Great question! Here’s how I approach MSR sets:
1. Glance at all the tabs. I take maybe 3 - 5 seconds to see what I’m up against, so I know where to start.
2. Find the tab that provides context, and read it, taking notes like an RC passage. Usually, that’s the most text-heavy slide. Because it typically provides context for mapping and understanding the information in the other tabs, I read this one fully. That said...
3. Look for opportunities to skim. Even in that first tab, if I see, say, a list of examples that are detail-oriented and I understand the context already, I’ll make a mental note of where those examples/details are, but I won’t worry about reading them thoroughly or jotting them down. I treat this like an RC passage — the goals are to understand the context and key ideas, and know where to find everything else.
4. Take a moment to look at headings and keys for graphics or tables. Again, I don’t process all of the information here, but I do read any context on each tab and get an idea of the data provided.
That whole process takes about
1:30, and then I reserve
2 minutes per question.
I hope that helps! For more time management strategies, check out our article:
Everything You Need to Know about GMAT Time Management.
Best,