Are You Making Careless Mistakes? Here's How to Fix Them!

Whenever a student approaches me with the question, “How can I improve my GMAT score?,” I immediately ask about the student’s tendency to make careless mistakes. Careless mistakes come in all shapes and sizes, and they are all costly.

For example, you might overlook a crucial fact in the provided information, such as “x is less than zero.” You might make a calculation error, such as simplifying 14/34 as 7/16. You might not notice the word “except” in a Critical Reasoning question stem. As a result, you choose an incorrect answer.

If you make even one of these careless mistakes, your GMAT score will suffer. Thus, reducing the number of careless mistakes when answering GMAT questions will have a significant impact on your overall score.

Careless Mistakes Are Unforgivable

Unlike other errors that result in incorrect answers, careless mistakes do not typically reflect gaps in your content knowledge. Rather, careless mistakes are frequently the result of poor habits, such as:

[ul]
[li]reading questions too quickly[/li]
[li]rushing through calculations[/li]
[li]relying too heavily on mental math[/li]
[li]taking sloppy and disorganized notes[/li]
[/ul]
Careless mistakes are debilitating and frustrating because they can cause you to miss questions that you should have answered correctly. So, if you have a tendency to make careless mistakes, correcting them will certainly result in a higher GMAT score.

Fortunately, careless mistakes are preventable and can be avoided. You should maintain focus, follow a sound strategy, and put in the necessary time and effort into your work.

Careless Mistakes Are Completely Preventable

Become aware of your own tendency to make careless mistakes. This awareness is one of the most effective things you can do to reduce your chances of making them. If you are aware of your patterns, you can catch yourself in the act of making a mistake. In other words, you can alert yourself before you make a specific type of mistake.

Consider the following scenario: you notice a pattern of answering questions that aren’t being asked. So, you start double-checking what the question is asking before you choose your answer. You make sure, for example, that you do not answer a question about Theresa’s age when you’re asked to determine Martha’s age.

Or let’s say you notice that you frequently mix up numbers or lose track of calculations that involve math skills about which you are confident. After noticing that pattern, you could review your note-taking techniques and brush up on your calculation skills.

Making careless errors is quite common among test takers. Correcting them will have a significant positive impact on your GMAT score. Your error log will assist you in understanding the types of errors that are preventing you from making significant improvements in your score. So, make a note of any instances of your getting a question wrong due to a careless mistake, as well as the nature of the mistake.

Slow Down When Answering Questions

In addition to becoming aware of the careless mistakes you make, you must approach your work with a mindful and methodical approach when answering GMAT questions. For many test-takers, this approach involves doing something they dread: slowing down during their examinations. Concentrate on the problem at hand. Move slowly and methodically through it; this will help you make fewer careless mistakes and improve your score significantly.

Concentrate intently on each problem, working through each step as efficiently as possible. Don’t rush through the problem-solving process.

Honestly, it is better to take your time and avoid silly mistakes on four questions — even if doing so forces you to guess on the last question because you ran out of time — than to rush through those four questions and get them all wrong because you made mindless, avoidable mistakes.

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep