Guessing On a Test

There is some confusion and disagreement about whether students should guess on tests. The quick answer is that it is hardly ever bad to guess on a test.

There is only one reason why you should NOT guess on a test: you should not guess if you will be penalized substantially for a wrong answer.

Guessing on the SAT

Some students are tempted not to guess on the SAT I, because they hear that students are penalized a fraction of a point for each wrong answer. But a fraction of a point is not a substantial amount, especially of you can increase your chances of guessing right.

It is OK to guess on the SAT if you can first eliminate one or two answers that you know are wrong. The odds work in your favor this way. If you get down to two or three choices that you think may be right, then guess which one is best. Odds are, you’ll break even or gain a few points by guessing.

What About SAT Math Questions?

There is a portion of the SAT math that contains no choices. Instead, you must come up with answers on your own and fill them into a grid. No points are subtracted for wrong answers on this grid-in portion of the math test, so if you can come up with a logical answer, it’s still a good idea to guess.

Guessing on the ACT

There is no penalty for guessing on the ACT. If you don’t know, guess.

Guessing on an AP Exam

There is also a small penalty for wrong answers on AP exams. However, the penalty is so small that you are more likely to break even or gain by guessing. On the AP exams, scorers subtract one-fourth of a point for a wrong answer in the questions that contain five possible answer choices, and one-third of a point in questions that contain four possible answer choices.

All this means is that you can guess wrong three or four times for every answer you get right and break even.

Classroom Tests

If there is no penalty for wrong answers on a school test, then you should guess.

If your teacher tells you that you will be penalized (points are subtracted) for wrong answers, then follow an easy plan:

If the teacher will subtract an entire point for each wrong answer, don’t guess.

If the teacher will subtract a half a point for wrong answers, don’t guess.

If the teacher will subtract a third of a point or less, first eliminate what you can and guess.

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