Does time matter?

This topic has expert replies
Source: — GMAT Strategy |

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Site Admin
Posts: 6778
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2006 8:30 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Thanked: 1249 times
Followed by:994 members

by beatthegmat » Mon May 03, 2010 10:41 pm
No your scores won't be different--but I will say this.

if you finish 35 questions with 15 minutes to spare, I would say that you did a poor job pacing yourself. All that extra time could have been spent double-checking your work to ensure that it was absolutely correct. Finishing with a lot of time usually is an indicator that you are pacing yourself way too fast and may be risking careless errors.

Your ideal should be to finish each section with 2 seconds to spare! It's tough, but certainly do-able with some practice.

Good luck! And sorry for that mini-lecture. :)
Beat The GMAT | The MBA Social Network
Community Management Team

Research Top GMAT Prep Courses:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/gmat-prep-courses

Research The World's Top MBA Programs:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/school

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 4:07 pm

by here2learn » Mon May 03, 2010 10:51 pm
Thanks for the answer, Eric!

I had really included 15 minutes to draw contrast with 2 seconds. I have actually had the opposite time management problem where I realize that I have 10 minutes to finish 10 problems. Your words on pacing are much appreciated.

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1031
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:23 pm
Location: Malibu, CA
Thanked: 716 times
Followed by:255 members
GMAT Score:750

by Brian@VeritasPrep » Tue May 04, 2010 10:03 am
In his defense, Eric, he did say that he would get 35 right...I'd take that on either section, regardless of timing!

Kidding aside, since you're talking about pacing, I'll echo Eric's point that pacing is a huge key to success on the GMAT. There are a few ways that I recommend that you pick up the pace:

1) Most problem solving seconds lost come within the first 30-40 seconds of looking at a question. See if you can have more value to show for your first 30 seconds on each question by actively reading the problem. Assign variables, turn sentences into equations or mathematical relationships, etc. while you read. If you read the question first, then go back to get started, you don't have much to show for that initial read, and you may not be all that focused the first time through, either. Just the process of turning the test's words into your calculations can save a healthy 15-20 seconds on each of several problems.

2) The answer choices can guide you, as well - take a peek at the answer choices before you start making calculations, as you may find the possibility to make an estimate or use a number property to avoid making extensive calculations. This can also save you a fair amount of time on multiple questions, adding to your overall bank of time.

3) Return to your practice tests to see if you can find patterns in the types of questions on which you spend more than 2 minutes (the average amount of time for a quant question). If it seems as though a certain type of math slows you down, you can then drill those concepts to increase your speed while performing operations or recognizing concepts.

It doesn't sound like you have too far to go to get your pacing just about perfect - if you're around 10 minutes left for 10 questions, an extra 7-10 minutes would do wonders for you. Getting an extra 15-20 seconds per question will do the trick, so you're well on pace to perfect your pacing!
Brian Galvin
GMAT Instructor
Chief Academic Officer
Veritas Prep

Looking for GMAT practice questions? Try out the Veritas Prep Question Bank. Learn More.

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Site Admin
Posts: 6778
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2006 8:30 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Thanked: 1249 times
Followed by:994 members

by beatthegmat » Tue May 04, 2010 10:20 am
Happy to help, here2learn! And to Brian's point--if you can ever manage answering all questions in a section with 15 min to spare--please tell us how you did it! :)
Beat The GMAT | The MBA Social Network
Community Management Team

Research Top GMAT Prep Courses:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/gmat-prep-courses

Research The World's Top MBA Programs:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/school