Final answer:
Answer all questions on a test unless there is a penalty for wrong guesses. Prepare thoroughly for the exam to reduce the need to guess. Guessing with some elimination strategy may still be worth it if only a slight penalty exists.
Step-by-step explanation:
You should answer all the questions on a test unless there is a penalty for wrong guesses. Typically, standardized tests like the SAT do not penalize for wrong answers, so it's best to answer every question even if some appear too difficult or if you haven't skimmed the question first. However, if you are taking an exam that deducts points for incorrect answers, it's crucial to balance the potential gain of getting the answer correct against the risk of losing points. In such cases, if you can eliminate one or more answers as definitely incorrect, it might still be worth guessing from the remaining choices. For questions that are completely unfamiliar, it may be prudent to leave them blank to avoid penalties. Exams that have nuanced grading schemes provide numerical answers as hints or ranges to discourage guessing and encourage learning the material. A standard education system suggestion is to prepare thoroughly by reviewing questions provided at the end of the sections and forming study outlines for all topics. This approach will leave you better equipped to handle different types of questions, from recall-based queries to more complex analytical or opinion pieces.