If you encounter an unknown word and context clues are insufficient, what should you do?

• A. Skip the word and proceed with the surrounding questions.
• B. Stop and read the entire passage again.
• C. Highlight the word and never move on.
• D. Write your own definition from memory.

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is test-taking efficiency. When you hit an unknown word and there aren’t enough context clues to figure it out, your best move is to skip that word and keep working through the surrounding questions. This helps you finish more items and earn points on the parts you can answer confidently, rather than getting stuck on one term and losing valuable time.

Wasting time re-reading the whole passage won’t guarantee clarity if the meaning isn’t there, and lingering on the word by highlighting it indefinitely slows you down and delays progress. Trying to define the word from memory is unreliable and can derail your pace. If time allows, you can flag the word and revisit it later, using any context from the rest of the passage or other questions to guide a best guess.