6.4 Have you solved it? 247
ensure that your method of searching is
‘cast-iron’ and will not produce an incorrect
answer unless you make a slip.
Multiple-choice questions
In questions which require numerical answers,
it is usually best to work through the question
to the answer and then check that it is among
the list of options. Guessing can be dangerous.
However, there are aspects of answering some
particular types of multiple-choice questions
that can help in getting the correct answer.
One is elimination. This is especially useful in
answering certain types of questions where the
answers form part of the question, for example
those involving spatial reasoning and
identifying similarity between two sets of data.
Even if you are guessing an answer, you can
increase your chances of getting it right by
eliminating one or two of the options.
It is not always necessary to check every
aspect of a drawing, graph or table to be sure
that it is wrong. Sometimes one needs only to
check a single part – for example one plotted
point on a graph – to eliminate it as a possible
answer. This means that the time available for
the question can be concentrated on the more
likely answers and in checking that your final
answer is correct. You can try this in the
activity below.
Commentary
We can see that both the circle and the square
have an edge in common with the triangle, so
neither can be opposite it when the cube is
made up. Therefore both of these can be
eliminated. Similarly, the smiley face has a
corner in common with the triangle, so this
can also be eliminated. We now only have to
look at the arrow and star. There are various
ways to choose, but here it is best to imagine
the cube folded, whereupon we see that the
star must also have a common edge with the
triangle, leaving the arrow as the correct
answer.• We have seen how an answer may be
checked by ‘putting it back’ into the
question.
• This method may not work for all
questions, and other ways of checking may
be needed for other types of question.
• Elimination of incorrect answers can help
in finding the correct solution to multiple-
choice questions.Summary
The piece of card shown below, when folded
up, makes a cubical die for a children’s game.
The sides have various symbols on them.Activity
When the die is folded into shape, which side
will be opposite the triangle?A The arrow
B The circle
C The square
D The smiley face
E The star