Thanks a bunch for the reply.
Does this mean a person taking test doesn't have time to jot down all the formulae he/she has memorized prior to starting the test? Even when you get back to the test and sit down for a new section, can you write down the memorized stuffs in the scratch pad before you click on Start test?

Anybody

I think this may depend on the testing center. You can't take anything in, however when I took my test they gave me a board before the test started. It sat next to me during the AWA and when I got up to take a break the guy just left it there. So presumably I could have written in it during the pre-test questions. Between the Quant and Verbal sections he took it away but that was only because I had basically filled it up. I'm not sure if that is standard protocol. To be safe I wouldn't count on it. But you do have the 60 seconds while the instructions for each section are displayed. You could jot stuff down then.

As a suggestion: if you're remembering the formulas enough to recall them before the timer starts, why not just internalize them?. I'd make you faster anyway.

First of all the breaks are 8 minutes not 10 minutes.

You have the first 4 minutes with the tutorial at the beginning of the test when you can write things. Otherwise you are not allowed to be sitting at your desk with your notepad unless the timer is running against you (AWA, Quant, or Verbal).

The notepad is often taken between the Quant and the Verbal and a fresh notepad given, especially if you have filled up the first one, but between the AWA and the Quant probably not. I understand wanting to write out Quant formulas. If you write them you will probably never look back at them - but if you don't write them you are likely to have that moment when you can't remember. So I say use those 4 minutes at the beginning called the "tutorial" and write the Quant formulas. As Luke.Doolittle mentions you have 60 seconds before the verbal when you sit down and you could write any verbal notes then since your notepad will likely be changed before the verbal.

Thanks to David, Luke and Eric.
David, I think your answer pretty much closes my issue. I had some notes on CR section that I wanted to write before the section starts. 60 secs is enough for me to jot them down.