Braylon Heard Article

Po Belini said:
His teachers should tell him to pick "C" if he doesn't know the answer. My teachers told me this, I couldn't remember what the reasoning behind it was, but it helped me out.
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Actually... the more important thing is if you're going to guess, just stick with the same letter and don't guess c one time, b the next, d, a, etc.... less chance to get ONE right.. and another hint.. if you don't know the answer on english... unless it's OBVIOUSLY wrong.. pick the shortest answer....

 
huskerswrkhavoc said:
Po Belini said:
His teachers should tell him to pick "C" if he doesn't know the answer. My teachers told me this, I couldn't remember what the reasoning behind it was, but it helped me out.
Click to expand...


Actually... the more important thing is if you're going to guess, just stick with the same letter and don't guess c one time, b the next, d, a, etc.... less chance to get ONE right.. and another hint.. if you don't know the answer on english... unless it's OBVIOUSLY wrong.. pick the shortest answer....
Click to expand...
Huh???

:( at any teacher that says that. Letter bias is a myth and it can't possibly be based on anything, except a statistical analysis of every released test in a certain timeframe. Even then, it would only crop up due to random chance and not be a reliable indicator to alter test-taking behavior for the next test.

Additionally, you are looking at a random 1-in-5 chance at getting each question correct if you guess blindly. These are independent events with no relation to one another. So it should not matter in the slightest if you stick to the same letter, or not. I guess maybe the test attempts to distribute A/B/C/D/E evenly for correct answers? I don't know if that is the case, though, and you could wind up screwed if you pick the wrong letter. The only real definite advantage I see to doing that, is it takes less thinking. It's only something you do if there is literally no time to do anything else and wrong answers aren't penalized. On the ACT I forget, but I don't think they are...maybe there is a compelling argument here for what you guys are saying, but I can't think of any.

Instead of any crazy rules like that, the only advice that should be given is to focus on maximizing your chances for success, which you can do by eliminating a definite wrong answer or two. Eliminate one and guess blindly, and your chances are improved greatly. Eliminate two and even further.

 
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Po Belini said:
irieboy8 said:
Po Belini said:
His teachers should tell him to pick "C" if he doesn't know the answer. My teachers told me this, I couldn't remember what the reasoning behind it was, but it helped me out.
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no offense but why would you admit to that........

:LOLtartar
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Well, it wasn't just me, the whole class. But I got into college so were all good.
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well just as long as you studied and passed i guess thats all that matters...... if it makes you feel better i was hung over and just had finishing burning a huge joint before taking my SAT.....sadly i didn't do so well.. .which caused me to go to a substandard college... where i actually met my wife whom i married and have two kids with.... god bless that jay-bird

:horns2

 
These tests generally offer partial credit equal to 1/4 of a correct answer for any left blank. In the event that you can leave all you do not know blank and get a 17, you would be better off guessing on the remaining problems. You have a 50% chance of doing better and a 50% chance of doing worse. Over a few attempts, you are bound to hit an 18. Answering all C, however, on those you do not know is not advisable. You are essentially assuring yourself the same score as if you had left them blank as the test (if appropriately derived) would not have a larger number of correct answers constituting "C" than other answers. You would be shooting about 1/4 as always. It is generally best to eliminate any answers you are sure are incorrect and guess among the remaining answers. This should statistically raise your score most of the time over leaving them blank.

A better choice in regards to answering all the same letter would be to count the answers you have indicated for each letter and use the least used answer for the remainder of the problems. This still is not the best test-taking strategy as noted above.

 
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bbeerma2 said:
These tests generally offer partial credit equal to 1/4 of a correct answer for any left blank. In the event that you can leave all you do not know blank and get a 17, you would be better off guessing on the remaining problems. You have a 50% chance of doing better and a 50% chance of doing worse. Over a few attempts, you are bound to hit an 18. Answering all C, however, on those you do not know is not advisable. You are essentially assuring yourself the same score as if you had left them blank as the test (if appropriately derived) would not have a larger number of correct answers constituting "C" than other answers. You would be shooting about 1/4 as always. It is generally best to eliminate any answers you are sure are incorrect and guess among the remaining answers. This should statistically raise your score most of the time over leaving them blank.

A better choice in regards to answering all the same letter would be to count the answers you have indicated for each letter and use the least used answer for the remainder of the problems. This still is not the best test-taking strategy as noted above.
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Actually only the SAT do they not punish you for leaving it blank. On the ACT, however, no answer is the same as the wrong answer.

 
irieboy8 said:
Po Belini said:
irieboy8 said:
Po Belini said:
His teachers should tell him to pick "C" if he doesn't know the answer. My teachers told me this, I couldn't remember what the reasoning behind it was, but it helped me out.
Click to expand...
no offense but why would you admit to that........

:LOLtartar
Click to expand...
Well, it wasn't just me, the whole class. But I got into college so were all good.
Click to expand...

well just as long as you studied and passed i guess thats all that matters...... if it makes you feel better i was hung over and just had finishing burning a huge joint before taking my SAT.....sadly i didn't do so well.. .which caused me to go to a substandard college... where i actually met my wife whom i married and have two kids with.... god bless that jay-bird

:horns2
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Woah now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I never said I studied for this test :LOLtartar

 
a 20 is automatic acceptance into any of the state universities, but i dont know if there is a set minimum. i think its up to the university (and coaches) to look at the rest of his numbers/achievements, like GPA and such

 
BornRedCornFed said:
a 20 is automatic acceptance into any of the state universities, but i dont know if there is a set minimum.
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To my knowledge there is not a minimum for admission to UNL outside program specific minimums. Whether you would actually be accepted with a score lower than 20 though, I don't know.

The NCAA requirements for student athletes are fair, with an emphasis on student. I feel a little sorry for the people right on the edge of the requirements, but those requirements are still lower than a non-athlete would need for acceptance into the vast majority of universities.

 
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Po Belini said:
His teachers should tell him to pick "C" if he doesn't know the answer. My teachers told me this, I couldn't remember what the reasoning behind it was, but it helped me out.
Click to expand...
The ACT workshops will tell you the same thing. They will tell you if you don't know the answer and C is still a choice after a process of elimination to go with C.

 
If it is scored unlike the SAT, still picking C may not be the best choice. It's similar to the Monty Hall problem. It's always better to switch your answer if you are shown an incorrect answer. If you can eliminate some non-C answers, but you have entered into the problem with your choice as C... you are reducing your chances of scoring the correct response by limiting yourself to C in all situations. You are hamstrung to a 1/4 chance on any problem where you cannot eliminate C with this method.

Of course this assumes an equal distribution of correct answers to all choices (A, B, C, D)

 
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zoogies said:
Huh???

:( at any teacher that says that. Letter bias is a myth and it can't possibly be based on anything, except a statistical analysis of every released test in a certain timeframe. Even then, it would only crop up due to random chance and not be a reliable indicator to alter test-taking behavior for the next test.

Additionally, you are looking at a random 1-in-5 chance at getting each question correct if you guess blindly. These are independent events with no relation to one another. So it should not matter in the slightest if you stick to the same letter, or not. I guess maybe the test attempts to distribute A/B/C/D/E evenly for correct answers? I don't know if that is the case, though, and you could wind up screwed if you pick the wrong letter. The only real definite advantage I see to doing that, is it takes less thinking. It's only something you do if there is literally no time to do anything else and wrong answers aren't penalized. On the ACT I forget, but I don't think they are...maybe there is a compelling argument here for what you guys are saying, but I can't think of any.

Instead of any crazy rules like that, the only advice that should be given is to focus on maximizing your chances for success, which you can do by eliminating a definite wrong answer or two. Eliminate one and guess blindly, and your chances are improved greatly. Eliminate two and even further.
Click to expand...
I took John Baylor's ACT test prep class many years ago and he told us if you have no idea on a question on the ACT do this:

English - if it's not obviously wrong, go with the shortest.

Other 3 Subjects - Guess C.

He said he tells athletes having a hard time passing to just go with C. At the time, he claimed guessing all C's would get you a 16 or something like that, so sprinkling in some correct answers he said you had a decent shot at a 17 or 18.

 
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FourthDegree said:
bball_backer said:
FourthDegree said:
Whats sad is he needs an 18 and can't get it. It not hard to pull an 18, I got a 20 and never really prepared for it. I hope everything works out for the young man, but it makes you wonder if he'll will be disciplined and smart enough to learn the offense let alone pass his classes.
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This is simply not at all how it works. An ACT proves nothing as far as your capability to learn, especially when you're comparing math and football or reading and football. The ACT doesn't prove much about a person as a student, either. Back when I was taking the ACT, I scored 9 points higher than my girlfriend. Yet her college GPA was .7 points higher than mine at graduation (she also had a harder major).
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How long has he been taking this test? Has to be at least a year. Granted a test like this means nothing in the long run, or in his ability to remember formations however, it contains basic building blocks for courses he will be taking as he progresses in his major. If he is serious about college then he should be well informed of the material on the test.

I'm not saying this test replicates his make-up as a person, it's just that after multiple attempts he has yet to "pass" a test as he shooting for the minimum score. An "F" more or less.
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Some people are just terrible test takers... the deal with my girlfriend was that she just freaked out and got super nervous for it and could never do as well as she was capable of. She was valedictorian or salutatorian (don't remember which) but in the bottom half of the class as far as ACT scores simply because she let it get into her head. I'd say for a highly touted recruit, wanting to get in so badly and having the troubles he has had thus far, it's probably pretty easy for this to get in his head. If that's the case it doesn't matter how many times he takes it.

 
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