Answers that include the words "always," "every," "none" and "never" are usually incorrect. These words are absolutes, meaning there is no exception to that concept. Ideas without exceptions are almost impossible to prove. Therefore, if the test taker sees these words in any of the choices, she can usually eliminate that answer.
One of the four answers is definitely correct, so "plugging in" is beneficial for math questions, fill-in-the-blank questions and analogy questions. If it is a math question, the test taker should choose one answer and solve the problem for that answer. If it matches, it is correct. If not, you will know if the answer is too high or low for your next guess. If the question is fill-in-the-blank or analogy, plug in one at a time, logically looking at which one fits the best.
Often, a teacher will give the students four choices and two of the choices will be slightly similar. Often, this type of wording means that one of these choices is the answer and the others are meant to confuse the test taker. For example, if the question is "How many servings of vegetables and fruits should one eat in a day?" and the answers are "A. 10, B. 4-6, C. 3-5 or D. 1," the middle two answers are quite similar. They are both in the middle range and they are also hyphenated, estimating a appropriate amount. Most likely, the correct answer is either B or C.
Read the question and decide on a generalized answer. For example, based on the question's wording, is the answer going to be a positive or negative word? Next, hide the answers with a piece of paper, read the question and predict the answer. For example, in the sentence completion question, "The student was ________ over his 98 percent score on his test," the test taker can assume the answer is a positive word, since most students are happy over a 98 percent. Next, she can substitute the word "happy" for the blank. If any of the choices are synonyms for the word "happy," she has found her answer.