If you are not sure what the correct answer to a particular question is, your best option is to blindly pick one of the answer choices. This way you have at least a 33% chance of getting it right. I find that anytime I try to arrive at the answer to a question that I am only vaguely familiar with by punching in numbers into my calculator, I am guaranteed to get it wrong. There is usually an answer choice to match what I incorrectly come up with. Curious to know if others have had a similar experience while doing the mocks.
Just choose the answer “closest” to the number you were able to calculate. It typically works best for me, probability-wise.
Yes the “closest” answer works if it is due to a rounding error or other minor errors such as if you used an exponent for the periodicity instead of multiplying. But if you are a little confused regarding the concept being questioned, they always seem to have booby traps among the wrong answer choices. hence probability of getting it wrong almost 100%, instead of 66%.
I agree with your logic about the booby traps, but I also sometimes know I have the formula off by one variable and can purposely test out the wrong calculation to see if it gives me any of the choices. I then know I can eliminate that choice. Kind of a backwards strategy, but it feels very vindicating to use the CFAI’s booby traps against them.