Test-Taking Suggestions

Use the allotted testing time wisely by becoming familiar in advance with the mechanics of the test and the kinds of materials, questions, and directions in the test. Become familiar with the formats and requirements of each section. Once you start the test, an onscreen clock display will continuously count down the remaining time. You can hide this display if you want, but it is a good idea to check the clock periodically to monitor your progress. The clock will automatically alert you when five minutes remain in the allotted time for the section you are working on.

Read all test directions carefully. The directions explain exactly what is required to answer each question type. To review directions during the test, click on the Help icon, but be aware that this will count against your allotted time for that section of the test.

Read each question carefully and thoroughly. Before answering a question, determine exactly what is being asked, then eliminate the wrong answers and select the best choice. Never skim a question or the possible answers; skimming may cause you to miss important information or nuances. However, if you do not know the correct answer, or if the question is too time consuming, try to eliminate choices you know are wrong, select the best of the remaining answer choices, and move on to the next question. Keep moving through the test and try to finish each section. There is a chance that guessing at the end of the test can seriously lower your scores. The best strategy is to pace yourself so that you have time to consider each test question and do not have to guess.

Once you have selected your answer to a question you will be asked to confirm it. You should confirm your answer only when you are certain that you want to move on to the next question. You cannot omit questions or go back and change answers. The computer selects the next question you see from a large pool of available questions based upon your previous responses.

Pace yourself so that you have enough time to answer every question. Pay attention to the number of questions and the amount of time remaining during your testing session. On average, you have about 13/4 minutes for each verbal question and about 2 minutes for each quantitative question. If you do not finish in the allotted time, you will still receive scores as long as you have worked on every section. However, your scores will reflect the number of questions answered, and most test takers get higher scores when they finish each section.

Your scores will depend on the statistical characteristics of the questions presented to you, including difficulty level, your answers to those questions, and the number of questions you answer. Adaptive test score calculations do not assign any differential credit to questions depending on where they appear in the test. The questions in an adaptive test are weighted according to their difficulty and other statistical properties, not according to their position in the test. However, since the test is adaptive, the responses provided to early questions do influence the selection of later questions.

To prepare for the analytical writing section, practice with sample writing topics listed in The Official Guide for GMAT™ Review. These topics may appear in your actual GMAT™. You will have 30 minutes to compose each essay using the word processor.

Practice makes perfect, so practice the smart way!