Intelligent guessing is key on the SAT/ACT. Making sensible guesses isn’t always easy, however. Fortunately, a few simple strategies make it easier for students to improve the odds of picking the right answers to questions that have them
stumped. Meet Joe Average, the typical high school math student. On hard end-of-section questions, Joe always picks an answer he can understand, one that’s easy to get. Since questions near the end are always hard, any answer Joe would pick for these questions will be wrong. Since Joe always falls for trap answers, those too simple to be correct for questions coming near the end of the test, you should eliminate “Joe Average answers” to any question near the end (i.e. in the last third) of the math section.
Hard Questions, Hard Answers In general, “Hard questions have hard answers.” When guessing on a problem near the end of the math section, after elimination, avoid easy-looking answers (simple numerals or expressions) and pick the hardest-looking answer choice (one involving square roots, parentheses, fractions, etc.).
Imposters To fool students into picking wrong answers to hard questions, correct answers are often hidden among similar-looking answer choices. When guessing, you should favor “imposter” answers, those trying to impersonate the others (i.e. those with the greatest number of common features), and eliminate outliers.
The Last Letter Answers near the end of the math section tend to be near the end of the alphabet (test makers deliberately design tests this way, knowing most students will examine the first answer first). Since you’ll be guessing mainly on harder questions coming near the end, unless you have a good reason not to do so, you should pick an answer at or near the end.
The “Last Letter Strategy” is a “guessing machine” that quickly and easily provides the best guess on any question. After eliminating wrong answers, always pick the last available answer choice. For example, if both “B” and “C” have been eliminated, pick “D.” If only “D” has been eliminated, pick “C.”
When blind guessing, it’s best to pick randomly and quickly move on without further thought. Save time and energy. Just obey the guessing machine!
Don’t Second Guess Never change a first guess to a second guess. The intuition used to make your initial pick may give you an advantage. If later on you realize with certainty that your guess isn’t correct, you should, of course, change it.
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Copyright © 2006-present: Christopher R. Borland. All rights reserved.
