Hey fellow students! I'm studying for the SAT and my prepwork buddies have polar opinions on guessing when you don't know the answer. So what's the scoop? Should you guess on the SAT? Are there any penalties for wrong answers?
Hello! Great question. The SAT used to penalize for wrong answers, but as of the redesign in 2016, they've dropped that rule altogether. Now there’s no penalty for guessing, so it works to your advantage to answer every question, even if you're not completely sure about the answer.
The only downside of guessing is the potential of forming bad habits, such as not taking the time to thoroughly read questions or process potential answers. Guessing does not substitute for good study practices.
Remember that the SAT doesn't test your knowledge on a specific topic but checks your reasoning ability and whether you're able to understand and analyze problems. The probability increases that you may guess correctly if you can confidently eliminate some options. In this way, an educated guess is preferred over a complete shot in the dark.
That's the lowdown. Best of luck with your SAT preparation!
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