I believe I recall reading in the instructions to the GMAT that you cannot take a watch into the exam. Is this correct? If so, how does everyone keep time down to the second?
BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course
Redeem
Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand
Scott Woodbury-Stewart’s private virtual classroom — 400 hours of master-class video lessons for the GMAT Focus Edition.
- 715+ score guarantee — highest in the industry (99th percentile)
- 52 chapters · 1,500+ lessons · 4,000+ practice questions
- 400 hours of video · 1,500+ instructor-led HD smartboard lessons
- 300,000+ students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth & Sloan & more
- 24/7 live support + weekly Zoom office hours with GMAT instructors
- TTP AI Assist — 24/7 AI-powered virtual tutor for instant help
- 1,200+ flashcards + AI-powered study assistant & daily calendar
- OnDemand, LiveTeach & GMAT Bootcamp formats available
- Also: GRE, SAT Math & Executive Assessment courses
- MBA Admissions Consulting now available
- 🏆 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award: Test Prep Solution Provider of the Year
- 200,000+ students served
- 5-day free trial — $0 to start, no auto-billing, cancel anytime
★★★★★
5.0
(559 reviews)
130-pt guarantee
$0 to start
then $127/mo
Keeping Time
Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy |
Does the clock count up or down? If it counts up, then it's easy to keep track of how many questions you should have completed based on the question number and elapsed time. If it counts down, it's not so easy.
It counts down. I usually just approximated how much time I had remaining quickly in my head. Some people prefer to write down the time guide below. Lefthand number is the question number; righthand number is minutes remaining.
Q: 5:66, 10:56, 15:46, 20:36, 25:26, 30:16, 35:6
V: 5:67, 10:58, 15:49, 20:40, 25:31, 30:22, 35:13, 40:4
Q: 5:66, 10:56, 15:46, 20:36, 25:26, 30:16, 35:6
V: 5:67, 10:58, 15:49, 20:40, 25:31, 30:22, 35:13, 40:4












