SPECIFIC GUESSING TECHNIQUES

How to do guessing? [1] SLANG Scientific sounding answers are better than slang ones. In the answer choices below, choice B is much less scientific and is incorrect, while choice A is a scientific analytical choice and is correct. Example: A.) o compare the outcomes of the two different !inds of treatment. B.) Because some sub"ects insisted on getting one or the other of the treatments. [2] EXT E!E STATE!ENTS A#oid wild answers that throw out highly contro#ersial ideas that are proclaimed as established fact. $hoice A is a radical idea and is incorrect. $hoice B is a calm rational statement. %otice that $hoice B does not ma!e a definiti#e, uncompromising stance, using a hedge word &if' to pro#ide wiggle room. Example: A.) Bypass surgery should be discontinued completely. B.) (edication should be used instead of surgery for patients who ha#e not had a heart attac! if they suffer from mild chest pain and mild coronary artery bloc!age. ["] SI!ILA ANS#E CH$ICES

)hen you ha#e two answer choices that are direct opposites, one of them is usually the correct answer. [%] HE&GING )hen as!ed for a conclusion that may be drawn, loo! for critical &hedge' phrases, such as li!ely, may, can, will often, sometimes, etc, often, almost, mostly, usually, generally, rarely, sometimes. *uestion writers insert these hedge phrases to co#er e#ery possibility. +ften an answer will be wrong simply because it lea#es no room for exception. A#oid answer choices that ha#e definiti#e words li!e &exactly,' and &always'. Example: Animals li#e longer in cold places than animals in warm places.

his answer choice lea#es no possibility of exception. It states that e#ery animal species in cold places li#e longer than animal species in warm places. $orrect answer choices will typically ha#e a !ey hedge word to lea#e room for exceptions. Example: In se#ere cold, a polar bear cub is li!ely to sur#i#e longer than an adult polar bear. his answer choice is correct, because not only does the passage imply that younger animals sur#i#e better in the cold, it also allows for exceptions to exist. he use of the word &li!ely' lea#es room for cases in which a polar bear cub might not sur#i#e longer than the adult polar bear.