Answer Elimination Strategy

Name the Defect

On CARS, finding wrong answers is often easier than finding the right one. Label each choice with its specific flaw as you go: too extreme (absolute language like "always," "never," "all"), out of scope (introduces an idea the passage never mentions), opposite (reverses the author's position), too narrow (true of one paragraph, not the question asked), or distortion (twists or exaggerates a qualified claim).

The Goldilocks Principle

The credited answer is usually moderate: not extreme, not narrow, closely supported by the text, matched to the author's tone, and responsive to the specific question. If an author argued that social media "modestly eroded" reading, "destroyed reading" is too extreme, "no effect" is opposite, and "teaches grammar in comments" is out of scope -- the moderate mixed-verdict choice survives.

Why Tagging Works

Tagging forces you to justify every elimination from the text instead of by gut feel, and it prevents the classic error of talking yourself into an attractive extreme choice.

Key Takeaways

• Five wrong-answer types: extreme, out of scope, opposite, too narrow, distortion
• Absolute language ("always," "never") almost always marks a wrong answer
• The right answer is moderate, text-supported, and tone-matched
• Eliminate by naming the defect, not by feel