Attempting all questions in DI seems impossible

Question

Hi,
I've given the DI section quiz around 10-12 times, but the story is the same every time.  I'm able to get to the 15th or 16th question only every time. 
When I check the time per question I've taken, it is mostly 2:30 and above. But the thing that lags me behind are those 2-3 questions in which I end up taking 4-5 minutes. While solving a question I'm aware that I've exceeded my time limit for the question, but I can't help it also because for some questions like in Two-Part analysis-  by the time you read all the info given in the passage and briefly write it down, 2-3 minutes are already over and now since I have already put time in reading and understanding the question, how can I not put the time to solve it correctly. 
A similar thing happens in  Table Analysis questions, where first you need to get a grasp of what is going on in the table(1 minute), then there are three questions in them, you have to solve and select Yes/No or Sufficient/Insufficient which again takes at least 1 minute each. 
 As a result, I end up having around 7 minutes for 7 questions in the end and due to time pressure , I end up making silly mistakes and calculation mistakes in the remaining questions. Currently, I am able to score 70 in DI.
Please suggest any strategy that can improve my score to at least 80.
 I've also attached my DI section score report.

neilacesthegmat · Answer

I'm in the same boat.

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KarishmaB · Answer

In DI, you have 5 extra mins (20 ques and 45 mins) and each of these mins are pretty much spoken for. Hence the timeline is tight but needs to be adhered to. Normally a little extra time in MSR is required - 8 mins for 3 questions. That's 2 mins from the extra 5 gone. Each TPA question also requires about 2.5 mins. So that's another 2 mins from the extra gone. Now all you have is 1 extra min. Essentially then, you cannot take more than 2 mins on any DS, Graphs or Tables question. Give yourself these tight timelines during practice too. Yes, it is challenging but people learn to do it with practice. Don't spend time on all the data of the table/graph. Just figure out what is given and jump to the question. Here are some discussions on how to handle each one of these question types: Multi Source Reasoning: https://youtu.be/3oxmslM3w4UTwo Part Analysis: https://youtu.be/O-iV8Vv4svY Graphical Int: https://youtu.be/ilMxPjHNeic Table Analysis: https://youtu.be/41uPmg6ipos Non Math DS: https://youtu.be/vFNiowuBVEY https://youtu.be/yzeh388tkLQ

nagasatish · Answer

KarishmaB , Isn't extremely difficult to get these questions solved in 2 mins? I agree we can do DS and easier graphs and table questions. But one miscalculation in any question can derail entire section. How to handle that?

KarishmaB · Answer

That is the challenge - to train yourself to catch the minute details and ensure that you are answering exactly what is asked. Also, it is about the skill of time management. When people spend 4 mins on a tough question, they are setting themselves up for careless mistakes later on. It is much better to get a tough question wrong (hardly any penalty) than to get an easy one wrong (high penalty).

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi crackGmat96,

Struggling to complete the GMAT Data Insights section within the time limit is a common challenge. One thing I have noticed is that when a student struggles with DI timing, they have not quite completed their quant and verbal prep. Not doing so can really hurt how quickly you can attack DI questions because many of those questions are made up of quant and verbal concepts. Would you say you are in that boat?

In addition, one way to improve each individual DI question type is to engage in topical practice. Doing so lets you pinpoint your weak areas in JUST ONE question type. For example, when practicing TPA questions, perhaps you see a pattern that you struggle with 3-part ratios or weighted averages. If you can find those micro weaknesses, you can fix them in real-time and thus improve your speed and timing in DI questons.

Lastly, prioritize quick decision-making; if a question seems too time-consuming, it’s better to make an educated guess and move on rather than get stuck. Developing this type of decision-making mindset will help you better navigate the section.

For more advice, check out this article:  Data Insights Timing Strategies

Feel free to reach out with any additional questions.

Attempting all questions in DI seems impossible

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