HSPT Test Taking Strategies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: On the HSPT, points are NOT deducted for wrong answers. What does this mean for your strategy?
- Leave hard questions blank
- Answer every question, even by guessing (Correct answer)
- Only answer questions you are sure of
- Skip the last section
Correct answer: Answer every question, even by guessing
Since there is no penalty for guessing on the HSPT, you should answer every question to maximize your score.
Question 2: You have 5 minutes left and 10 questions remaining. What is the best approach?
- Solve each one carefully in order
- Make educated guesses quickly on all of them (Correct answer)
- Work only the first three
- Stop and recheck earlier answers
Correct answer: Make educated guesses quickly on all of them
With limited time and no guessing penalty, rapid educated guesses ensure every bubble is filled.
Question 3: When using the elimination strategy, what should you do first?
- Pick the longest answer
- Cross out clearly wrong choices (Correct answer)
- Choose the first option
- Guess randomly
Correct answer: Cross out clearly wrong choices
Eliminating obviously wrong answers raises your odds on the remaining choices.
Question 4: Why is it important to fill in answer bubbles completely on the HSPT?
- It looks neater
- The machine scanner may misread partial marks (Correct answer)
- It saves time
- Teachers prefer it
Correct answer: The machine scanner may misread partial marks
The HSPT is machine-scored, so incomplete or stray marks can be misread as wrong or blank.
Question 5: What is the benefit of answering easy questions first?
- You waste time
- You secure quick points and build confidence (Correct answer)
- It confuses the scanner
- It is required by rules
Correct answer: You secure quick points and build confidence
Tackling easy questions first banks sure points and leaves more time for hard ones.
Question 6: If two answer choices are direct opposites, what is often true?
- Both are correct
- One of them is likely the answer (Correct answer)
- Both are wrong
- You should skip the question
Correct answer: One of them is likely the answer
When two choices are opposites, the test writer often made one of them the correct answer.
Question 7: What should you do if you finish a section early?
- Sit and wait
- Review your answers and check for skipped items (Correct answer)
- Move ahead to the next section
- Change all your answers
Correct answer: Review your answers and check for skipped items
Extra time is best spent reviewing answers and ensuring no questions were skipped.
HSPT Test Taking Strategies 2
On the HSPT, points are NOT deducted for wrong answers.
What does this mean for your strategy?