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How do I improve my timing on the QUANT section???

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How do I improve my timing on the QUANT section???

by jkwan » Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:28 am
Hi guys,

My GMAT is in 2 weeks...I've been studying since the beginning of the year..and prior to this (2 years ago) I had taken a prep course but didn't score well on my actual GMAT, so this time around I had decided to hire a a tutor instead of paying for another prep course, so I can get help in the specific area I need ...

The tutor has been a great help, but when I took the practice CATs this past weekend (I took 2 total, one with Manhattan GMAT and one with 800score) and I ended up scoring low on both practice tests (600 on each). As you can see in my signature block, the highest I've scored on the practice CATs was 640, so I'm feeling a little defeated that I'm getting a lower score despite my daily effort on preparing for the test. And 2 years ago, I scored nearly 50-60 points lower on my actual GMAT than the score I had been getting on my practice exams, so this is the particular reason why I focus so much on the score, even though I know I shouldn't focus so much on the score. when I went over my test results to see the types of questions I've missed, I see that on my math section, I have missed a lot of the questions that I indeed KNOW how to do, but just don't have enough time to solve them - do you guys have any suggestion on how I can improve my speed on the math section? I know practice makes perfect, but I'm already doing a lot of practice, and just can't pinpoint the reason why I'm not scoring as well on the math section as I should?? HELP I usually have about 5-6 minutes left by the time I'm done w/ the math section, so I have a feeling I can really utilize those 5-6 minutes...but I somehow feel like I need to keep the pace going at about 2 minutes per question (or less) so I can save time for the harder questions towards the end..

Any word of advice/encouragement will deeply be appreciated! I feel like a deflated balloon :cry:
Manhattan GMAT Adapative CAT (Taken Jan. 19, 09): 600 (Q-42, V-32)

Manhattan GMAT Adapative CAT (Taken Feb. 14, 09): 620 (Q-43, V-32)

GMATPrep CAT (Taken Feb 28, 09): 590 (Q-39, V-34)

Manhattan GMAT Adaptive CAT (Taken March 6, 09): 640 (Q-44, V-34)

800Score CAT (Taken March 14, 09): 630 (Q-41, V-36)

800score CAT (Taken March 20, 09): 600 (Q-41, V-31)

Manhattan GMAT Adaptive CAT (Taken March 22, 09): 600 (Q-39, V-34)

GMATPrep CAT (Taken March 28, 09): 570 (Q-37, V-31)

Knewton Diagnostic CAT (Taken April 3, 09): 640 (Q-45, V-33)
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by VP_Jim » Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:49 pm
One piece of advice that might be helpful is to simply go into your test intent on skipping two or three math problems somewhere during your test. Of course, you need to pick wisely; I bet that there are two or three question that pop up, you spend 30 seconds on them, and then say: "wow, I really have no idea how to do this problem." That is a good candidate to skip. Try to eliminate any obviously crazy answer choices and just take a guess, forget about it, and move on with your test. Of those three, there's a good chance that one was experimental (and didn't count) and a decent chance that you got one right, anyway. Frequently on those really tough problems you could spend 3 or 4 minutes on it and still be no closer to the answer, so you'd just end up guessing anyway... only 3 minutes later.

If you do this, you could potentially save about 6 or 7 minutes to use on the other questions. That might not sound like much, but add that to the 5 minutes you say you usually have remaining and you have 11 or 12 minutes, which is about 15% of the total time allowed on the section! Just remember to pick wisely and don't do all of the guesses in a row; long strings of wrong answers hurt more than wrong answers that are dispersed.

Finally, remember that it's okay to finish with only a few seconds left. It does you no good to leave time on the table; personally, I always answer the last question with about 30 seconds to spare. Practice your pacing so that you're using that time more evenly during the exam. Just remember to answer every question since there are severe penalties for blanks.

Good luck!
Jim S. | GMAT Instructor | Veritas Prep
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