Help with timing - gmat in 2 days

Hi Topher,

The strategy works like this:

Select the "easier" of the two options and set up your solution option as follows:

If you option 1 is the easier of the two options:
AD
BCE

If you option 2 is the easier of the two options:
BD
ACE

Solve the easier option. If you can conclude yes or no (remember, sufficiency = can you come to a conclusive answer, the answer can be yes or no) on the easier option, cross out the other three options.
i.e.
AD
[strike]BCE[/strike]

or

BD
[strike]ACE[/strike]

Or, if the easier option is not viable, cross out the top two:
i.e.
[strike]AD[/strike]
BCE

or

[strike]BD[/strike]
ACE

Then solve between the remaining options.

The reason this works is as follows:

If you can conclude that one option is 100% viable, then three options go right out the door (only the other is sufficient, only together are sufficient, together are NOT sufficient). If you conclude the easier option is 100% NOT viable, then the top pair of options go right out the door (only this one is sufficient, each alone are sufficient). This creates a systematic way of eliminating options in DS problems, and increasing your chances of getting more difficult problems correct (when you can't come to a conclusion overall but can eliminate certain options). It also helps streamline processing to reduce the time spent on DS problems.