Buzz
If you're facing a tough question during a test, you can increase your chances of selecting the correct answer by using a strategic guessing approach. Searching for contextual hints can help you solve a difficult question. Choose the option that feels familiar, even if you're only vaguely recalling something you might have learned before. In true/false multiple choice questions, look for patterns and select 'false' if the statement includes absolute terms like 'all' or 'none of the answers are correct.' For multiple-choice questions with several options, it’s best to eliminate clearly wrong answers, pay attention to grammatical clues, and pick the most detailed answer if you’re unsure.
Steps
Guessing Answers for True/False Multiple-Choice Questions
Start by answering the questions you know. Of course, you want to answer as many questions as possible before time runs out. Additionally, in true/false tests, knowing the answer to the questions before and after a difficult one can help you identify patterns in the answers. Guessing based on true/false patterns is more effective than random guessing.
- If you're skipping a question in a test with a separate answer sheet, be sure to skip the corresponding question on the answer sheet as well. This way, your answers won't get mixed up.
Choose the opposite answer if the surrounding questions share the same answer. For instance, if you know that both the question before and after a difficult question have the answer "correct," the answer to your tricky question is likely "incorrect." The probability of three similar answers appearing together is quite low.
Pick "incorrect" if the sentence contains absolute words. Absolute words are those that allow no exceptions, such as: all, everyone, never, always. Rarely does something occur without exceptions, so questions containing absolute terms usually have the answer "incorrect."
- Questions containing absolute words that have the answer "correct" are typically universally accepted truths and are less likely to appear in a test.
Select "correct" if you spot words like "some," "most," or "few." Chances are, sentences with relative terms – in contrast to absolute terms – are more likely to have the answer "correct." When a statement allows for exceptions, it's likely true in at least some cases.
- Other relative terms include "usually," "often," "occasionally," and "frequently."
Choose "correct" if you're really stuck. Opt for the "correct" answer if none of the other guessing strategies work and you have no idea what the right answer is. It's easier to repeat a simple truth than to create a false statement, so test makers typically include more "correct" answers than "incorrect" ones.
- For example, if you're stuck on a question with no absolute or relative terms, and the previous answer is "correct" while the next is "incorrect," it's best to choose "correct" for this one.
Guessing Answers on Multiple-Choice Tests
Guess before reviewing the options. When reading the question, try not to glance at the options or cover them up with your hand. Try to make an initial guess first, then look at the options to see if any align with your guess.
Eliminate completely different options as well as the highest and lowest numbers. Discard any obviously incorrect, absurd, or irrelevant choices. If the answer involves a number, eliminate the highest and lowest options, then guess from the middle-range choices.
Pay attention to grammar cues. This might seem obvious, but sometimes test creators make a mistake by including a question whose grammar only matches one possible answer. Carefully read the question and options, eliminating any answers that don't fit the sentence structure.
- For example, in an English test, the question might be: "A salamander is an" and the only option starting with a vowel is "amphibian" – you'll immediately know this is the correct answer.
Select "All of the above" if it appears only once in the test. If there's only one question with the answer options "All of the above" or "None of the above," it's likely the right answer. However, use your judgment if you're confident that at least one option doesn’t fit.
- If you're completely stuck and can't rule out any answers, the "all" or "none" options might be correct. There's a 65% chance that this is the case when such an option appears in a question.
Informed Guessing
Ask for previous tests. Inquire whether your teachers keep old test papers and if they might be willing to share them with you. This will help you familiarize yourself with the question format and recognize patterns in the answers.
- Note that studying for the exam is always better than trying to outsmart the teacher. If you have to choose between studying or obsessively analyzing the frequency of "correct" answers, always go with studying.
Find out if you'll lose points for leaving answers blank. Ask your teacher or look up whether the standardized test deducts points for unanswered questions. Some test creators discourage random guessing by only penalizing incorrect answers. If leaving an answer blank doesn't result in a penalty, it's better not to guess.
- The SAT used to have a penalty system for random guessing, but in 2016, the College Board removed it. Other tests like PSAT, ACT, and AP don't penalize for guessing—wrong answers or blanks don't earn points, but correct answers do.
- Standardized tests may change, so make sure to verify whether a newly updated test still penalizes guessing.
Answer the questions you know before guessing. Time management is often crucial during tests. Rather than spending too much time guessing on a difficult question, go through all the ones you're confident about first. Don't run out of time and leave easy questions unanswered.
Look for contextual clues in the test. You may find hints for a difficult question in other parts of the exam. These questions might trigger knowledge or provide contextual clues that help you figure out the answer to a challenging question.
- For example, if a multiple-choice question asks, "Is a Weta a plant, insect, fish, or mammal?" and another question asks, "How many species of Weta have entomologists identified?" If you know that entomologists study insects, you can easily answer the first question.
Choose answers that feel familiar. Sometimes an answer will seem familiar, like you've encountered it before. If you're torn between a familiar-sounding option and one with unfamiliar terms, go with the one that feels more familiar.
