If you’ve ever taken a standardized test—like the SAT, ACT, or PSAT—you’ve probably encountered some questions that you didn’t know how to answer. When this happens, you should always guess, even if you have no idea which choice is correct.
The previous version of the SAT had what’s known as a “guessing penalty,” meaning points were deducted for any incorrect answer. However, on the tests you’ll take today you do not lose any points for wrong answers, so you should bubble in a response to every question.
[ Read Next: Top PSAT Tips and Strategies ]
PSAT, ACT, and SAT Guessing Strategies
Guessing on the ACT, SAT, or PSAT does two things: it increases your odds of getting a correct answer, and it makes strategic use of your time by letting you focus your energy (and time) on questions that you know how to do.
That said, there are ways to guess strategically. To help you make the most out of your guesses, consider these test-day tips:
GUESSING STRATEGY: PICK A “LETTER OF THE DAY”
Before beginning the test, choose a letter to use for every guess you make. Maybe your letter is “A for Awesome!” or “D for Done!” It doesn’t matter which letter you choose because they are all equally likely to be correct. What does matter is that you are consistent, as you increase your odds of getting a correct answer if you bubble in the same letter every time.
Guess if a question becomes time consuming or confusing.
You should spend time on the questions that you will be able to answer. If you feel like you are spending too much time on any question, guess and move on. While this may seem like you are giving up too easily, what you’re really doing is being strategic. You can always return to those questions later. Strategic test-takers know to spend their time on questions they are likely to answer correctly, not to stubbornly work through a difficult or time-consuming question before they have seen other, potentially easier, questions.
Eliminate obviously wrong answers whenever possible.
In some cases, you can eliminate answer choices with very little effort. For instance, if a math question asks for the solution for x and tells you that x must be greater than zero, eliminate all negative answer choices. Even if you can’t solve the problem, you should guess from the remaining choices.
Guess a simple integer for grid-in questions on SAT and PSAT Math.
If you have enough time and cannot figure out the answer to a grid-in, you can bubble in your favorite integer, like 1 or 2.
SHOULD YOU GUESS ON THE SAT?: SUGGESTED TIMING
The SAT is 3 hours and 15 minutes long, not counting the optional essay, which will add an additional 50 minutes to the total testing time, including breaks.
Earning a good SAT score is a huge accomplishment. The exam requires you to be an efficient test-taker who understands how to maximize your score by using guessing strategies when needed–and not get hung up on difficult questions that will run out the clock.
Here is the timing breakdown for each section of the SAT, including the maximum amount of time you should spend per question. If you sense you are taking more than the allotted time for any single question, guess and move on.
| Section | Number of Questions | Total Time | Time Per Question |
| Reading (5 passage sets) | 52 multiple-choice questions | 65 minutes | 13 minutes per passage. Spend 5 minutes reading each passage and about 46 seconds per question |
| Writing and Language | 44 multiple-choice items | 35 minutes | 48 seconds per item |
| Math | 58 items: 45 multiple-choice & 13 fill-in | 80 minutes | 1 minute, 22 seconds per item |
SHOULD YOU GUESS ON THE ACT?: SUGGESTED TIMING
The ACT is 2 hours and 55 minutes long—with breaks it runs 3 hours and 30 minutes. The ACT Plus Writing is 3 hours and 40 minutes long and just over 40 minutes including breaks.
Here is the timing breakdown for each section of the ACT, including the maximum amount of time you should spend per question. If you sense you are taking more than the allotted time for any single question, guess and move on.
| Section | Number of Questions | Total Time | Time Per Question |
| English | 75 multiple-choice questions | 45 minutes | 36 seconds per question |
| Math | 60 multiple-choice questions | 60 minutes | 1 minute per question |
| Reading (4 passages) | 40 multiple-choice questions | 35 minutes | 8 minutes and 45 seconds per passage. Spend no more than 4 minutes reading each question and about 30 seconds per question. |
| Science | 40 multiple-choice questions | 35 minutes | 52 seconds per question |
SHOULD YOU GUESS ON THE PSAT?: SUGGESTED TIMING
The PSAT is 2 hours and 45 minutes long.
Here is the timing breakdown for each section of the PSAT, including the maximum amount of time you should spend per question. If you sense you are taking more than the allotted time for any single question, guess and move on.
| Section | Number of Questions | Total Time | Time Per Question |
| Reading (5 passage sets) | 47 questions | 60 minutes | 12 minutes per passage. Spend 5 minutes reading each passage and about 45 seconds per question. |
| Writing and Language | 44 items | 35 minutes | 47 seconds per item |
| Math | 48 questions | 70 minutes | 1 minute, 27 seconds per item |
FAQs
Even though there's a 75 percent chance of selecting the incorrect answer, you won't lose any points for doing so. The worst that can happen on the PSAT is that you'll earn zero points on a question, which means you should always at least take a guess, even when you have no idea what to do.
Is it better to guess on the ACT or SAT? ›
At present, a wrong answer on either test does nothing to your score—it won't hurt it, but it can't help it either. Many students (and their parents) remember the old guessing penalty, and they are afraid to take a chance on a question.
Is it better to guess on the PSAT? ›
Because there are three wrong answers and only one right answer on each PSAT question, looking for the wrong answers first increases your odds of getting the question correct. Third, when in doubt, guess randomly. Most tutors teach you to select the same answer choice.
Is it better to guess or leave blank on the ACT? ›
There is no penalty for guessing on the ACT. Never, ever, ever, leave any answers blank. You have a 25% chance of getting the question right if you guess.
Is it better to guess or skip on the SAT? ›
On all questions, there's no penalty for guessing: if you're not sure of the answer, it's better to guess than leave the response blank.
Is C the most common answer on SAT? ›
There is no most common answer on the SAT.
Are you penalized for guessing on ACT? ›
(There is no penalty for guessing.) Then we converted your raw scores (number of correct answers on each test) to "scale scores." Scale scores have the same meaning for all the different forms of the ACT® test, no matter which date a test was taken.
Should you guess on the PSAT or leave them blank? ›
Scores are calculated based on the number of questions a test-taker answers correctly. Unlike in the past, the latest version of the PSAT does not include a penalty for incorrect answers, so students are encouraged to guess on questions, rather than leave them blank, if they do not know the answer.
Is a 1050 PSAT score good or bad? ›
A good score places you around the 75th percentile, which is a composite score around 1050. An excellent score will place you in the 90th percentile, which equates with a composite score of around 1170.
Does a bad PSAT score hurt you? ›
Getting a PSAT score lower than you wanted can be disappointing, but, fortunately, a low PSAT score won't impact your college applications, and there are methods you can follow to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.
I'm sure you've heard this at some point “if you don't know the answer, always guess C. because it's the most common correct option”. That's just a myth, and generally there are no most common answers on multiple choice tests.
Is a 16 on ACT good? ›
A 16 on the ACT falls within the 24th percentile of scores, which means that you scored higher than about 24 percent of test-takers. Although this score is not considered high, it may be sufficient for some colleges, particularly if you have a strong GPA, extracurriculars, and other aspects of your application.
How hard is it to get a 36 on ACT? ›
Unsurprisingly, a full 36 is the rarest score of all—just 0.18% of all test takers earned a perfect ACT score.
Is it better to skip questions on the PSAT or guess? ›
Even though there's a 75 percent chance of selecting the incorrect answer, you won't lose any points for doing so. The worst that can happen on the PSAT is that you'll earn zero points on a question, which means you should always at least take a guess, even when you have no idea what to do.
Can you get a 1600 on the SAT and miss a question? ›
Generally speaking, you can miss 1-2 questions on each section and still get a perfect 1600. How many questions you can miss on each section and still hit your target score will depend on your exam's difficulty level and how raw scores convert into scaled scores for that particular test.
Does taking the SAT 5 times look bad? ›
Students can take the SAT as many times as they want. We recommend that they take it at least twice—in the spring of their junior year and the fall of their senior year. Most students get a higher score the second time, and most colleges consider a student's highest SAT score when making admission decisions.
Is it easier to get a better score on the ACT or SAT? ›
The SAT is better if you're near a top score, because it's easier to “ace”—to get a 99th percentile or perfect score on—than the ACT. There are many reasons for this, but if you think you're going to be scoring high, your chances of scoring in the highest percentiles are better on the SAT.
Should I guess b or c? ›
The truth is that it doesn't matter which letter you pick, only that you stick to the one you choose. The best strategy, and the one that will maximize your overall point gain, is to pick your favorite letter and fill it in for every blind guess.
Do colleges look more at ACT or SAT? ›
This is a common misconception. Colleges don't have a preference between the SAT or ACT so it's important to know how to choose the test that's right for you. Both tests are widely accepted across U.S. colleges—including those that are test optional.
Which is better for reading SAT or ACT? ›
If you have a good memory for longer passages and small details, you will have an advantage on the ACT. If you are good at picking information out of a passage, you might do better on the SAT.
