Kaplan Test Strategies 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: On a multi-section standardized test, how should you generally allocate mental energy across the test?
- Spend the most time on the first section to build momentum
- Save your best effort for the final section
- Distribute effort evenly but recognize that early sections may affect later ones (Correct answer)
- Focus entirely on sections where you are weakest
Correct answer: Distribute effort evenly but recognize that early sections may affect later ones
Energy management across sections is key; some tests (like the GMAT) adapt based on early performance, making early accuracy especially important.
Question 2: When two answer choices remain after elimination and both seem plausible, Kaplan recommends:
- Always pick the longer answer
- Return to the question stem to identify the most precise match, then commit (Correct answer)
- Flip a coin to save time
- Select the answer with more specific details regardless of question type
Correct answer: Return to the question stem to identify the most precise match, then commit
Returning to the question stem clarifies exactly what is being asked, revealing which remaining choice fits more precisely.
Question 3: What is the purpose of Kaplan's 'Test-Day Routine' recommendation?
- To cram new material the morning of the exam
- To establish consistent pre-test habits that reduce anxiety and prime performance (Correct answer)
- To determine which sections to skip on test day
- To memorize all formulas in the final 30 minutes before the test
Correct answer: To establish consistent pre-test habits that reduce anxiety and prime performance
A consistent test-day routine minimizes decision fatigue and anxiety, allowing cognitive resources to be fully directed at the exam.
Question 4: In reading comprehension, 'global questions' about the main idea are best answered by:
- Focusing on the specific details in the first paragraph only
- Synthesizing the overall purpose and scope of the entire passage (Correct answer)
- Picking the answer choice that appears most frequently
- Choosing the answer with the most extreme language
Correct answer: Synthesizing the overall purpose and scope of the entire passage
Global questions require understanding the passage as a whole, not just a single detail or paragraph.
Question 5: What is the danger of 'over-eliminating' on a multiple-choice test?
- It speeds up the process too much
- You may eliminate the correct answer because of a minor imperfection or misread (Correct answer)
- It always leads to choosing the first answer
- It only applies to math sections, not verbal
Correct answer: You may eliminate the correct answer because of a minor imperfection or misread
Being too strict during elimination can cause you to discard the best available answer for a trivial or imagined flaw.
Question 6: Kaplan advises circling or marking difficult questions during a first pass primarily to:
- Signal to test graders that you found the question unclear
- Efficiently return to them after completing easier questions in the section (Correct answer)
- Avoid accidentally answering them twice
- Track which topics you need to study more
Correct answer: Efficiently return to them after completing easier questions in the section
Marking questions lets you systematically revisit challenges without wasting time during the initial pass.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the Kaplan strategy for sentence correction or grammar questions?
- Read all five answer choices first, then return to the original sentence
- Identify the error in the original sentence first, then find the choice that fixes only that error (Correct answer)
- Pick the shortest answer since it is usually correct
- Choose the answer that most closely matches the original sentence's structure
Correct answer: Identify the error in the original sentence first, then find the choice that fixes only that error
Diagnosing the specific error first prevents you from being distracted by unrelated changes in other answer choices.
Kaplan Test Strategies 3
On a multi-section standardized test, how should you generally allocate mental energy across the test?