EI
I. Examples 1 through 5
Two of these five examples are in the Free Practice Test, here. I have written the others to be like questions on the real test.
EXAMPLE 1
(1) The Material: A world map labeled "Population Density." The map's legend shows that higher-density areas have darker colors on the map. There is no text.
(2) What is Asked: According to the map, what are the most densely populated areas?
(3) Format: Multiple Choice
(4) The Choices:
(5) Method: Emphasis on the map suggests you should use the "details" method, so you try that. You also notice that each choice names two continents.
(6) Answer: You scan the map, looking for the two continents with the darkest colors. These are Asia and Europe, so C is correct. Checking, you see that South America and the Canadian part of North America are colored lightly. This rules out A, B and D.
(7) Comment: The countries and continents are not labeled, so you have to know about where they are on the world map.
(1) The Material: A world map labeled "Population Density." The map's legend shows that higher-density areas have darker colors on the map. There is no text.
(2) What is Asked: According to the map, what are the most densely populated areas?
(3) Format: Multiple Choice
(4) The Choices:
- A. South America and Europe
- B. Asia and North America
- C. Europe and Asis
- D. South America and North America
(5) Method: Emphasis on the map suggests you should use the "details" method, so you try that. You also notice that each choice names two continents.
(6) Answer: You scan the map, looking for the two continents with the darkest colors. These are Asia and Europe, so C is correct. Checking, you see that South America and the Canadian part of North America are colored lightly. This rules out A, B and D.
(7) Comment: The countries and continents are not labeled, so you have to know about where they are on the world map.
EXAMPLE 2
(1) The Material: A single paragraph of text, which is an excerpt from the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
(2) What is Asked: Each of these rights is covered by the First Amendment except:
(3) Format: Multiple Choice
(4) The Choices:
(5) Method: This is a "negative" question. It asks which choice is not covered. Negative questions almost always call for the "details" method, so you try that.
(6) Answer: You scan the excerpt looking for each choice. Your scan shows that B, C and D are all mentioned specifically. A is not. So A is correct.
(7) Comment: Negative questions like this are sometimes tricky. You have to shift gears and seek the choice that does not fit, rather than the ones that do. This is obvious, but sometimes easy to forget.
(1) The Material: A single paragraph of text, which is an excerpt from the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
(2) What is Asked: Each of these rights is covered by the First Amendment except:
(3) Format: Multiple Choice
(4) The Choices:
- A. Freedom to Vote
- B. Freedom of Petition
- C. Freedom of Speech
- D. Freedom of the Press
(5) Method: This is a "negative" question. It asks which choice is not covered. Negative questions almost always call for the "details" method, so you try that.
(6) Answer: You scan the excerpt looking for each choice. Your scan shows that B, C and D are all mentioned specifically. A is not. So A is correct.
(7) Comment: Negative questions like this are sometimes tricky. You have to shift gears and seek the choice that does not fit, rather than the ones that do. This is obvious, but sometimes easy to forget.
EXAMPLE 3
(1) The Material: A two-paragraph excerpt from a newspaper editorial. It comments on the entry of the United States into World War I.
(2) What is Asked: Which Statement in the passage shows bias on the part of the writer?
(3) Format: Multiple Choice
(4) The Choices:
(5) Method: This is a "bias" or "opinion" question, which almost always calls for the "direct" method, in which you compare each choice directly against what is asked.
(6) Answer: You look for the choice which seems to be an opinion rather than a fact. A, B and C appear to be facts. C has a different tone. It is a judgement, an opinion. So C is correct.
(7) Comments: You do not have to skim or scan the material. The answer is in the four choices themselves. Notice that you don't have to judge whether the facts in A, B or D are correct or not. That isn't important. All that matters which three choices are facts and which choice is an opinion.
(1) The Material: A two-paragraph excerpt from a newspaper editorial. It comments on the entry of the United States into World War I.
(2) What is Asked: Which Statement in the passage shows bias on the part of the writer?
(3) Format: Multiple Choice
(4) The Choices:
- A. The war started in 1914.
- B. Germany sank a ship, the Lusitania, with Americans on board.
- C. The war could have been avoided if the European countries had been more patient.
- D. America entered the war in 1917.
(5) Method: This is a "bias" or "opinion" question, which almost always calls for the "direct" method, in which you compare each choice directly against what is asked.
(6) Answer: You look for the choice which seems to be an opinion rather than a fact. A, B and C appear to be facts. C has a different tone. It is a judgement, an opinion. So C is correct.
(7) Comments: You do not have to skim or scan the material. The answer is in the four choices themselves. Notice that you don't have to judge whether the facts in A, B or D are correct or not. That isn't important. All that matters which three choices are facts and which choice is an opinion.
EXAMPLE 4 (This is Question 4 in the Free Practice Test)
(1) The Material: A paragraph titled "Women's Voting Rights" and a line graph showing the number of women in the House of Representatives, 1917-2011.
(2) What is Asked: What do the passage and the graph indicate about the U.S. in the 20th and 21st centuries?
(3) Format: Multiple Choice
(4) The Choices:
(5) Method: The graph suggests the "details" method. The broad nature of the choices suggests the "main idea" method. You decide to try "details" first.
(6) Answer: You try the "details" method, scanning the passage for each of the choices. None of them are mentioned. So you turn to the "main idea" method instead. Skimming the text and graph suggests the main idea is how voting and representation for women changed over many years. A and C may or may not be true, but they don't fit the main idea. Between B and D, B seems to fit the main idea better. B is the correct answer.
(7) Comment: If you didn't understand about "The Civil War Amendments," you might be uncertain between B and D and have to guess. Even so, you would have ruled out A and C, so your chances of your guess being right would be 50-50.
(1) The Material: A paragraph titled "Women's Voting Rights" and a line graph showing the number of women in the House of Representatives, 1917-2011.
(2) What is Asked: What do the passage and the graph indicate about the U.S. in the 20th and 21st centuries?
(3) Format: Multiple Choice
(4) The Choices:
- A. Social movements halted inequalities within society.
- B. Changes in voting rights impacted representation in the U.S. government.
- C. Democratic principles are more important than cultural traditions.
- D. The Civil War amendments created greater democratic opportunities for women.
(5) Method: The graph suggests the "details" method. The broad nature of the choices suggests the "main idea" method. You decide to try "details" first.
(6) Answer: You try the "details" method, scanning the passage for each of the choices. None of them are mentioned. So you turn to the "main idea" method instead. Skimming the text and graph suggests the main idea is how voting and representation for women changed over many years. A and C may or may not be true, but they don't fit the main idea. Between B and D, B seems to fit the main idea better. B is the correct answer.
(7) Comment: If you didn't understand about "The Civil War Amendments," you might be uncertain between B and D and have to guess. Even so, you would have ruled out A and C, so your chances of your guess being right would be 50-50.
EXAMPLE 5 (This is Question 8 in the Free Practice Test)
(1) The Material: A text about the amount of spending by the United States in various wars.
(2) What is Asked: Create a vertical bar graph which shows the spending in five wars.
(3) Format: Drag and Drop
(4) The Choices: There is a blank vertical bar graph with the names of five wars across the bottom and a $ scale to the left. There are also, off to the side, five vertical bars of various heights. You are asked to drag and drop each bar into the graph, above a label for a particular war.
(5) Method: The graph suggests the "details" method. You have to scan the text to find the the name of each war on the graph, and find the amount of spending in that war.
(6) Answer. The graph has five labels at the bottom. You scan the text for each war and find the amount of spending in that war. You then find a vertical bar with a height showing that amount, and move it onto the graph over the label. You then repeat the process for each of the other four wars
(7) Comments: You have to know how to read a bar graph. Even if you didn't know that, you could probably find the amounts, associate the lowest amount with the lowest bar, etc.
(1) The Material: A text about the amount of spending by the United States in various wars.
(2) What is Asked: Create a vertical bar graph which shows the spending in five wars.
(3) Format: Drag and Drop
(4) The Choices: There is a blank vertical bar graph with the names of five wars across the bottom and a $ scale to the left. There are also, off to the side, five vertical bars of various heights. You are asked to drag and drop each bar into the graph, above a label for a particular war.
(5) Method: The graph suggests the "details" method. You have to scan the text to find the the name of each war on the graph, and find the amount of spending in that war.
(6) Answer. The graph has five labels at the bottom. You scan the text for each war and find the amount of spending in that war. You then find a vertical bar with a height showing that amount, and move it onto the graph over the label. You then repeat the process for each of the other four wars
(7) Comments: You have to know how to read a bar graph. Even if you didn't know that, you could probably find the amounts, associate the lowest amount with the lowest bar, etc.
"THE TEST-TAKING SKILLS YOU NEED"