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Too many careless errors!

Problem Solving — algebra and arithmetic (GMAT Focus Edition)
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Too many careless errors!

by ellochewy » Thu Sep 15, 2011 11:23 pm
I've been using the error tracking spreadsheet to monitor what my mistakes are and why I made those mistakes. I've since realized that most of my mistakes in the quantitative section are all careless mistakes!!! I figured that if I just take more time and answer the questions slowly, I will lower my chances of making careless mistakes, but when I do this, I take too much time.
Does anyone have any good tips to help me with this issue I'm having?
Thanks! :)
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Source: — Quantitative Reasoning |

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by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Sat Sep 17, 2011 5:52 am
ellochewy wrote:I've been using the error tracking spreadsheet to monitor what my mistakes are and why I made those mistakes. I've since realized that most of my mistakes in the quantitative section are all careless mistakes!!! I figured that if I just take more time and answer the questions slowly, I will lower my chances of making careless mistakes, but when I do this, I take too much time.
Does anyone have any good tips to help me with this issue I'm having?
Thanks! :)
This is a common complaint. My advice for the quantitative section is:
1. read the question (at a comfortable speed)
2. solve the question
3. re-read the question (to ensure that you answered the correct question)
4. review your solution
5. enter your answer

It would seem that the extra steps (#2 and #3) will waste too much time, these steps shouldn't take much time. Plus, if you're having a lot of problems with careless mistakes, the extra time spent should be worth it.

Cheers,
Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
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by Tani » Mon Sep 19, 2011 9:05 am
Can you identify what type of careless errors you are making? Signs? Forgetting about zero, one or fractions? Are your careless mistakes on problem solving or data sufficiency? If you can see a couple of things that you are consistently careless about then you can make a mental note to check for those items. That should be faster than slowing down entirely.
Tani Wolff
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