What Is Multiple Choice, Single Answer?

You read a short passage and select one correct answer from 4–5 options. There is no penalty for wrong answers — always select one option.

Scoring

Contributes to Reading only. 1 point for the correct answer; 0 for incorrect.

Question Types

• Main idea: “What is the passage mainly about?”
• Detail: “According to the passage, which of the following is true?”
• Inference: “What can be inferred from the passage?”
• Author’s purpose: “Why does the author mention…?”
• Vocabulary in context: “The word ‘X’ in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to…”

Strategy

1. Read the question before reading the passage to know what to look for.
2. Scan for the relevant section of the passage; read that section carefully.
3. Eliminate options that:
   • Contradict the passage
   • Are not mentioned at all
   • Are too extreme (“always,” “never,” “all”)
   • Are true in general but not stated in this passage
4. The correct answer paraphrases the passage — it is rarely a word-for-word match.

Quick Reference

Number of items	1–2 per test
Skills assessed	Reading only
Penalty	None — always select an answer