Tips on timing and eliminating careless mistakes

Hi hookem324,

I do all of the things bb mentioned, plus some others:

For PS, skim the answers first, as they will often give you some clues. For example, if you see sqrt(2) or sqrt(3) in the answers to a geometry problem, that's a clue that triangle formulas (such as Pythag Thm) may come into play. Many PS problems have paired answers, such as 32% and 68% that add to 100%. Such pairs are traps for people who get the math right but answer the wrong question (e.g. calculating the % of boys in a class when the question asks the % of girls). You can take a max/min approach when you see pairs, doing the sanity check bb suggested in his #3.

GmatNY86 describes the biggest issue that keeps people in the high 600's from reaching the mid-700's, in my opinion. We know that we could answer all the questions if we only spent a little longer. I'd recommend looking a bit deeper into why you were "feeling rushed" at certain points. Two ways to look at your timing:

(1) Run the Assessment Reports on your MGMAT exams, and look at the average times every which way: by question type, by type and difficulty, by content area, and by right/wrong for all of these categories. Make special note of any times that are either way too high or way too low. Decide objectively whether you are spending your time and effort on the right activities.

(2) Since average times can sometimes hide issues, look at the individual tests. Skim down the list of problems, noting whether the amount of time you spend varies as a function of what problem you are on. For example, if you spend 3 minutes each on a bunch of problems at the beginning, and have a string of :30 questions at the end, you'll know you need to manage your pace better throughout.