As mentioned in the table above, the bend type is usually selected based on the material, not necessarily which test shows a higher load at fracture. In most cases, non-homogeneous materials tend to be stiffer and more brittle, so using a 4-point bend test will prevent the material from failing prematurely by distributing the load over 2 anvils. As one is subjecting the material to a larger area of force with the 4 point bend than with the 3 point bend test, the results will not always be similar. This will of course depend on what kind of material you are testing. Feel free to send us more information on your particular test so that we can make more specific recommendations!