An exchange ring $R$ is strongly separative provided that for all finitely generated projective right $R$-modules $A$ and $B$, $A\oplus A\cong A\oplus B\Rightarrow A\cong B$. We prove that an exchange ring $R$ is strongly separative if and only if for any corner $S$ of $R$, $aS+bS=S$ implies that there exist $u,v\in S$ such that $au=bv$ and $Su+Sv=S$ if and only if for any corner $S$ of $R$, $aS+bS=S$ implies that there exists a right invertible matrix $\left(\begin{array}{cc}a& b\\ & *\end{array}\right)\in M_2\left(S\right)$. The dual assertions are also proved.