What to do when you can't find an answer on BR

cmelman95

So today, for what might be the first time, I could not even guess what the answer to a question was on BR. It's PT 60, S1, Q21. I've gone over the question every different way I can think of, diagramming and rediagramming the stimulus and all the answer choices. And. Still. Nothing. Is it acceptable for me to write this one off and just look at the explanation? I get that the whole point of blind review is to give yourself unlimited time to figure a question out, but I genuinely cannot envision how else I would attack this question if you gave me another year.

runiggyrun

Diagramming is your best bet on this. If not full on diagramming with arrows, at least "All C's are SBO's. Most SBO's are... and so on".

Try diagramming with the last conditional as contrapositive, so it links up with the rest of the premises. Pay great attention to all/most. Make sure the linking between the premises in the answers matches the linking in the stimulus.

For instance All A's are B's, most B's are C's and all C's are D's
matches
All cats are black, most black things are evil and all evil things are scary.
but doesn't match
All cats are black, most cats are evil and all evil things are scary. (this is an All A's are B's, most A's are C's and all C's are D's).


Of course, you can also watch the explanation. I don't think BR is meant as eternal purgatory - it's only meant to get you to really think about the question without the time pressure, without rushing through because the game is starting on TV.

MrSamIam

If you have exhausted every method, then take an educated guess. By that I mean, eliminate the ACs that you are almost certain to certain are incorrect. Then, provide your best guess for which one you believe is correct.

On a separate sheet of paper, write down the PT, section, and question number. Revisit the question a day later and see if you can find the correct answer. If you still cannot pick the correct AC, and eliminate the 4 incorrect ones, revisit the question later. Keep doing this until you can accurately and successfully eliminate the 4 wrong ACs, and find the one correct AC. More importantly, do not stop until you are able to explain to yourself why the 4 incorrect ACs are incorrect, and why the one correct AC is correct.

stepharizona

Just to add to @runiggyrun and @MrSamIam advice on how to approach, make sure you start keeping a journal, or book (if you have PDFs cut this one out) and put it into a special journal of questions that stumped you.

As you progress in your studies and return to these questions. You'll start seeing trends and be able to master them and future ones just like them!

BackoftheEnvelope

Give yourself a break and come back to it when you're fresh.