Unlike some exams, you’re not penalized for guessing on the Praxis Core exam. That means that you won’t lose any points for answering incorrectly. Instead, you have a 25% chance of answering correctly and increasing your final score with Praxis Core guessing. To increase the likelihood of guessing the right answer, remember these 5 tips.
Eliminate Implausible Answers
Start by eliminating answers that you know are incorrect. Even if you only eliminate one wrong answer, you now have a 1-in-3 chance of guessing the right answer.
Some of the things to look for in wrong answers include anything that is
- politically incorrect
- too critical of a certain demographic
- extreme (either too low or too high for numbers)
Disregard Unfamiliar Answers
After spending sufficient time studying the material, you should have a pretty good idea about the math, grammar, reading, and other concepts that could be on the exam. Because of this, there really shouldn’t be a whole lot of new and unfamiliar information. Unknown answers are probably wrong, so you can you eliminate those and guess between the remaining answers.
Check for Similar Answers
Are there 2 answers that seem very similar but are worded slightly different? If so, it’s possible that these answers are both wrong. For example, if one answer is the president and the other answer lists a president’s name. If you can’t pick 2 answers, then both of these responses are wrong.
On the other hand, sometimes a similar answer is used to trick you. If the answers are similar except for one slight difference, there’s a chance that one of those answers is the right one.
Also, look for answers that convey opposite meanings. Chances are that one of the answers is correct.
Look for False Information
If any part of the answer is false, then the entire answer is false. Pay attention for this on the grammar section especially. One answer might seem the most correct, but if there are grammatical errors in it, eliminate that choice and keep looking for the right one.
Don’t Skip Questions
It’s important to watch the clock and pace yourself appropriately. Make sure that you have plenty of time to get to all of the questions. If there is one that you’re unsure about, you could skip it and come back to it at the end. However, don’t leave any questions unanswered. In the last few minutes of the exam, go through the test and make sure that you choose an answer for each one that you missed.
After you’ve done all that you could do on the exam, don’t forget to make an educated guess on questions that you’re struggling with. Using these tips for Praxis Core guessing can help you increase the chances of getting those questions correct, and it may even help boost your score to help you pass.
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