Time Management for Quant Qs

[swapnils183]

Hi, I have recently started preparing for GMAT using the excellent Study Guides. I have completed two quant guides and found them very thorough and easy to understand. However, while solving the test problems in OG I have found that I complete the quizzes before the given time but inadvertently end up making 2-3 silly mistakes while solving the problems. They are silly because even if they may be tricky, I know the concepts.

Please advise on how to improve my time management and avoid silly mistakes.

Thanks

[StaceyKoprince]

Great question! (And I'm glad you like our materials - thanks for letting us know!)

First, read this:
http://tinyurl.com/executivereasoning

That will help with your overall mindset, which is essential to good timing on this test.

Next, dig into this for timing:
http://tinyurl.com/GMATTimeManagement

And for those annoying careless errors:
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... -the-gmat/

Let me know if you have any questions about those!

[hesham_amin87]

HI,
I hope everything is fine. i have an issue, i hope you help me to solve. the issue is about whenever i start a problem or an exam, once i set a time (for example 2 minutes/question), i start to freak out and my mind goes blank and of course do several many silly mistakes :S i tried several techniques, for example taking a deep breath and try to calm down, still outcomes are not desirable. would you please tell me what should i do?

[StaceyKoprince]

First, don't set a per-question timer. The real test doesn't time you per question, so it doesn't actually help to do that during practice. Give yourself a full block of time (based on however many questions you're doing).

Next, this anxiety will still probably manifest as you get towards the end of your block of time. So we need to deal with that. Your symptoms are significant enough that I suggest trying meditation:
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... mat-score/

But here are some other techniques as well:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/2012/ ... anagement/

The biggest suggestion I have is to remind yourself that (a) you do mostly know what you're doing, and (b) when you hit something that you can't do, the best response is to guess and move on. I don't mean that just from a practical standpoint. I also mean that from a testing standpoint: the test is designed to see whether you can recognize when you do NOT know what to do.

Back to the anxiety symptoms. It's possible that your symptoms are severe enough that you will need to speak with a psychologist to come up with coping mechanisms. Try the meditation first to see how that works.