UPSC Prelims Elimination Technique: How to Attempt Multiple-Statement Questions
A method for “how many of the above statements are correct” questions, including extreme words, partial knowledge, and when a guess is worth the negative mark.
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A large share of recent UPSC Prelims GS papers uses three statements and then asks how many of them are correct. You will not know every fact. You can still remove options if you treat the question as a logic problem with a small syllabus attached.
Work one statement at a time
Write 1, 2 and 3 in the margin and mark each as true, false, or unknown. Do not jump to the options until you have a mark for every statement. If statement 2 is clearly false, every option that needs statement 2 is gone. In a “how many” question, killing one statement often leaves only one or two choices.
Extreme words and mismatched pairs
- Words such as only, all, never, and must are not automatically wrong, but they need a source. “All writs can be issued only by the Supreme Court” fails because High Courts issue writs under Article 226.
- Watch swapped pairs: Article 32 with High Courts, Article 226 with the Supreme Court, CPI with WPI, CRR with SLR.
- If two statements contradict each other, they cannot both be correct. You do not need outside knowledge for that step.
Negative marks, in one line
GS Paper I has a one-third penalty. A blind guess among four options loses marks on average. A guess between two remaining options is different: the expected value is positive if your elimination was real and not a wish. If you cannot remove at least one option for a reason you can say aloud, leave the question.
Practice MCQs
1. You are sure statement 2 is wrong and unsure about 1 and 3. In a “how many are correct” question, you should: (a) mark “all three” (b) drop every option that counts statement 2 (c) guess all four (d) change 2 to true
Answer: (b). A known false statement removes options. It does not let you invent the rest.
2. “Only the Supreme Court can issue writs.” This fails because: (a) Article 32 bans writs (b) Article 226 gives the power to High Courts as well (c) writs were repealed (d) only Parliament issues writs
Answer: (b).
3. With a one-third negative mark, a random guess among four options is: (a) worth taking on every question (b) expected to lose marks over many questions (c) compulsory (d) free of penalty
Answer: (b). Expected value of a blind four-way guess is negative.
4. Two statements contradict each other. You may conclude: (a) both are correct (b) both must be wrong (c) they cannot both be correct (d) the question is cancelled
Answer: (c). One of them may still be correct.
5. The first margin mark for each statement should be: (a) the option letter (b) true, false, or unknown (c) the time left (d) a score out of 100
Answer: (b). Options come after the statements are marked.
Practice a quiz
The free practice set on the homepage needs no account. Use it after you read, while the facts are still fresh.
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