How much should I spend to figure out that I don't know to resolve a p

Hi Buddy,
Wow!
You seem to be struggling with similar issue I faced. You can read my debrief and see if it helps.
You can also PM me to discuss your case in more detail. There's some mental block that's stopping you from your 100% potential.
With the data you've provided I can't make a strong conclusion. I would need to know your percentiles (and not percentages) either through ESR or official tests to suggest a strategy.

Let me know if I could be of any help..

Cheers,
Rohit

Hi felippemed,

Right now, it sounds like you're focused on trying to define when (and how) to 'let go' of a question, but it's still not clear WHY you're actually getting questions wrong. You'll have to address those issues - in addition to this issue - before you can earn a much higher score on the GMAT. In my prior post, I asked for information on your last CAT performance. That data is remarkably important to giving you the most pointed and relevant advice:

On your last CAT, how many questions did you get wrong in the Quant section...
1) Because of a silly/little mistake?
2) Because there was some math that you just could not remember how to do?
3) Because the question was too hard?
4) Because you were low on time and had to guess?

Beyond those questions, your profile lists 6 Official GMAT scores. Is that correct - have you taken the GMAT 6 times already (or are some of those practice CAT scores)?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Hi Rich,

Thanks for your care and patience.

There is a mix of mistakes, from rushing at the end to silly ones. The silly ones are actually more present in problems above 700, which I think they are meant to trick gmat takers (and I am one of the goofy ones that falls in its traps)

I have in my Evernote some hundred thousand questions vastly reviewed, commented, and hand-written. Sometimes I engage in a space-repetition learning to make sure that I won't commit the same mistake again. I think I reached my mental capacity. That's why I keep on trying question after question, obviously it affects my performance.

So, what are the signs to "let go" of a question? Is this the million-dollar question? I really don't know... Regardless of someone's level, by understanding it one would reach the top in its present preparation, right?

In Quant, what I tell my students is that with very few exceptions, you should never spend less than 0:45 or more than 2:45 on a problem.

0:45 is the low end, because that's how long it takes to read a problem, think about it, and determine whether it's worth your time. That's probably more time than you're currently spending on the 'read and think' step - possibly a lot more time. Try this: at the beginning of each Quant problem, put your pen down completely and make yourself do nothing but reading and thinking until 45 seconds have passed. At first, it'll seem like a useless exercise, but with practice, you'll start to realize what sorts of things you can notice and think about during this time. Also, when you start actually doing the math, you'll be more likely to have a good plan, which means you won't be tempted to go back and try another approach (something you rarely have time for on Quant.)

If you get to the 0:45 mark and you don't have a reasonable idea of how to do the problem (note that I didn't say 'don't understand the problem' - even if you understand a problem, it still might not be worth doing!), spend another 30 seconds coming up with a smart guess, then guess and move on.

If you do commit to the problem, reevaluate as you approach the 2 minute mark. Is your plan working? If not, don't let yourself fall for the 'just another few seconds!' trap. A few seconds is good when it means you'll get the problem right. So, if your plan is working, and you just need a little extra time to wrap up the math itself, its okay to go up to the 2:45 mark (or even a little further if you're ahead on time.) But if you're having a hard time because you don't know whether you're doing the right thing, or because your plan is failing and you need a new one, don't let yourself say that you only need another few seconds. That isn't enough time to come up with a better plan and implement it, so you'll be better off just moving on.

"Shut up and take my money, Manhattan!" hahaha

You, guys, are awesome. Understand the insane and goofy minds of your students as few ones. Thanks a million for the nice tip ccooley. By the way, I am a heavy user of your books, avid reader of the blogs (where I "stole" the idea of cutting the test timeframe of the test and the bubble distribution from Navigator), and obviously the content.

The automated analysis that you saw above for the official CATs I also prepared for the Manhattan Exams, as shown below.

Anyway, let me I embed this idea to see if I am able to stabilize my score