Does amount of time spent on a question matter?

[popo33]

Does the amount of time spent on a question affects the score as long as one completes the section in time?
Is it used to calculate the difficulty level of the next question?

[GMATDavid]

Hi,

Generally, no -- that amount of time does not matter. Your score is based on number of questions answered (answer them all!), number of correct answers, and difficulty level. The difficulty level of each question is pre-assigned by GMAC. That is, if you should receive a 37-level question based on your performance so far, the computer will select a question from the 37-level bin.

The early questions are more important than the later questions. So, you should go more slowly and carefully early on to ensure you don't make careless errors (in math and verbal). As you progress, you may increase speed a bit, picking battles and making some educated guesses along the way.

Although the final questions are less important than the early questions, there is a meaningful penalty if you don't finish the section in time. So, keep your eye on the clock and make sure you get to the end -- but not by rushing at the beginning.

Finally, we are hearing about the GRE (not the GMAT) that they are tinkering with the computer model to notice when people click through a few questions at the end to beat the clock. For this reason, we are suggesting that people bake in a few extra moments at the end so let the computer "see" them working on questions. While this is a GRE-issue, given that caution is the better part of valor, I suggest GMATers do the saame.

Cheers,

[VP_Jim]

Wow, David, that's interesting about the GRE. I hadn't heard that. That would certainly change the strategy that we teach students to employ on the GMAT!

I can see it now...

"Okay, make sure you leave a little time to guess on the last few questions. But you have to make it look like you actually TRIED to do them."

What if you were just really smart/quick and got the question right in only a few seconds?

"Okay, if you know your answer is right and it only took you a few seconds (I could see this happening on Data Sufficiency especially), make sure you wait a minute before you answer the question or else the computer will dock you for guessing."

I hope they never do this on the GMAT!