<p>Can someone explain this to me? Because I just don't get it. If I posted this before, sorry. I can't find it and when I clicked search again, it just wouldn't work. <em>shrugs</em></p>
<ul>
<li>Why does PR say its good to guess?</li>
<li>Why does Grammatix say its bad to guess?</li>
</ul>
<p>PR says, if you can remove one incorrect choice, it is statistically to your advantage to guess. That is correct. However, Grammatix says that the odds of you correctly choosing which one is incorrect and then randomly guessing amongst the rest without falling for the inevitable "tricks and traps" of the hard questions is very unlikely.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: I havn't read either book, this is just what i've gathered from this message board.</p>
<p>Yes, I know that, but I don't understand it.
I understand if you eliminate 3 questions and have 2 left you have a 50/50 chance if you guess randomly. And I don't understand Grammatix's saying.</p>
<p>First of all, you can't be sure that you've actually eliminated the wrong choice. I've had numerous instances where I eliminated 2 answers and guessed, only to find out later that I've eliminated the correct answer.</p>
<p>Just guess. You'll feel better about yourself and the test...and hopefully you can elimiate a couple choices.</p>
<p>Statistically PR is right, I guess conceptually Grammatix might be. Keep in mind that if one guesses randomlly on the whole test they woud actully not lose any points. 1/5 right means 1 point - 4 (1/4 points) = 0 points.</p>
<p>DmctNY8 nailed it PERFECTLY. If you get 1/5 that you guess on correct, you don't lose anything. Also, since you can narrow down every question, you have chances even BETTER than 20% on each question.</p>
<p>I look at it like this:
Let's say you guess and get 7 wrong total. Since it's 7*0.25 taken off, that 1.75 points deducted. However, they only deduct when it reaches whole numbers, and they don't round up because that would be unfair. So, the 1.75 is only 1 point off, even though it was 7 wrong answers! Then again, if you miss 8, it's 2 points off...</p>
<p>If you don't guess, that's an automatic "missed point". Always remember that the objective of the SAT is to <em>acquire</em> the most points to have the highest raw score. Guessing at least gives you a chance. Omitting can be deadly. </p>
<p>Also, I've learned that the best alternative to the guessing/omitting game is to simply practice taking SAT tests to improve your speed, so that you in turn can go back to any skipped problems and have time to figure it out for real :)</p>
<p>For the most part, people on CC are very smart. That's why it amazes me that so many people can not figure out whether or not guessing will help them. If you use common sense you can figure it out.</p>
<p>If you want an 800 in math and are stuck on one or two problems...guess.
If you can eliminate one or more choices..guess.
If you want more than a 500... guess
Only time I can see one not guessing is if they don't know some content and know that they will waste time trying to solve it then MAYBE they shouldn't guess. </p>
<p>If you guess on all the answers your score will be >=200.
If you don't answer any because u dont want to guess your score will be =200.</p>
<p>Um eeeepiyk, I'm pretty sure 7 wrong does get 2 points deducted just like 8.</p>
<p>confidential, why would you risk it when you have a higher chance of getting the question wrong than right? I'm not asking if you guess on all the questions. After studying and what not you may still not know the answer to certain questions. You may already get a high score if you just omit them, but if you guess and get them wrong, wouldn't that lower your score? Of course if you guess and get them right... but it still seems like a risk to me.</p>
<p>I STILL don't understand Grammatix's theory. And also, when you are eliminating, are you supposed to eliminate only what you know is wrong? I REALLY REALLY dislike this "John Doe" questions. That is very confusing and just a load of bull to me.</p>
<p>The theroy is since the SAT is tricky guessing can be risky because you might have been tricked into eliminating the right answer.</p>
<p>If you're going for top scores, you are not the type of person who is tricked into eliminating the right answer</p>
<p>First of all, Westernmass is right -- most people here are probably in a position where they should answer every question. I think I left 5 blank on the May SAT (3 of them were vocab on CR, 2 were on writing).</p>
<p>Grammatix points out that the collegeboard makes answers which appear right, and suggests that this means you should never guess.</p>
<p>However, although this advice may be good for average students on the most "difficult" questions, it is my opinion that this advice is not very relevant here.</p>
<p>Although wrong answers will be tempting beacuse CB wants them to be, the right answer will be tempting, too -- beacuse it actually IS right.... and most of us here will be smart enough to recognize it.</p>
<p>bumpity bump bump</p>
<p>sometimes i just feel like whatever answer i put will be wrong. then i just omit.</p>