Reading Strategies
How would you use process of elimination to answer the question?
Maria stared at the pile of books on her desk. She had tests in science, ELA, and math next week. She decided to study one subject each day so she wouldn’t feel overwhelmed. She made a schedule and stuck to it, and by Friday she felt confident and prepared.
Which sentence best describes the main idea of the passage? Use process of elimination to choose the BEST answer.
A. Maria was nervous about her tests and didn’t study at all.
B. Maria prepared for her tests by creating a study plan.
C. Maria had trouble keeping up with her homework every day.
D. Maria asked her friends to help her with her tests.
Which tool should all test takers use to help them solve math problems on GMAS?
Desmos Calculator
What should you do if you finish the test before time is up?
Review your answers, especially for the questions that you found challenging.
True or False: Leaving an answer blank is always better than guessing.
FALSE. You should always answer every question.
How would you use process of elimination to answer this question?
Ethan enjoyed visiting his grandmother every weekend, but this Saturday felt different. Instead of baking cookies or tending to her garden, she asked him to help reorganize her old photo albums. As they turned the pages, Ethan noticed how carefully she had labeled each picture with names, dates, and short descriptions. She explained that keeping things organized helped her remember important moments and made it easier for future generations to understand their family history. Ethan suddenly realized the value of organization—not just for school, but for life.
What is the BEST theme of the passage? Use process of elimination to choose the strongest answer.
A. Spending time outside is important for your health.
B. Being organized helps preserve important memories.
C. Families should take more vacations together.
D. It is easy to forget the past if you don’t study it in school.
Maria is solving a multi‑step problem about sales tax. She writes all numbers in one long row on her scratch paper, crossing things out and squeezing new numbers in the margins. When she gets to the final step, she accidentally uses a number from the wrong step and gets a wrong answer.
What strategy would have helped Maria the most?
A. Writing each step neatly on a separate line
B. Skipping the problem entirely
C. Guessing the answer
D. Doing the hardest step first
A. Writing each step neatly on a separate line
Which tool should you use to remind yourself to come back to question later?
Flag tool
True or False: Students who finish the test early are allowed to play a game on the computer.
FALSE
How would you use process of elimination to answer this question?
Historical records show that ancient civilizations closely observed the night sky, not merely for storytelling purposes but also for practical reasons. Farmers used the positions of stars to predict planting cycles, while sailors relied on constellations to navigate vast oceans. These early uses of astronomy reveal how scientific observation often begins with simple curiosity but can evolve into sophisticated systems that support entire societies.
Which idea is MOST supported by the passage?
A. Ancient people studied astronomy solely for entertainment.
B. Astronomy originally had no practical applications.
C. Observing the sky helped ancient civilizations make important decisions.
D. Modern science has made historical astronomy irrelevant.
A question shows a table and asks:
“Which statement is supported by the data in the table?”
What should you do first?
A. Read the statements before looking at the table
B. Look at the table first and identify patterns
C. Guess based on what seems right
D. Ignore the table and find the shortest answer
B. Look at the table first and identify patterns
Identify 3 key words that you might see in the test questions on GMAS?
Possible answers:
Best, Not, Except, Least, Most Likely, Never, All, Only, Mainly
Students frequently choose answers just because they "sound/look right," but have no proof. What should a student taking do instead?
Possible answers:
Use scratch paper to work the problem out. Look for key words. Find evidence in the passage.
How can you use process of elimination to answer this question?
During extreme droughts, some communities rely on groundwater—water stored beneath the Earth’s surface in layers of rock and soil. However, when groundwater is used faster than it can be naturally replaced, wells begin to dry up. Scientists warn that overuse could lead to long-term water shortages, especially in regions already facing limited rainfall.
Which sentence expresses the central idea of the passage?
A. Groundwater is found deep beneath the Earth’s surface.
B. Communities should avoid drilling wells during droughts.
C. Overusing groundwater can lead to serious and lasting water shortages.
D. Rainfall is more important than groundwater for most communities.
Cross out answers that talk about something too small or not important in the passage.
C is the only choice that explains the main point: overusing groundwater can cause long-term shortages.
Noah solves a long multi‑step area and perimeter problem on scratch paper. He erases his earlier steps to make room for more work. When he gets confused near the end, he wants to check his earlier work—but it’s gone. He guesses and gets the question wrong.
Which scratch‑paper strategy would have helped Noah the most?
A. Rewriting all problems on the computer
B. Erasing work immediately to save space
C. Keeping all steps on the page until the problem is fully finished
D. Skipping the problem and coming back later
C. Keeping all steps on the page until the problem is fully finished
What does it mean when a question asks you to JUSTIFY your answer?
Justify means to explain your answer with evidence the text.
What common mistakes do students make on multi-step math problems?
Possible answers:
They only complete half of a multi-step problem. They forget to reread directions. They compute correctly, but answer the wrong question.
How can you use process of elimination to answer this question?
Archaeologists recently discovered a settlement that provides new insights into how early humans adapted to harsh environments. The settlement contains tools made from volcanic rock and carefully constructed shelters. These findings suggest that early humans selected specific materials and used complex building techniques to survive in challenging climates.
Which inference is supported by the passage?
A. Early humans lived only in warm, mild environments.
B. Early humans relied on simple tools made from wood.
C. Early humans used available resources strategically to survive.
D. Early humans avoided areas with volcanic activity.
Eliminate answer choices that don’t match the evidence:
C fits the idea that early humans used available resources wisely to survive.
During the GMAS EOG, Kenya works on this percent problem:
“A laptop originally costs $850.
The price is decreased by 18%, and then a $25 coupon is applied.
What is the final price of the laptop?”
Kenya sees the percent and immediately finds the discounted price. She chooses $697 as her answer.
What test‑taking mistake caused Kenya to get the problem wrong?
A. She rounded the percent incorrectly
B. She only completed the first part of a multi‑step problem
C. She used addition instead of subtraction
D. She converted the percent incorrectly
B. She only completed the first part of a multi‑step problem
Jordan is taking the GMAS End of Grade Assessment in math. He feels confident as he works through the questions, but he also wants to finish early. When he reaches Question 14, he reads quickly and sees a familiar type of problem about multiplying fractions. Without rereading, Jordan multiplies the numbers and chooses his answer.
However, he never noticed that the question actually asked, “Which fraction is NOT equivalent to 3/4?” Because he skipped the word NOT, he chose the fraction that was equivalent to 3/4 and got the question wrong.
What key test‑taking mistake did Jordan make while answering Question 14 on the GMAS?
A. He used scratch paper when he didn’t need to.
B. He spent too much time checking his work.
C. He did not pay attention to key words in the question.
D. He used the calculator incorrectly.
A student sees a graph on a social studies question. He quickly looks at the bars and chooses the first answer that looks right. What advice would you give this student to improve his test-taking strategies?
Possible answers:
Read all of the labels, units, numbers, and legend on the graph. Read all of the answer choices. Think about what you know about the context of the graph.