Maria is taking a multiple-choice test with 5 options for each question, and 3 marks for each correct answer. The test is negatively marked, which means she is deducted points for each answer she gets wrong. She will not be deducted any marks if she does not attempt the question. Maria is trying to figure out if it is beneficial to guess the answer to a question once she has narrowed down the number of potentially correct answers. Assume that once Maria has narrowed down the questions, all remaining answers are equally likely to be correct from Maria’s point of view. A guess is worthwhile if it is a better option than not attempting the question. Question On the first question, Maria will lose 1 mark if she is incorrect. What is the minimum number of answers Maria will need to eliminate for a guess to be worthwhile?

A First Course in Probability (10th Edition)
10th Edition
ISBN:9780134753119
Author:Sheldon Ross
Publisher:Sheldon Ross
Chapter1: Combinatorial Analysis
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1.1P: a. How many different 7-place license plates are possible if the first 2 places are for letters and...
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Maria is taking a multiple-choice test with 5 options for each question, and 3 marks for each correct answer. The test is negatively marked, which means she is deducted points for each answer she gets wrong. She will not be deducted any marks if she does not attempt the question. Maria is trying to figure out if it is beneficial to guess the answer to a question once she has narrowed down the number of potentially correct answers. Assume that once Maria has narrowed down the questions, all remaining answers are equally likely to be correct from Maria’s point of view. A guess is worthwhile if it is a better option than not attempting the question.

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On the first question, Maria will lose 1 mark if she is incorrect. What is the minimum number of answers Maria will need to eliminate for a guess to be worthwhile?
 
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