Pacing and Timing During the Test

Question

I'm conflicted on the best way to approach time management on the GMAT. The average time to do each question is about 1 minute 45 seconds - 2 mins depending on the section. At what point do I stop on a question? Once my two minutes are up? Where I have the biggest difficulty is especially on the quant section is that I would know how to solve a question the long way. I know I can solve it but the question is should I? Is it worth getting a question you know you can solve versus skipping it and potentially not solving the next one? Does the pacing strategy change early versus late? I'm guessing because it's a CAT, it's more important to get the right answers early on than later. Any tips or strategies around time management that works for you?

Answer 1

You are asking all the right questions and you are thinking about it in the right way. One strategy tutors use is to teach students to do the easy questions first and leave the hard ones for later. That way, you're not necessarily counting minutes or seconds, but rather you handle the easier questions faster which leaves you to do the hard ones towards the end. Have you tried timing yourself at home? During a practice set? What does that look like? Happy to help you in a session!