The Art of Guessing: Smart Strategies for Multiple-Choice Tests
We’ve all been there… staring at a tricky multiple-choice question, feeling unsure, and thinking, “I have no idea.” When every moment counts and the time keeps ticking away, that moment of doubt can feel like a dead end. But here’s the good news: guessing isn’t just a last resort—it’s a strategy. And like any strategy, it can be practiced and improved.
In this article, we’re sharing how smart guessing combined with process of elimination and critical thinking can turn uncertainty into opportunity. These aren’t just tips from experience—they’re backed by research, tested in classrooms, and used by students preparing for standardized tests like the ISEE, SSAT, SAT, and ACT.
Let’s break down the strategies that help students guess smarter.
1. Use the Process of Elimination
Start by asking: “Which answers are clearly wrong?” Cross those out. Removing even one or two wrong choices dramatically increases your odds of guessing correctly. You might be surprised how many questions can be answered purely by elimination, until there is only one option remaining.
This method is especially powerful on logical reasoning questions. Studies have shown that when students (and even AI systems) eliminate unlikely answers first, accuracy goes up— especially on tests that ask students to think critically, not just recall facts. This method removes distracting options, and there are often simple ways to differentiate between the fewer remaining candidates (e.g. estimating in math problems).
Turn theory into action: Try saying to your child “First start by removing what doesn’t make sense. Then you can focus on the remaining options.”
2. Trust Your Gut—but Train It
Often students can eliminate some answers, but then get stuck between two final options. Here’s where intuition can help, but only if it's been trained through practice. Encourage your child to take regular mock tests and review why they chose the answer they did. Over time, they’ll notice patterns and develop stronger instincts.
If a student says, “I just had a feeling it was B,” that’s not a bad thing. The key is helping them connect that feeling to systematic evidence and processes so they can apply the same insights to other problems.
3. Avoid Extremes and Absolutes
Answers that use words like “always,” “never,” “none” or “all of the above” are often (but not always!) wrong precisely because they’re too absolute. Encourage students to be skeptical of these options unless the question clearly supports them.
4. Pick the Most Inclusive, Generic or “Umbrella” Option
The flip side of ‘avoid extremes and absolutes’ is to steer towards inclusive, generic answers. When one answer choice includes or covers the others, it's often the best choice. This is called the “umbrella strategy.” For example, here are the answer options to a practice SAT question without the accompanying text. Even without the text, you can use the generic strategy to identify the correct answer, A. With the text, you could also use process of elimination to remove the more specific, incorrect options.
5. Look for Patterns in Similar or Opposite Choices
If two answer choices are very similar, often it’s one of these options that is the correct one. Similarly, if two choices are opposites (negative vs positive or reciprocal fractions), chances are good that one of them is the right answer. Paying extra attention to these options also helps students zero in on crucial wording differences that lead many students astray into trap answers, but can lead you to the right choice.
Boosting awareness of how tests are designed and using those trap answers to your advantage can empower your student to feel like they are attacking the test, not the other way round.
6. Use Keyword Matches
Encourage your child to look for keyword matches between the question or text and one of the answers. We call these ‘word searches’. Practice identifying which words in the question or answer options are keywords worth searching for. Names, dates, unusual words and numbers are often a great place to start. Pay special attention to different ways to state numbers (e.g. 24 vs two dozen, 100 years vs a century, etc.)
7. Guess Strategically, Not Randomly
If all else fails, guess, but make it an educated guess.
Rule out what you can. Even eliminating one option improves the odds.
Pick consistently. If time’s almost up, guess the same letter (e.g., “B” or “C”) rather than randomizing each answer.
Don’t leave it blank. On most standardized tests, there’s no penalty for wrong answers so blanks are giving away free points. A guess gives you a shot.
The SSAT is an exception, penalizing students 1/4 point for wrong answers. Since there are 5 answer options, guessing still becomes worth it as soon as you eliminate even one option. So, don’t guess completely randomly if you’ve run out of time, but do try to guess if you can eliminate one or more incorrect answer options.
Parents: Here’s How You Can Help
Practice Process of Elimination together – Use practice tests to walk through questions and eliminate choices out loud.
Celebrate good process, not just right answers – If your child explains their reasoning and still gets it wrong, praise the process.
Use real-world guessing games – “Which checkout line will be fastest?” “Which dish has garlic in it?” Treat real-life decisions like mini multiple-choice questions to train intuition and encourage taking a guess efficiently rather than getting stuck without a solution.
Final Thoughts: Confidence Is the Best Strategy
Guessing isn’t a failure: it’s a skill. With practice, students can turn tricky questions into opportunities. The goal is to empower students with a system of tools to keep them moving efficiently when they’re unsure, stay calm under pressure, and make strategic decisions.
At Now Test Prep, we don’t just teach what to study, we teach how to think. Want to help your child become a more confident test-taker? Let’s start building smart strategies that lead to better results—and stronger learners for life.
