Careless Errors

[isisalaska]

I been looking at my errors and most of them are careless errors. How can i improve on this? I hate myself when I find out I made such a silly mistake...

[beatthegmat]

I been looking at my errors and most of them are careless errors. How can i improve on this? I hate myself when I find out it was such a silly mistake...

I was in a similar situation when I was studying GMAT Math. The number one most common reason for careless errors is pacing yourself too quickly.

If you are going through your problems too quickly, there's a higher likelihood that you will misread the question or skip a critical detail.

The best way to solve this problem is to deliberately slow yourself down. If you are being mindful about timing yourself, think about adding five or 10 more seconds for each problem, and see whether this affects your results.

Best of luck!

[Stacey Koprince]

Also, we all tend to make the same kinds of careless errors over and over. Keep a log of the types of careless errors you make. Whenever you spot a pattern, you can be aware and extra careful when you have to make that kind of calculation in future.

And don't forget - you're going to make some careless errors. That's just life! Try to minimize them, of course, but you'll never get rid of them completely.

[resilient]

deliberately slowing yourself down to be mindful is so important. I have kept an excel sheet of my mistakes and they are all from speeding through exponents or forgetting a sign. pacing is my next goal!

[Saffa]

I can't agree more with Stacey. Use Ursula's grid (somewhere on this site) and try and ID a trend in your careless errors.

When checking your answers and you're wrong, before looking at the explanation, do the question again - if you have it wrong again, it might be a concept error.