Within 3 and half hours of GMAT test, you get a little over 1 minute to try and solve every question. Even the optional breaks of 8 minute each allowed between different sections can’t really serve as a stress-buster if you have devised a wrong timing strategy from the start. Hence, it is necessary to pace yourself properly with the format of test and practice some basic skills before taking it. The level of difficulty may differ for each question. As a matter of fact, you must learn how to save few seconds per easy question and invest this saved time on tricky sections.
Breakdown of GMAT test duration:
Before you start planning your timing strategy, you must understand the general format of this test.
What else you can do inside qs leap ?
Analytical Writing Assessment AWA: It comprises of 1 topic for analysis of a given statement to be completed in 30 minutes
Integrated Reasoning IR: It has 12 questions based on graphic interpretation, table analysis, two-way analysis, and multi-source reasoning to be solved in 30 minutes.
Quantitative: It comprises of 37 questions to test your problem solving and data sufficiency skills in 75 minutes.
Verbal: 41 questions are given, based on critical reasoning, sentence correction, and reading comprehension, to be solved in 75 minutes.
Tips to Plan Timing Strategy for Finishing Safely Within Test Duration:
Even after studying hard, if you can feel the jitters before facing GMAT, here are some timing tips that may help you out:
Run With The Clock:
It is imperative to keep pace with time while solving a question in GMAT. The best way out is to take practice tests and set your mind to spend only the required time on each question. If you aren’t sure of an answer, leave it and move on.
Be Prepared For Surprises:
In spite of your efforts, even the best strategies may fail on the test day. If this happens to you with a row of tricky questions, hold your breath and move to plan B. During your practice tests, don’t forget to design a plan B for such taxing situations.
Understand Your Timing:
You may have a different level of timing and it has to be adjusted in actual test. Hence, try to practice with an untimed test having no limits on each question. It will tell the exact time you need to complete the test. After this, experiment with a timer-based test in which you’ll automatically move on after spending two minutes on one question.
In the end, it is important to solve all the questions in GMAT even if you do so by guessing the answers. Taking lots of prep tests will definitely help you to plan a better strategy and make it successful.
Articles you may be interested in:
How to Draft the Perfect GMAT Waiver Letter?
Giving up higher rank university for scholarship
