Numeric Entry & Multiple-Answer • Topic 2 of 4

Select-One vs Select-All

The GRE has two visually similar but behaviourally different formats, and confusing them costs easy points. Standard multiple choice uses oval buttons and has exactly one correct answer — pick the single best. Multiple-Answer questions use square boxes and instruct you to "select one or more" or "indicate all", meaning the number of correct answers is not fixed: it could be one, several, or every option. The scoring is unforgiving — you must select every correct choice and no incorrect one to get credit, with no partial marks — so you cannot stop after finding the first true statement. Some Multiple-Answer questions helpfully tell you exactly how many to pick ("select two"), which narrows the search; most do not, and then you must evaluate every option on its own. The habit that saves you: notice the button shape and read the instruction line first, so you know whether you are hunting for one answer or auditing all of them.

✅ Solved examples

1. Select-all. Which of the following are factors of 24? Indicate ALL that apply. (A) 3 (B) 5 (C) 6 (D) 8 (E) 9
Test each: 24/3 = 8 ✓, 24/5 is not an integer ✗, 24/6 = 4 ✓, 24/8 = 3 ✓, 24/9 is not an integer ✗. Correct: A, C and D.
2. Select-all. Which values of x satisfy x² = 16? (A) −4 (B) −2 (C) 2 (D) 4
x² = 16 gives x = 4 or x = −4. A single multiple-choice item would trap you into picking only 4; the square-box format signals that both roots count. Correct: A and D.
3. Select-all. Which of these numbers are prime? (A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 9 (D) 11 (E) 15
1 is not prime (by definition), 2 is prime, 9 = 3×3 is not, 11 is prime, 15 = 3×5 is not. Correct: B and D.
4. Select-all. If n is an integer and 2 < n ≤ 6, which values can n take? (A) 2 (B) 3 (C) 4 (D) 6 (E) 7
Strictly greater than 2 excludes 2; up to and including 6 includes 6; 7 is out of range. Correct: B, C and D. (Watch the strict vs inclusive endpoints.)

✏️ Practice — try these, take hints as needed

1. Select-all. Which are factors of 18? (A) 2 (B) 4 (C) 6 (D) 9 (E) 12
Divide 18 by each option.
18/4 and 18/12 are not integers.
Keep the exact divisions.
A, C, D
2. Select-all. Which values satisfy x² = 25? (A) −5 (B) −1 (C) 1 (D) 5
A square root has two signs.
x = ±5.
Both belong.
A, D
3. Select-all. Which are prime? (A) 2 (B) 3 (C) 4 (D) 7 (E) 21
Prime has exactly two factors.
4 = 2×2, 21 = 3×7.
Remove the composites.
A, B, D
4. Select-all. If −3 ≤ n < 2 and n is an integer, which can n be? (A) −3 (B) −1 (C) 0 (D) 2
−3 is included (≤).
2 is excluded (<).
List the integers in range.
A, B, C
5. Select-all. Which of these are multiples of 6? (A) 12 (B) 18 (C) 20 (D) 30
A multiple of 6 divides evenly by 6.
20/6 is not an integer.
Check each.
A, B, D

📝 Topic test — 8 questions

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