Spend more time on early questions to get higher score

Oldest

Best Reply

Author

Message

Manager

Joined: 03 May 2007

Posts: 52

Followers: 0

Kudos [?]: 0 [0], given: 0

Spend more time on early questions to get higher score [#permalink]

24 Jun 2007, 17:32

I have heard that to get a better score it is wise to spend more time on the first ten or so questions, even if it means rushing through the last few. Is this still a valid strategy? Based on my results from GMATPrep and PowerPrep, it seems to hold true. Did this strategy work for you when you wrote the actual GMAT?

Kaplan Promo Code

Knewton GMAT Discount Codes

Veritas Prep GMAT Discount Codes

CEO

Joined: 17 May 2007

Posts: 2998

Followers: 48

Kudos [?]: 390 [0], given: 210

Re: Spend more time on early questions to get higher score [#permalink]

24 Jun 2007, 17:49

There is a lot of debate on this topic. From my experience, I would say that this is more or less true. I say this because even if you spend the extra time and get the first few correct and then get a lot of later questions wrong, you can still end up with a rather low score.

The key is to find a right balance. Granted the first ten questions are important, but if you spend over 3 minutes on them you will stress out on later questions.

csgreen wrote:

Senior Manager

Joined: 14 Jun 2007

Posts: 399

Followers: 1

Kudos [?]: 10 [0], given: 0

Re: Spend more time on early questions to get higher score [#permalink]

24 Jun 2007, 22:44

csgreen wrote:

hobbit has a great post somewhere about this. since gmat is at its heart a statistical machine there is some truth to this strategy as it is trying to hone in on your ability by narrowing a confidence interval around your intelligence.... as you move through the test the interval gets smaller and smaller... but if you give it more reasons to think you are smarter early on you are in a better posistion, so to speak.

Senior Manager

Joined: 11 Jun 2006

Posts: 254

Followers: 2

Kudos [?]: 3 [0], given: 0

[#permalink]

25 Jun 2007, 08:00

I feel that this has to be the case, because in the first few questions, the algorithm needs to decide what level your skill is. The way it does this, is by giving questions that are sort of "make or break."

For example. I've always found that the first few questions are always ones that are not really hard, however they are very tricky. They are by far the easiest questions to get wrong, when you think you've gotten them right.

[#permalink] 25 Jun 2007, 08:00

		Similar topics	Author	Replies	Last post
Similar Topics:		Spending more time on GMATClub, less on essays	mNeo	11	26 Jul 2007, 13:10
	1	The early questions to worth more right....?	shaselai	48	17 Jun 2009, 06:49
	1	Higher Quantitative Score by Missing Early Questions	cbears2010	5	07 Feb 2012, 02:57
	1	early questions are not worth more than the rest	shantanusingh	7	27 Aug 2012, 23:59
		Quant Score Continues to get Lower, Verbal to get higher...	jdough422	2	02 May 2013, 13:31

Spend more time on early questions to get higher score

Moderator: mohater

Main navigation

GMAT Resources

Partners

MBA Resources

GMAT ® is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council ® (GMAC ®). GMAT Club's website has not been reviewed or endorsed by GMAC.

GMAT Courses

Admissions Consulting

Spend more time on early questions to get higher score

Spend more time on early questions to get higher score

Main navigation

GMAT Resources

Partners

MBA Resources