How should you handle difficult questions and guessing on a test?

"If you come across a tough question, mark it so you can come back to it later. Avoid spending so much time on a challenging question that you might run out of time to answer the questions you do know. Rule 8: Know If There Is a Guessing Penalty. Chances are your tests will carry no penalty for guessing. If your time is about to run out and there is no penalty, take a wild guess. On the other hand, if your test carries a penalty for guessing, choose your answers wisely, and leave blank the answers you do not know. Rule 9: Avoid Changing Your Answers. Have you ever chosen an answer, changed it, and learned later that your first choice was correct? Research indicates that three out of four times, your first choice is correct; therefore, you should avoid changing an answer unless you are absolutely sure the answer is wrong. Rule 10: Write Clearly and Neatly. If you are handwriting your test (versus using a computer), imagine your instructor reading your writing. Is it easy to read or difficult? The easier your test is for the instructor to read, the better your chances of getting a higher grade. Here are some websites to help you learn more about taking tests: Essay tests and a checklist for essay tests http://www.calpoly.edu/~sas/asc/ael/tests.essay.html Checklist for essay tests http://www.mtsu.edu/~studskl/essay.html General test taking http://www.calpoly.edu/~sas/asc/ael/tests.general.html Post-test analysis http://www.calpoly.edu/~sas/asc/ael/tests.post.test.analysis.html"