer is best supported by the text.
  5. Choose the best answer.
    Pick the answer that matches the passage and fully answers the question.

Watch and Learn

Let us walk through an example together. Watch how we eliminate wrong answers!

Example: Finding the Main Idea

"Bees are very important for gardens. They fly from flower to flower collecting nectar. While they do this, they spread pollen that helps flowers grow. Without bees, many plants could not make seeds or fruit."

What is the main idea of this passage?

A Bees are the only important insects in the world.
B Bees help gardens by spreading pollen between flowers.
C Gardens need water and sunlight to grow well.
D Nectar is the favorite food of all bees.

Practice: Try It Yourself!

Now it is your turn! Use the elimination strategy on these practice questions. Click "X" to eliminate answers you think are wrong, then select your final answer.

Your Score: 0 / 3

Question 1

"Marco loved his pet turtle named Shelly. Every day after school, he would feed her lettuce and carrots. Shelly moved slowly, but Marco did not mind. He liked to watch her explore her tank and swim in the water."

How did Marco feel about his turtle?

Answers eliminated: 0 / 4
A Marco was bored by his turtle because she was too slow.
B Marco cared about his turtle and enjoyed watching her.
C Marco never spent any time with his turtle.
D Marco wanted a faster pet instead of a turtle.

Question 2

"The library was Emma's favorite place in school. She loved finding new books to read, especially stories about animals and adventures. The librarian, Mrs. Chen, always helped Emma find books she would enjoy."

Why did Emma like the library?

Answers eliminated: 0 / 4
A The library was the only quiet place in the whole school.
B Emma liked using the computers in the library.
C Emma enjoyed discovering new books with help from Mrs. Chen.
D All of Emma's friends spent time in the library together.

Question 3

"Squirrels spend the fall collecting acorns and nuts. They bury them in many different spots around their home. In winter, when food is hard to find, squirrels dig up their hidden treats. Sometimes they forget where they buried some nuts, and those nuts can grow into new trees!"

According to the passage, what happens when squirrels forget where they buried nuts?

Answers eliminated: 0 / 4
A Other animals always find and eat all the forgotten nuts.
B The squirrels go hungry and cannot survive the winter.
C The forgotten nuts can grow into new trees.
D Squirrels never forget where they bury their food.

Check Your Understanding

Answer these questions about the elimination strategy.

Which type of wrong answer uses words like "always" or "never"?

A Too Extreme
B Off-Topic
C Partially Correct

What is the FIRST step in the elimination process?

A Cross out wrong answers immediately
B Read the question carefully
C Choose the longest answer

If you eliminate 2 out of 4 answer choices, how many choices are left?

A 1
B 2
C 3
D 4

What We Learned

X

Eliminate

Cross out answers you know are wrong to narrow your choices.

🔥

Too Extreme

Watch for "always," "never," "all," and "none" - often wrong!

🗺️

Off-Topic

Eliminate answers that do not actually answer the question.

🧩

Partially Correct

Be careful of answers that are almost right but have wrong parts.

Remember: The elimination strategy works best when you read carefully and think about WHY each answer might be wrong. With practice, you will get faster at spotting wrong answers!

Next Steps

  • Practice eliminating wrong answers on homework and quizzes
  • Look for extreme words that might signal a wrong answer
  • Always read ALL answer choices before picking one
  • When ready, move on to Practice Elimination for more questions!