Written ByRituparna Nath Content Writer at Study Abroad Exams
The GMAT Time Management aims to answer maximum questions correctly in the test within the provided time. The GMAT time management is tricky as the syllabus is huge and every section requires some attention. Proper time management can help you avoid spending excess time on a single question, so that you can focus and give attention to the difficult ones. But with the right strategies, you can score well in the exam.
GMAT Time Management Strategies
The best GMAT time management strategy is to strengthen your test practice and track your progress in simulated real time. Let's break down several GMAT time management techniques, and correct some common misconceptions along the way.
- Pay attention to how you practice pacing and mark your progress
To enhance your GMAT time management including practice exercises it is important. It helps to keep a track of how long it takes you to answer each question. When you review the answers, note which types of questions you spend a lot of time on and which you answer more easily. This way you can work on the time taking problems to solve it faster.
- Know your weaknesses and strengths
During the test, there would be questions that make you falter and are sometimes not worth a lot of time and energy. Use your best judgment on questions that give you trouble, it is best to skip it. This way you save yourself time and use it on problems that take longer. On average, you will miss around 40% of the questions on the GMAT, so you need to understand while deciding which questions to solve and which ones to guess. Also, you need to practice GMAT test-taking tips to score high in exams.
- Do not spend more than 3 minutes on a single question
This should be taken quite literally, and you’re already pushing it if you’ve spent three minutes on one question. Taking the GMAT requires flexibility, and this is where you need to adjust to the test as it tries to adjust to you. Know when it’s time to cut the cord, so you can free yourself to answer more questions. Do not leave any questions unanswered, as each unanswered question costs you more than questions you answer incorrectly. Know the specific time constraints of all test sections, as charted out in the next point.
- Follow the benchmarks
It’s very important to know effective GMAT time management strategies as often students run out of time. The solution to this problem is a timing benchmark. This guides the student as they would memorize how many to answer within a certain period of time provided to each section.
Verbal Timing Benchmarks
GMAT verbal time management would include giving yourself nine minutes to solve 5 questions. Follow this tip during practice tests as well, this will enhance your speed.
Finish this question | By the time on-screen |
---|---|
Q6. | 55 mins |
Q12. | 44 mins |
Q18. | 33mins |
Q24. | 22mins |
Q30 | 11mins |
Quantitative Timing Benchmarks
GMAT quantitative reasoning solving tactic would be to practice five quant questions together but not taking more than ten minutes. Make sure not to give more than three minutes to any individual question.
Finish this question | By the time on-screen |
---|---|
Q4. | 54mins |
Q8. | 38mins |
Q12. | 30mins |
Q20. | 22mins |
Q24. | 14mins |
Q28 | 6mins |
- Make balance: Don’t go too fast or too slow
Best GMAT Time management techniques would include always keeping track of the time spent on each question, even if it’s a set of problems. It's very important to keep a balance. You need to solve the entire problem test paper to qualify in the exam. Below there is a table to give you an idea about the time management that is required for the exam.
Question Type | Average Timing | Minimum and Maximum Timing |
---|---|---|
Quant | 2 minutes | 1 minute/2.5 minutes |
Sentence Correction | 1 minute 15 seconds | 45 seconds/2 minutes |
Critical Reasoning | 2 minutes | 1 minute/2.5 minutes |
RC: Reading | 2-3 minutes | 1.5 minutes/3.5 minutes |
RC:General questions | 1 minute | 30 seconds/1.5 minutes |
RC:Specific questions | 1.5 minutes | 45 seconds/ 2 minutes |
- Be flexible
Instead of waiting for the exam day, practice tests help in your time management. Regular practice tests will improve your time management. As your score starts increasing day by day you’ll face harder questions which will take more time.
So be flexible to face questions without any particular order. As it is a computer adaptive test, the questions come in a random order, so you need to be prepared for it. Learning GMAT effective time management strategies will lead to better scores and improved overall academic performance.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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