Cheat codes / Every part
Every wrong answer has a defect
The right answer is the only one with no defect, so find the defect in the other three and you are left with the winner.
How I think about it
The code in steps
- 1Cross out options with the Option Eliminator as you go.
- 2For each option, name its defect: too extreme, off topic, only half right, the opposite, not stated or wrong operation.
- 3Never choose an option just because it sounds good. Choose the one with no defect.
- 4If two are left, go back to the question and compare.
Learn it
1. What it is
On the Digital SAT, each multiple-choice question has exactly one correct option. The other three are wrong for a reason. The reason is almost always one of a short list.
The code: instead of asking 'Which one is right?', ask 'What is wrong with this one?' for each option, and give the defect a name.
2. The six defects
Too extreme: it uses a strong word (always, never, only, all) or goes further than the text or the facts.
Off topic: it may be true, but it does not answer the question that was asked.
Only half right: the first half is true, the second half is wrong or missing.
The opposite: it says the reverse of what the text or the numbers show.
Not stated: it sounds possible, but nothing in the text says it.
Wrong operation (Math): it comes from the wrong step, such as adding when you should multiply, or stopping before the last step.
3. The exact steps
1. Use the Option Eliminator in Bluebook (the tool that lets you cross out an option; you can undo it).
2. Take the options one by one. For each, find its defect and name it in two or three words.
3. Cross it out. If you cannot find a defect, leave it.
4. When one is left, check that it really has no defect, and choose it. If two are left, compare them with the question again.
4. A tiny drill
Take a finished question that you answered correctly. Write the defect of each wrong option next to it. Then take one you answered wrongly and name the defect of the option you chose. This is the quickest way I know to learn how the test makes its wrong answers.
5. How to know when to use it
Use it whenever you are not sure after your first try, and always on questions where two options look good. Naming the defect stops you from choosing the one that only feels nice.
If you already know the answer (you solved it in Math, or your prediction matches), you only need to give the other options a quick glance. Do not spend time naming every defect on a question you are sure about.
Why it works
The test writers have to make three wrong options that are wrong but still tempting, and they use a small set of tricks to do it. If you know the tricks, you can spot them quickly. A named defect is also a reason you can check, while 'it feels wrong' is just a feeling. This works because the SAT has only one correct answer per question, so the proof that the others are wrong is as good as the proof that one is right.
Watch out: Do not invent a defect to get rid of an option you do not like. The defect must be something you can point to in the text, the numbers or the rule. If you cannot find any defect in two options, the question needs a second look at the text, not a guess. Sometimes a true statement is the wrong answer, and 'true' is not the same as 'answers this question'.
See it work on real questions
Try each question your usual way first. Then open the box to see the code at work.
Central Ideas and Details · question 1
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Cross-Text Connections · question 3
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Command of Evidence · question 8
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Percentages · question 7
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Linear equations in one variable · question 6
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Do not just believe me. Test it.
Do 10 questions where you are normally unsure. For each, before you choose, write one defect word next to each wrong option (extreme, off topic, half, opposite, not stated, operation). After the test, count how many times you could name all three defects. Compare your result on these 10 with 10 similar questions where you just chose by feel. Look at accuracy and at time, and note the questions where you could not name a defect. Those are the ones to study.