When we answer a multiple-choice GRE Verbal question, losing track of which answer choices we’ve eliminated can slow us down. After all, if we fail to keep track of which choices we’ve eliminated, we might be forced to review choices we’ve already decided are incorrect.

One way test-takers address this issue is by keeping track of eliminated choices on the notepad. However, doing so requires looking away from the screen the GRE test is on and taking time to write on the pad. So, having a way to keep track of choices while looking at the screen and without having to write on the pad would be ideal. Fortunately there is such a way: the five-finger method. Here’s how it works.

When answering a multiple-choice question, simply hold one of your hands near the screen on which the test appears and use the fingers on that hand to represent the answer choices. Your thumb represents choice (A), and each of your other four fingers represents one of the choices (B) through (E). You start off with all five fingers extended, and as you eliminate a choice, you fold in the finger that represents that choice. If you change your mind and decide that a choice is a contender after all, you can unfold the finger that represents that choice.

You can see that this method is a super-easy and efficient way to keep track of answer choices. Using this method will help you complete the Verbal section of the GRE in the allotted time.

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep