Most candidates answer open VR questions by checking option A against the passage, then B, then C, then D. It works, but it is slow and it tempts you into re-reading. The faster approach is to evaluate the options first — use logic and your initial reading to pre-select the likely answer, then confirm only that one against the text.
Consideration one: contention and tone
Lean on the initial reading you have already done. The correct answer to an open question almost always sits in line with the author's contention and matches their tone. An option that contradicts the overall opinion, or is pitched far more forcefully than the author ever was, can usually go straight away.
Consideration two: absolute versus non-absolute language
Options stuffed with absolutes — all, none, always, never, only — make sweeping claims that a careful passage rarely supports. Hedged, measured options (some, may, tends to, in certain cases) are far more defensible and far more often correct. This single filter removes a lot of wrong answers in seconds.
Consideration three: common sense
Used carefully, common sense is a sense-check, not a source of facts. An option that is internally contradictory, or that overreaches well beyond anything a reasonable author would argue, is unlikely to be right. Use this to flag suspicious options — but always confirm against the passage, never decide on common sense alone.
Consideration four: tense
Watch whether an option talks about the past, present or future. Passages are precise about timing: something a writer predicts may happen is not the same as something they say has happened. An option that quietly shifts the tense of a claim is a common, easily missed trap.
Consideration five: neutral, defensible wording
Carefully worded, neutral options tend to outlast bold ones. An answer that is measured and hard to argue with is more likely correct than one that takes an extreme or loaded position. When two options remain, the more defensible phrasing is usually the safer pick.
Eliminate, then confirm
Run the five considerations to cut the field and pre-select your best option. Then go back to the passage to confirm just that one — not all four. If it checks out, lock it in and move on. You have done the reasoning up front, so verification is quick rather than a fresh read.
When this beats going back to the passage
This method shines on open questions when your initial reading gave you a clear sense of the contention and tone. In those cases you can often pre-select an answer with real confidence before you look back at all. When a question hinges on a precise detail instead, scan to where you mapped it — but for opinion-led questions, evaluating the options is the fastest route to the mark.