<p>Chances of getting right = 1
Chances of getting wrong 4
Points gained for right = (1) x 1 = 1
Points lost for wrong (4) X -0.25 = -1
Net profit = 0?</p>
<p>Am I getting something wrong or are people just misinformed? And what is this thing about eliminating 1 or 2 and guessing in order to break even?</p>
<p>Your’re going to break even even on a completely random guess (Which can never happen as you read and thought about the question) </p>
<p>SO WHY DO PEOPLE GUESS?</p>
<p>If you can eliminate one or more of the answers, your odds of getting it wrong is less than 4.</p>
<p>But even if you don’t, your odds of getting it wrong is still (SLIGHTLY) less than 4 (as your subconscious thinking can help you tend towards correct answers more often than not)</p>
<p>So what’s your question? You’ve explained why it makes sense to guess.</p>
<p>Then why do people always go on about omitting questions when its not even beneficial to do so?</p>
<p>It is like going for it on fourth down! </p>
<p><a href=“4th Down: When to Go for It and Why - The New York Times”>4th Down: When to Go for It and Why - The New York Times;
<p>Like football coaches who fear losing the ball, SAT takers generally worry too much about the guessing penalty. You should never be guessing wildly – if you are, then you have probably already answered too many questions for your current ability level. But if you are working slowly and carefully, you should certainly answer any question that you have invested time in. </p>
<p>I have given this advice many times and many at CC disagree – but no one has ever shown me why it’s wrong. For it to be a bad play, it would have to be the case that the time and thought invested had somehow reduced your chances of getting the problem right to worse than a random guess. For a student who is answering questions in the range that is appropriate for their score goal (based on past track record) I don’t believe that is possible. </p>
<p>Expected value can play around with your mind a bit.</p>
<p>For example, if you had the choice of taking $100,000 now or going for a 1/2 chance at $1,000,000, which would you choose? What if it was $100,000 now or a 1/2 chance at $280,000? $100,000 now or 1/2 chance at $201,000?</p>
<p>It’s just that it is not always irrational to choose the option with lower expected value. Not every dollar is equally valuable to you. The first $100,000 is worth more to you than the next. For example, you could offer me $1,000,000 now or a 30% chance at $10,000,000 later. I know that the expected value of that chance is $3,000,000 but I also know that I am choosing the guaranteed $1,000,000 – a life changing sum! But if you offer me $100 now or a 30% chance at $1000 later, well then I would take my 30% chance. Am I being irrational either time? I don’t think so. But it is an interesting game to ponder.</p>
<p>the problem is that in an SAT question, you won’t know when you are starting to be penalized. Actually you only get penalized once you fit 2 wrong, 6 wrong, 10 wrong, 14 wrong, etc. so I think that you should answer ALL questions if you are aiming for 700+ </p>