Things to Do With the Questions

Simplify

Sometimes an equation will be given in an unsimplified form. If a formula is given unsimplified, the first thing to do is to simplify it. The question is not written that way by accident, it’s done to make the problem seem more challenging or harder to solve. Once it’s been simplified, there is a good chance it will look more familiar or more manageable than it did in its original form.

Pull Out the Numbers

This is especially a good idea for word problems that seem confusing on first read. Remember that some words in word problems aren’t useful mathematically, and others are only useful when translated into something actually mathematical. Pull out numbers, variables, and any mathematical statements of fact (relative sizes, positive/negatives, sample sizes, etc).

Draw it Out

Especially true for graphing questions or word problems (especially if they seem to involve some kind of geometry).

Things to Do With the Answers

Look at the Answers

If all of the answers have a certain denominator or include a special symbol (like a square root or negative), then that says the question revolves around that concept. Or that one needs to take the number/formula that is originally given and convert it to look more like the answer choices.

Plug in Answers

This should be done when a student doesn’t know how to approach a problem conceptually. It’s important to remember that it can take a fair amount of time, depending on how complex the problem/equation given is.

Eliminate Answers

It’s never optimal to have to guess, but if one has to guess, then it’s best to give oneself the greatest odds possible of getting things right. When there are five possible answers, even eliminating two wrong answers can improve the odds of guessing correctly from ⅕ to ⅓.

It’s easiest to eliminate answers in batches. For example, if a student knows that the number has to be positive to be correct, then all of the negative answers can be eliminated. Same is true for if the answer needs to be even or to have a certain denominator.