<p>My seventh-grader takes the SAT this weekend and was told at a camp run by the school district that you should guess if you can eliminate only one answer. I always thought you shouldn't guess unless you can eliminate two answers.</p>
<p>Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Well, statistically, you CAN guess if you can eliminate just one answer. </p>
<p>You have a 1/5 chance of getting any question right (assuming you are just guessing and totally clueless) because there are five answer choices. Each wrong answer is -1/4 point. So, assuming you get 1/5 of the questions right and 4/5 wrong, your net gain/loss is zero because 1- [4 x (1/4)] = 0. Therefore, if you can elminate one, you, statistically, have little to lose. :/ But I doubt this is 100% applicable because everyone is so different. Also, you're not going to be guessing on every single question, so the numbers don't exactly even out because your sample size is so small.</p>
<p>Personally, I probably wouldn't guess if I could only eliminate one answer choice...but I don't speak from experience. Usually, I found that I could eliminate at least two or three (especially on CR).</p>
<p>In 7th grade, it really doesn't matter... you are not taking the SAT for HYPS admissions purposes. I have ABBS (anti-blank bubble syndrome), so I guessed on EVERYTHING when I took it in 7th grade (I'm more restrained now, though.)</p>
<p>Statistically speaking, the poster above is correct... and I would guess if I could eliminate one, especially if I had some sort of hunch.</p>
<p>Getting a question right is +1, losing a point is -1/4, and there are 5 choices.</p>
<p>If you can eliminate one choice that you KNOW is wrong with 100% certainty, then the expected point gain from a completely random choice among the other four is the expected value of this event. The expected value here is the probability of a certain event times the value of that event:</p>
<p>Probability of gain * value of gain + Probability of loss * value of loss = expected gain or loss</p>
<p>Or</p>
<p>(1/4)<em>(1) + (3/4)</em>(-1/4) = 1/4 - 3/16 = 4/16 - 3/16 = 1/16 = 0.0625</p>
<p>In other words, if you can eliminate one answer, randomly guessing will, on average, result in a point gain (albeit a small one, it's still in your favor to guess. The idea is to maximize your score, so you have no reason not to use this strategy). The more you can do this, the better, obviously. However, this is assuming a RANDOM guess among the remaining four. Educated guesses are even better!</p>
<p>If you can't eliminate any answers, your average gain is: 0
If you can eliminate 1 answers, your average gain is: 0.0625
If you can eliminate 2 answers, your average gain is: 0.1666
If you can eliminate 3 answers, your average gain is: 0.375
If you can eliminate 4 answers, your average gain is: 1</p>
<p>This means that guessing at least won't, on average, result in a loss. However, there is a time constraint. You're better off leaving something blank and moving on so you can answer the other questions, and then coming back to the blank questions so you can spend more time on them. Some questions you'll get immediately, and others might take you many minutes. Spend time wisely and move on if you're wasting too much time on one question. It should feel obvious to you when this is happening... when you start to wonder "Crap there's so many more questions in this section" you should move on and come back to that question later.</p>
<p>I can speak from experience that this tactic is effective. My highest scores were achieved when I guessed on things I did not know. Leaving things blank is usually a bad idea, especially if you can eliminate a choice or two.</p>
<p>SUMMARY FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO READ:
-If you can eliminate at least one answer choice with 100% certainty, guess among the rest if you have to! It's in your favor!
-Leave things blank if you are wasting too much time on them and at least try to reach the last question. Use your remaining time by going back and answering the questions you left blank.</p>
<p>And this explains why I was not a math major.</p>
<p>Thank you, all.</p>
<p>Wow, seventh grade??? How are you guys taking it so early! It's meant for juniors and seniors right about to enter college.</p>
<p>There are different programs around the country that promote taking the SAT in seventh grade. In 16 Southern states, it's the Duke Talent Search. I believe there's one in another part of the country associated with JH.</p>
<p>All the books like Kaplan, Princeton Review, and all that other good stuff have entire sections on guessing. You should read some of them.</p>