Questions about random guessing and scratch pad use

[wind]

Any specific advice about random guessing ??? I heard that picking the same answer choice every time you make a random guess ( e.g B every random guess) is advisable .. is this true ?

Also can you kindly provide advice about the simplest and most efficient organization of scratch pad during the test to avoid getting lost ??

Thanks a million in advance .

[StaceyKoprince]

Good questions. First, I'd love to hear from other students - if you're reading this, tell us how you organize your scratch paper. Let's get lots of ideas out there!

I do think you should have your favorite "go to" letter for truly random guesses - but that's mostly because I don't want you to hesitate or spend one second longer thinking about this problem. Pick and move on.

Now, if you can figure out how to make an educated guess (which just means you can cross off some wrong answers before you guess), then do so! And if that process eliminated your "favorite" letter, then just pick another.

For the scratch paper, different people like different things, so I'll give you some suggestions and you can see what you like best.

For quant, I like to divide each sheet into 4 quadrants. Each quadrant is one problem. There are 9 sheets, so 36 quadrants. We actually need 37, so at some point, when you don't need to do much work for that quadrant, re-use for the next problem.

Ask for new scratch paper at the break.

For verbal, I like to turn my scrap paper sideways (so I'm writing the "long" way, not like a regular sheet of paper). I then write A B C D E towards the top left of the page, but with some space between each. For each new question, I go to a new line below the ABCDE and use that to keep track of my answers. (This way, I'm not writing ABCDE every time.)

Other people do like to write it every time because they prefer to cross out the letters directly - so try both ways and see what you like.

We can't divide up our scrap paper as neatly as we do for quant, but what I do is draw boxes when I get CR or RC (can't draw in advance, since we don't know when we're going to get them). That makes me keep the information neat and contained in that area, and when I'm done, I move to a new box. The RC box should be biggest (quarter of a page) since you'll have multiple Qs there.

[wind]

Thanks a million ,stacey :) what about the first part of the question, I mean the one about random guesslng ?

[StaceyKoprince]

That's the first thing in my last post. At least, I thought I answered your question (I talked about random guessing vs. educated guessing). Maybe I misunderstood what you were asking?

[wind]

That's the first thing in my last post. At least, I thought I answered your question (I talked about random guessing vs. educated guessing). Maybe I misunderstood what you were asking?

I mean that some previous test takers told me to pick the same answer every time I have to make a random guess .For example , a "B" all the time or a "D" all the time ... etc .Is this a valid advice ???

[StaceyKoprince]

I do think you should have your favorite "go to" letter for truly random guesses - but that's mostly because I don't want you to hesitate or spend one second longer thinking about this problem. Pick and move on.

In other words, yes - but, ideally, first you want to see whether you can eliminate any wrong answers (and that then might knock out your "favorite letter" and you'll have to pick something else!).

[wind]

I do think you should have your favorite "go to" letter for truly random guesses - but that's mostly because I don't want you to hesitate or spend one second longer thinking about this problem. Pick and move on.

In other words, yes - but, ideally, first you want to see whether you can eliminate any wrong answers (and that then might knock out your "favorite letter" and you'll have to pick something else!).

So grateful for your great and immediate help ... thanks a lot :)

[StaceyKoprince]

you're welcome! :)