How to guess answers in aptitude test?

Guessing answers in an aptitude test is never a guaranteed method, but strategic guessing can improve your chances when you’re short on time or genuinely stumped by a question. Below are practical tips, elimination methods, and a bit of test psychology to help you make the most educated guesses possible, especially when tackling aptitude tests for tech or software-related roles.

1. When (and When Not) to Guess

1.1 Negative Marking vs. No Negative Marking

• No Negative Marking: If there’s no penalty for wrong answers, you should attempt every question—even if it’s a pure guess—because a random guess still carries a chance of being correct.
• With Negative Marking: If each incorrect answer deducts points, your strategy changes. You’ll want to guess only when you can eliminate at least one or two implausible options.

1.2 Time Constraints

• If you’re running out of time, plan to leave at least the last minute to make strategic guesses on any unanswered questions.
• Don’t let a single tricky question eat away all of your time. It’s often better to skip and come back if time permits, then guess if you still can’t solve it.

2. Elimination Techniques

2.1 Look for Inconsistent Options

• Magnitude Checks: In numerical questions (like ratio or probability), one option might be unreasonably large or small compared to the others.
• Unit or Format Mismatch: Sometimes an answer choice stands out because it doesn’t fit the required units or format.

2.2 Compare Patterns and Structures

• Odd One Out: For logical or sequence-based questions, see if any option breaks the pattern in a noticeable way.
• Common Answer Structures: Some test designers sprinkle in obviously wrong distractors (like repeated answers) to weed out random guesses.

2.3 Partial Approximations

• Quick Arithmetic: For questions like “Which option is the best approximation of X?”, you can do a very rough calculation to narrow down plausible choices.
• Eliminate Irrational Answers: If your rough math yields a result close to 100 and an option is 3000, that’s likely incorrect.

3. Strategic Guessing Approaches

3.1 Binary Elimination

If you can eliminate two out of four options with decent confidence, you have a 50% chance on the remaining pair—much better than a 25% blind guess.

3.2 Educated Guesses in Coding Questions

For coding-related aptitude tests:

• Check Edge Cases: If the question involves pseudo-code, see if a choice obviously ignores edge cases (like null input or out-of-bounds arrays).
• Look for Common Data Structures: Sometimes answers reveal the use of specific data structures or patterns (like BFS, DFS, two pointers). If you recognize a mismatch between question requirements and the data structure in an option, that’s a sign to eliminate it.

Recommended Study:

• Grokking the Coding Interview: Patterns for Coding Questions
  Learning common coding patterns helps you spot inconsistencies in pseudo-code or proposed logic when you’re forced to guess.

4. Time-Saving Hacks

4.1 Skip and Return

Don’t get stuck. If a question is too time-consuming:

1. Mark It
2. Move On
3. Return Later
   If time remains minimal, employ your best elimination strategy or gut feeling for a final guess.

4.2 Set Micro-Deadlines

Allocate a certain amount of time (e.g., 30 seconds to 1 minute) per question. If it exceeds this limit, make a quick guess (ideally with some elimination) and move on.

5. Stay Calm and Collected

5.1 Relaxation Under Pressure

Guessing effectively requires a clear head. Practice short breathing exercises or quick mental resets if you start panicking about the clock.

5.2 Watch for Clue Words

In verbal or reading comprehension questions, certain words might signal the answer or indicate a trap. Being mindful of such hints can guide an educated guess.

6. Beyond Guessing: Strengthen Core Skills

While guessing strategies are valuable, improving your fundamental aptitude skills will reduce the number of wild guesses you need to make in the first place:

1. Data Structures & Algorithms

   • Grokking Data Structures & Algorithms for Coding Interviews
     A solid foundation helps you solve coding-related aptitude questions without resorting to guesswork.

2. Mock Interviews

   • Coding Mock Interview
     Real-time feedback from ex-FAANG engineers can pinpoint holes in your reasoning that cause you to guess too often.

3. Timed Drills and Practice
   The more you practice under exam-like conditions, the better you become at spotting incorrect answers quickly—reducing random guesses.

7. Final Thoughts

Guessing answers in an aptitude test is part art, part science. While it’s never as reliable as knowing the material thoroughly, strategic guessing can tip the odds in your favor when you’re running low on time or unable to find a precise solution. Prioritize elimination strategies, keep track of time, and make sure to maintain your composure.

Remember, the long-term fix for fewer guesses is stronger foundational knowledge—especially in coding patterns and data structures for tech roles. Combine these guessing strategies with a robust study plan or specialized courses from DesignGurus.io, and you’ll find yourself needing fewer guesses while consistently performing better on aptitude tests. Good luck!