TT7
Test-Taking Skill #7:
How to Guess and Flag
Guessing is Important. With 35 questions, you are bound to be uncertain about some of them. (My recipe for passing calls for answering 21 out of 35 questions correctly and also for guessing at all of the other questions. Here are some guidelines to help you guess well:
- (1) Answer every question, even if you have no idea what is correct.
- (2) You may probably have to guess at more answers on social studies than on the other GED tests. Some of choices are less clear-cut than in the science and language arts tests.
- (3) Try hard to eliminate at least two of four choices. If you can do that, your chances go up from 25% to 50%.
- (4) You can guess with any answer format, not just with multiple-choice questions. On a type-in-a-box question, put something in the box even if you aren't sure. Drag and drop something, or click on something, or choose something from a drop-down menu.
- (5) If you do guess at a question, flag it so you can return later.
- (6) Keep remembering that you only have to get 3/4 of the questions. Don't get hung up on a few. Watch the clock in the corner of the test screen, and remember that you have to average a little less than two minutes per question.
How Flagging Works. Whenever you guess, or even if you aren't sure about an answer, be sure to "flag" the question so you can return later. Here's how the "flagging" machinery works:
- (1) On both the GEDReady test and the real test, there is a "Flag for Review" button in the upper right corner. Click this button before you leave a "guessed" question. (It also works in the Free Practice Test.)
- (2) At the end of the test, the computer says "You now have an opportunity to review the questions and answers." To do that, you click "Next" again.
- (3) You'll see a "Question Review" screen. It will say something like "34 questions, 3 not answered." All of the questions are listed; you can click directly on any of them. Unanswered questions are in red type.
- (4) At the bottom of this screen are three buttons: (a) "Review All," (b) "Review Unanswered," and (c) "Review Flagged." Clicking on (b) will take you to the unanswered questions. Clicking on (c) will take you to questions you have flagged.
- (5) When go back to any list or question, there is always a "Review Screen" button at the bottom so you can return to the whole list.
- (6) If you click on the "End Review" button, the computer will ask if you are sure you want to end your test. (Normally you should use all of the time you have and just let it run out.)
"THE TEST-TAKING SKILLS YOU NEED"