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Elimination & Time Strategy

Thinking Skills · Y4 OC
Year 4 OC
Lesson Guide
Explanation
Before strategy comes knowledge of the battlefield: 30 questions, 30 minutes, four options A–D with exactly one correct, computer-based, no calculator. And the rule that shapes everything else: NO PENALTY for wrong answers. A wrong guess scores the same as a blank — zero — so a blank is the only answer that can never score. Whatever happens with time, every one of the 30 questions gets an answer from you. That's not cheeky; it's the mathematically correct way to sit this paper, and the test writers expect it.
Your Turn
Quick maths: you're stuck on a question with 4 options and guess blindly. What's your chance of the mark? Check: 1 in 4 — versus 0 in 4 for a blank.
Watch Out
On the real (computer) test, check the rules on the day for whether you can move backwards between questions — practise both ways.
Explanation
The budget is one minute per question — as an AVERAGE, not a rule. Easy questions (a quick deduction, a simple count) should take twenty seconds; hard ones (sufficiency, spatial folding) are allowed two minutes because you banked seconds earlier. The discipline that makes it work: checkpoints. At minute 10 you should be near question 10; at minute 20, near question 20. Behind at a checkpoint? Don't panic and don't rush the question in front of you — clear the easiest-looking upcoming questions first to catch up.
Your Turn
You reach question 10 at minute 13. What's the plan? Check: you're 3 minutes behind — take the fast wins in questions 11-15 quickly, and be readier to guess-and-flag one hard question.
Watch Out
The clock kills more marks than the questions do. A brilliant answer to question 12 that costs 5 minutes loses you three other questions.
Explanation
Elimination is the professional's move: instead of hunting the right answer, kill wrong ones. Wrong options die for repeatable reasons — they contradict the box, they answer a DIFFERENT question (the improvement/top-mark trap), they say 'must' when you can invent a counter-story, or they're true-but-irrelevant. Three kills IS the answer, and partial elimination still pays: one kill lifts a blind guess from 25% to 33%, two kills make it a coin flip. When time forces a guess, guess from the survivors — never from all four.
Your Turn
You can eliminate two options on a question you don't understand. Worth guessing from the other two? Check: yes — 50% for free, no penalty. Always.
Watch Out
Don't eliminate an option just because it looks boring. Must-be-true answers are OFTEN the boring option — kill on reasons, not on vibes.
Explanation
Every test has a question built to eat your time. The stall-breaker: when you're about a minute in with no answer, (1) eliminate what you can, (2) pick the best survivor NOW so an answer is banked, (3) flag it and move on without guilt. If minutes remain at the end, return with fresh eyes — flagged questions crack surprisingly often on a second look, because your brain kept working while you were away. The one thing you never do is stall: staring at question 14 for four minutes is how strong students score badly.
Your Turn
Practise saying the routine in six words. Check: something like 'eliminate, best guess, flag, move on'.
Watch Out
Bank the guess BEFORE flagging. A flagged-but-blank question you never return to scores zero; a flagged guess still has its chance.
Explanation
Last weapon: precision words, because at speed the eye skips them and the mark dies. ONLY shuts others out but promises nothing. MUST and CANNOT need every possible story to agree. NOT and EXCEPT flip the entire question — the 'right-looking' option becomes wrong. AT LEAST and UP TO describe ranges, never exact values. BEST and MOST demand comparing all four options. IF TRUE means assume it, never doubt it. The habit: read the question line twice, mentally tapping each precision word. Two seconds that regularly saves the mark. Now the quiz — and then you're ready for full practice sets!
Your Turn
Spot the precision words: 'Which one of these, if true, best supports the claim?' Check: 'if true' (assume it), 'best' (compare all), 'one' (exactly one wins).
Watch Out
The word NOT hides in the middle of sentences: 'which will NOT complete the square'. Questions with NOT are where checkpoint time-pressure does its worst damage.
📌 Key Points — this lesson in a nutshell
  • No penalty for wrong answers: a blank is the only answer that can never score. Answer all 30.
  • Budget 1 minute per question on average; checkpoints at Q10/min 10 and Q20/min 20.
  • Eliminate rather than hunt: three kills IS the answer; even one kill improves a guess.
  • Stall-breaker at ~60 seconds: eliminate, bank the best survivor, flag, move on. Return with fresh eyes.
  • Bank a guess BEFORE flagging — a flagged blank you never revisit scores zero.
  • Precision words decide marks: only, must, cannot, NOT/except, at least, best, if true — tap each one as you read.
Step 1: Introduction
Step 1 of 5
The Thinking Skills paper at a glance 30 questions in 30 minutes 4 options A–D exactly one correct No penalty wrong = 0, never minus Computer-based no calculator, no dictionary The single most important rule: because there is NO penalty, an empty answer is the only truly wrong answer. Answer all 30.
Spend time like pocket money 30 questions ÷ 30 minutes = 1 minute each, ON AVERAGE. Some take 20 seconds; sufficiency and spatial ones can take 2 minutes. Easy question? Answer fast, bank the spare seconds. Hard question? Spend your banked time — but never more than ~2 min. Checkpoints: question 10 by minute 10, question 20 by minute 20. Behind at a checkpoint? Speed up on the NEXT few, not by panicking — pick the easiest-looking questions and clear them.
Cross out, don't pick out Hunting the RIGHT answer is slow. Killing WRONG answers is fast — and three kills IS the answer. A contradicts the box → kill B true but answers a different question → kill C survives every check… D needs "must" but a counter-story exists → kill Even ONE kill turns a blind guess from 25% into 33%. Two kills: 50%.
The stall-breaker routine ~60 seconds in, no answer you are stalled — trigger the routine 1. Eliminate what you can kill the obvious wrong options 2. Pick the best survivor NOW an answer is banked — no blank 3. Flag it and MOVE ON return only if time remains at the end Fresh eyes at the end solve flagged questions surprisingly often.
The words that decide questions only shuts others out, promises nothing must / cannot needs EVERY story to agree NOT / except flips the whole question at least / up to ranges, not exact values best / most compare ALL options first if true assume it — never doubt it Read the question line twice, tapping each precision word. Two seconds of tapping saves the whole mark. Quiz time!
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