We’ve all been there: you’re taking a test, you bubble in C, but then doubt creeps in. Suddenly, B looks kind of good. Maybe even D. You stare at the question like it’s taunting you. Do you trust your gut or erase and switch?

Teachers love to say, “Never change your first answer!” And honestly, they’re kind of right. But also kind of wrong. Here’s the truth about the first-answer curse—and when you should break it.

Why Your First Answer is Usually Right

1. Gut Instinct = Pattern Recognition.

Your brain is smarter than you think. Even if you don’t consciously know the answer, your subconscious has probably seen the concept before and is nudging you toward the right choice. That first instinct? It’s often correct because your brain is doing quick math behind the scenes.

2. Overthinking is the Real Villain.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever changed an answer just to regret it later (me ). Most of the time, switching happens because we panic. We start reading too much into the question, convincing ourselves it’s a trick, when really the test-maker just wanted a straightforward answer.

3. Statistics Back It Up.

Studies actually show that more often than not, your first guess is right. Every time you change it without a good reason, you risk lowering your score.

Basically, if you bubbled it in confidently the first time, odds are good you should leave it alone.

When You Shouldn’t Trust Your First Answer

But—plot twist—it’s not always wrong to switch. There are moments when erasing that bubble is the smartest move you can make.

1. You Misread the Question.

Classic mistake: the question asks for least likely and you answered like it said most likely. If you catch a reading slip, change it. Always.

2. New Info Appears Later.

Sometimes another problem later in the test basically gives away the answer to an earlier one. If Question 12 unlocks Question 3, don’t ignore it. Go back and fix it.

3. You Remember the Rule.

If you’re staring at a math problem and suddenly recall the formula you blanked on earlier, that’s not overthinking—that’s remembering. Trust it.

My Personal Rule: “Panic vs. Logic”

Here’s how I decide:

• If I’m changing my answer out of panic (“C just feels wrong, I don’t know why”), I leave it.
• If I’m changing my answer because of logic (“Wait, exothermic means heat released, so the answer has to be B”), I switch.

That little gut-check saves me from making panic erasures while still letting me correct genuine mistakes.

Test-Taking Flashbacks

Let me paint you some tragic (and hilarious) test-day scenarios:

• The DECA Disaster. I bubbled in D for a marketing question. Then I stared at it for five minutes convincing myself it was B. I changed it. Guess what? It was D. I basically erased my way out of a right answer.
• The AP Chem Redemption Arc. I misread a limiting reagent question (rookie mistake). Luckily, a later problem reminded me of the actual rule. I went back, switched, and saved myself from a giant zero.
• The SAT Regret. On the reading section, I doubted my gut, erased, and switched from the correct answer to a completely ridiculous one. Later, when I saw the right answer in the key, I wanted to throw my pencil across the room. (Don’t worry—I didn’t. Mostly because I didn’t want to pay College Board for damages.)

Moral of the story: panic switching = regret. Logical switching = lifesaver.

Eraser Regret is Real

There’s nothing worse than checking your test back later and realizing your first instinct was right all along. It’s this special type of pain where you can literally see the ghost of your erased answer haunting you. The faint pencil marks mocking your life choices. Truly the stuff of nightmares.

Final Thoughts

So no, the rule isn’t “never change your first answer.” The rule is: don’t let panic be your test strategy. Trust your instincts, but if your brain later provides you with solid evidence to the contrary—switch it.

Think of it like this: your first answer is the default. You only hit “edit” if your brain actually has receipts.

Because the only thing worse than getting a question wrong is erasing the right answer… and then getting it wrong anyway.