It is test day.  You are on question number 11 of the quantitative section.  You have been on question number 11 for the past 2 minutes.  You glance down at your scratch work and you see a tangle of equations and calculations, but not one of them is getting you any closer to the right answer.  What do you do?

The first instinct of most students is to check how much time is left.  This is an important consideration in determining your next step, but its usefulness varies based on a couple of factors, as we will see below.

After checking the time remaining, students have two basic options: continue working on the problem or make a strategic guess and move to the next question.  If you are clearly ahead on time, especially late in a section, take another minute to try to solve it. If you are clearly behind on time, especially early in a section, guess and go to the next question.

But, what to do if your timing is right on track?  Look at the work you have done so far and ask yourself the following: how close am I to the right answer?  If you determine that it will take you two minutes or more to get there, it is time to take a guess.  Remember, GMAT math problems are designed to be completed in an average time of two minutes.  If it is going to take you longer than that, your time is better spent on later problems that you will be able to complete in the appropriate time frame.  If, however, you believe you can get to the answer in a minute or less, go ahead and finish the problem.

If you opt for the latter option, after another minute ask yourself the question again.  If you still believe you can reach the answer within another minute keep working, otherwise guess.  If you ever reach the four minute mark, even if you think you are on the right track, you need to move on – you may not see it, but you are making an error somewhere and your time would be better spent on later problems.  Learning to let go when you truly are stuck can make all the difference in your overall time management and ultimately your score.