Struggle with pacing

[shadabahmadster]

As with many, this has constantly been the most challenging portion of the GMAT for me. I find that I run out of time on both Quant and Verbal. I struggle with letting go of the question after the 2min/2.5 min mark as I feel I'll get the answer soon enough. Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

P.S - I read the other time management post. However it is difficult for me to determine if the question is difficult or not before putting in the 2 minutes. So I wouldn't know if I need to skip before trying the question out for 2 minutes.

[StaceyKoprince]

You know before the 2 minute mark. You just aren't admitting it to yourself yet. :)

You know the difference in feeling when you know exactly what you're doing vs. when you're unsure or don't really know. That's all it takes to know that something is difficult.

By the 1 minute mark on quant, you should:
(1) know what they're asking you to find, and
(2) have a plan for how to get there

By the 1 minute mark on CR, you should:
(1) know the question type, and
(2) have deconstructed argument (found the conclusion, etc.)

By the 1 minute mark on SC or RC main idea questions, you should be almost done.

By the 1 minute mark on an RC detail problem, you should:
(1) know the question type, and
(2) have found and reviewed the relevant text in the passage (and are ready to go to the answers)

You may be further along on any of those steps by 1 min, but if you are not yet at those points by the 1-min mark, then this problem is not going to happen in 2 minutes, so let it go. If possible, figure out how to make an educated guess (and take up to 1 min to do so), then guess and move on.

In addition, if you are having any of the "But!" feelings ("But I studied this..." "But I should know how to do this..." "But if I just spend some a little more time, I'm sure I'll figure this out..."), then you are done. Cut yourself off right then. If you actually know what you're doing, you won't have the But! feeling.

You're biggest task is going to be to change that mindset - to recognize when you don't really know what to do AND to realize that your best move at that point is to let go.

First, read this every day for the next week:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... lly-tests/

Then, read this (after the first time you read the first article):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -to-do-it/

And finally this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... nt-part-1/

Then come back and tell me how it's going. :)