ACT and SAT Reading Tips: True-to-a-Point Answers

True to a Point Answers are usually the most difficult wrong answers to eliminate, mainly because they start out with correct information. Careless or hurried test takers might not notice, though, that at some point the answer choice becomes blatantly wrong.  Today we will look at how these answers are designed to trick unsuspecting students.

Sometimes True to a Point answer choices add new, irrelevant information causing them to be incorrect. For example, if the passage discusses the feeding habits of monarch butterflies, be wary of any answer choice that details the feeding
habits of swallowtail butterflies. This answer will appear to be correct when explaining the feeding habits, but once it cites a different butterfly species, it is clearly incorrect.

Let’s study some examples:

Choice (A) is appealing because it is True to a Point: steps that were common, the phrase in the answer choice, comes right from line 9. But then the answer makes a wrong turn with the phrase in American film. The passage does not
mention American film in connection with the Ballroom Tango, other than the fact that a film star was responsible for bringing the dance to Hollywood. It does not state that these steps were common in movies, so choice (A) is
incorrect. Choice (C), the right answer, uses synonyms to express the idea in lines 8-9.

The most tempting True to a Point Answers have a single word that sabotages the entire answer choice. Consider an another question from this Ballroom Tango passage:

Choice (B) is incorrect because of a single word: slightly. The passage states that the Ballroom Tango saw significant changes (line 3) making slightly altered significantly incorrect. Note, too, that the answer only includes America, omitting Europe as stated in the passage (line 5). Remember, the correct answer will include all of the important ideas, as does choice (D).

Every word counts in an ACT and SAT answer choice. You must carefully read each possibility, looking for reasons that the answer choice is incorrect. Be sure to eliminate any answer that is only True to a Point, and cross the letter out in your test booklet.

Was this helpful? It comes directly from our new book, The ACT and SAT Reading Bible.