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You’ve mastered GMAT Quantitative content, strategies, and techniques and spent ample time practicing with realistic GMAT questions. So, how do you ensure that you’ll be able to show off your skills on test day? One key step is to dial in your timing strategy for the Quantitative section.
In this article, I’ll lay out a number of GMAT Quant timing strategies that you can follow to help maximize your GMAT Quant score. From time allocation to how to track your pacing, I’ll cover everything you need to know to finish the Quant section on time.
In addition, I’ll address some common GMAT misconceptions and recommend effective timing drills and efficiency methods. At the end of this article, you’ll have the knowledge you need to properly manage your GMAT Quant section time.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- Scoring on GMAT Quant
- Strive For Excellence, Not Perfection
- Losing a Battle to Help Win the War
- Develop an Internal Time Clock
- Develop an Internal Progress Clock
- Don’t Overinvest Time on the First 7 Questions
- Don’t Randomly Throw Away Questions to Catch Up
- You Must Leave Time to Answer Every Question
- You Probably Don’t Have Time to Check Your Work
- Test-Day Timing Strategies for GMAT Quant
- Key Takeaways
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What’s Next?
Let’s begin by getting a basic understanding of GMAT scoring in the Quant section.
Scoring on GMAT Quant
The GMAT is a computer-adaptive test. So, as you answer questions correctly, you’ll be presented with more challenging questions, which are worth more points. Conversely, as you answer questions incorrectly, you’ll be presented with less challenging questions, which are worth fewer points. Your goal is, of course, to answer as many questions correctly as possible. By doing so, you get the opportunity to answer more difficult questions that can increase your score.
At the same time, getting an easy Quant question wrong will hurt your score more than getting a hard Quant question wrong will. Exactly how much an incorrect easy question hurts your score is related to how you are scoring at that point. If you were not scoring so well, the GMAT scoring algorithm would probably not be too shocked if you got an easy question wrong. So, your score would probably not drop a huge amount.
However, if you were scoring really well just before getting an easy question wrong, the scoring algorithm could be confused about why you missed an easy question. Thus, you’d likely pay a greater price for this incorrect question; your score would drop by a greater amount.
So, generally speaking, the better you’re scoring, the more your score will suffer when you get an easy question wrong.
KEY FACT:
How an incorrect answer affects your score depends on both the difficulty of that question and how you’re performing so far in the section.
Now that we understand how performance is scored in the Quant section, let’s discuss how a perfectionist mindset can hurt your GMAT Quant score.
Strive For Excellence, Not Perfection
Many test-takers think that they must correctly answer all 21 GMAT Quant questions to score high in the Quant section. In my experience, people with this mindset tend to score significantly lower than their skill levels would indicate. In reality, you do not need to get every question correct to score high. You can miss several questions and still do well.
If you’re performing well, the questions grow more difficult, on average, as you progress. At some point, the questions may become too difficult for you to answer in the time allotted. In other words, you’ll reach your ability ceiling. If you waste time and energy on questions that you have a low chance of answering correctly, you’ll put yourself at a big disadvantage. Why?
First, you’ll spend valuable time attempting to solve a question that you have a low probability of answering correctly. Then, you’ll have less time for the questions that you can correctly answer.
Think about it: if you invest 3:30 each on several questions above your ability level, what happens at the end of the Quant section? Likely, you’ll be left with insufficient time to solve, say, 6 questions. Even if those questions are within your skill set, how well can you answer all of them with, say, 2:00 remaining? You may end up getting all 6 questions incorrect.
So, striving for perfection may put you in the worst-case scenario. You end up missing the questions above your ability level and the questions within your ability level. Avoid this bankrupt strategy! You must be comfortable letting go of questions that you cannot solve.
TTP PRO TIP:
Aiming for excellence instead of perfection will help you achieve your Quant score goal.
Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses
It is worth knowing your strengths and weaknesses down to the level of specific problems.
Imagine that you’ve solved a large number of realistic practice questions, carefully tracking your “trouble” questions. A week before your GMAT, you carefully review them and discover that you’re weak on remainder questions. This knowledge can be very useful during your exam.
On test day, give remainder questions a reasonable attempt: 30 to 45 seconds, for example. If you’re still really confused at that point, make an educated guess. Realize that you have a low chance of correctly answering, no matter how much time you spend. You might say that this is a pessimistic strategy. That’s not true! You’re being realistic about your current abilities and employing intelligent test-taking strategies to reach your target score.
Let’s say that question 10 is a very challenging remainder question, similar to ones that always give you trouble. You spend 30-45 seconds giving your best effort. Is the problem unfolding just as past problems have? Eliminate answers that can’t be correct and make an educated guess.
By letting go, you accomplish 2 important things. First, you don’t waste time and brainpower on a problem you are likely to miss. Second, you bank an extra 1:30 going into question 11. Use this extra time to fight the battles you can win. If you’re already behind the clock, the extra 1:30 helps you catch up.
Of course, if you have to guess on too many questions, you may need to do some more preparation for your GMAT.
TTP PRO TIP:
A thorough grasp of your specific strengths and weaknesses helps you pick your battles on test day.
Next, let’s discuss how to handle questions you can solve but are having a hard time with.
Losing a Battle to Help Win the War
On the exam, you may encounter problems that you feel you can solve. However, you’re struggling, and time is slipping away. Perhaps you made a calculation mistake or are rusty with this question type. It’s tempting to continue investing time and energy.
At some point, you may have to make an educated guess and move on. Regardless of whether you can answer correctly, you can’t afford to spend 5 minutes doing so. Even if you get the question correct, the likelihood is that you’ll end up running out of time and guessing on later questions. Spending the time to get the question right may actually hurt your GMAT Quant score overall.
I’m not saying that, if you are close to answering, you should guess at some arbitrary point. It could make sense to finish answering, even when behind on the clock. However, if you are not close, you may need to guess and move on. It’s a matter of question prioritization: spend your precious time on the questions you can get correct.
You must be disciplined. You must be willing to lose a battle to win the war. Even if every bone in your body is telling you that you can answer the question, make an educated guess, and move on.
If you think you can answer with more time, mark the question for review at the end of the section. On the GMAT, you can change up to 3 answers in each section. That said, you may have to prioritize which questions you revisit depending on your remaining time.
TTP PRO TIP:
Train yourself to recognize and let go of time-consuming questions that can hurt your Quant performance overall.
Develop an Internal Time Clock
On test day, it’s very helpful to have an intuitive grasp of what 2 minutes feels like. To develop this intuition, try the following timing drill when you practice timed sets of GMAT Quant questions.
Start a timer when you begin working on a question. When you think that 2 minutes are up, look at the timer to see how close you were to the actual elapsed time. Your goal is to get a comfortable intuition for what 2 minutes feels like. The more you practice this simple exercise, the better you’ll feel for this important benchmark.
Your internal clock will be a valuable asset during your GMAT because it will reduce the amount of clock-watching you do. And when you look at the clock less, you focus on the question at hand more.
TTP PRO TIP:
As you approach your exam, work to develop your understanding of what 2 minutes feels like.
Develop an Internal Progress Clock
In addition to developing an accurate internal time clock, it’s important to develop an internal progress clock. An internal progress clock allows you to understand how far you’ve progressed in a GMAT Quant question. Are you close to getting a correct answer? Far? Halfway?
Knowing where you are in the process of answering a question helps you determine whether to keep working or to make your best guess and move on.
Remember, sometimes you will need to cut your losses on a problem, even if you know you can solve it. For example, let’s say you’re 1 minute and 30 seconds into solving a problem that you understand well. You arrive at an answer, but your answer is not among the answer choices. Maybe you made a careless mistake in your calculations. Maybe you fell into a trap. Maybe you have done everything correctly, but you have a few more steps to answer what the question is asking.
Knowing yourself and knowing the common reasons why you get into such situations is very helpful. This awareness allows you to make the executive decision of whether to keep working on the question or move on.
Remember, under no circumstances should you spend 5 minutes (or 4 minutes, or 3:45, etc.) on a question that has stumped you. This point holds true even if you feel you “should” get the question right. As the time ticks away, you may have to make the best possible guess and move on to the next question.
TTP PRO TIP:
Work to develop a sense of where you are in the process of answering a Quant question.
Don’t Overinvest Time on the First 7 Questions
Simply put, you can’t game the GMAT by overinvesting time on the first 5 or 7 or 10 Quant questions. Are these first questions important? Of course. If you get them all correct, would you be scoring well at that moment? Yes. However, overinvesting time on the first “x number of questions” is a mistake.
The thinking of this faulty strategy is that you can fool the algorithm into pegging you as a “high scorer” by answering the first 5-10 questions correctly. Then, regardless of what happens, you get a great Quant score.
There are a couple of problems with that line of thinking. First, it is naive to think that you can outsmart the GMAT algorithm. Second, by overspending time early on, you likely will cost yourself many later questions. Getting those later questions wrong will hurt your score, just as missing questions anywhere in the section will.
For example, let’s say that you use 25 minutes to answer the first 7 Quant questions correctly. With 20 minutes left to answer 14 questions, how will the rest of the Quant section go? Odds are, you’ll miss questions that you are capable of answering and be forced to guess on some later questions. Those incorrect answers will degrade your Quant score substantially. In fact, you’ll likely end up with a worse Quant score than you otherwise would have.
So, don’t make the mistake of overinvesting time on the first 7 questions. Your goal is to have a high score at the end of the section, not after the first 7 questions.
TTP PRO TIP:
Manage your time with the goal of a high score at the end of the section, not after the first 7 questions.
Next, let’s examine another common but misguided strategy: randomly guessing to catch up on time.
Don’t Randomly Throw Away Questions to Catch Up
There is an idea that you should jettison random questions if you find yourself behind on the clock. For example, say you were on question 12 of the Quant section, with 15 minutes remaining. The idea is that you’d sacrifice question 13, and maybe question 14, to catch up on time.
For a couple of reasons, I don’t recommend this strategy. First, it isn’t wise to throw away questions that you may be able to quickly answer. Furthermore, in blindly throwing away a question, you might throw away one that the test expects you to get right. As a result, the test will penalize you heavily for missing it. So, don’t use this strategy in an attempt to catch up on time.
If you’re running behind, there is a much better way to try to catch up on time. Based on your strengths and weaknesses, make an educated guess on a question(s) that you would have a hard time correctly answering anyway. Don’t just randomly guess on a question because you are behind on time. You don’t want luck influencing your GMAT score. After all, with 5 answer choices, the probability of randomly choosing the correct answer is not that high.
TTP PRO TIP:
Instead of blindly jettisoning questions, make educated guesses on questions you are unlikely to get correct.
Let’s now discuss an important test-day pacing consideration: making sure you answer every question.
You Must Leave Time to Answer Every Question
This is non-negotiable: you must answer all questions presented on the GMAT. Do not leave any question blank in any section, or your score will be harshly penalized.
Do whatever you need to do to ensure that you answer every question. In the best-case scenario, careful pacing ensures you have sufficient time to answer the final questions of the Quant section. In the worst-case scenario, you’ll have to rush to submit answers to the final questions as time runs out. That’s still better than leaving questions unanswered!
TTP PRO TIP:
To avoid a score penalty, make sure to submit an answer to every question you face.
Many test-takers plan to check their work on test day. Let’s examine why that strategy is ill-advised.
You Probably Don’t Have Time to Check Your Work
To score high in GMAT Quant, you must work carefully, systematically, and accurately. That said, you likely won’t have time to double-check your work, regardless of how quick your review processes are.
Let’s say you answer a question but spend 30 additional seconds checking your work, and you do this for all 21 Quant questions. This work-checking will take you 30 seconds/question x 21 questions = 630 seconds, or about 10.5 minutes. That is roughly the time you’d need to solve the final 5 GMAT Quant questions! Because you don’t have time to check your work, it becomes even more important to work carefully through each question. In your GMAT prep for the Quant section, work to ensure that your problem-solving techniques are precise and reliable. With proper preparation, accuracy improvement is an achievable goal.
TTP PRO TIP:
Work meticulously through each GMAT Quant question to avoid the need to check your work.
Next, let’s discuss 3 strategies that you can use to keep proper pacing on the Quant section of the GMAT.
Test-Day Timing Strategies for GMAT Quant
GMAT test-takers have tried many pacing strategies over the years. In this section, we’ll discuss 3 of the most useful techniques to achieve good time management in the Quant section. The easiest of these approaches is what I refer to as the “time remaining” approach.
The “Time Remaining” Approach
One simple way to keep time on the GMAT Quant section is to know in advance what your time should be at specific points.
The GMAT Quant section contains 21 questions that must be answered in 45 minutes. So, each question should take you, on average, 2 minutes and 8 seconds. The most precise way to use the “time remaining” approach is to divide the section into thirds: 7 questions in each 15-minute chunk.
After question 7, 15 minutes should have elapsed, meaning that you should have 30 minutes on the clock. After question 14, 30 minutes should have elapsed, giving you 15 minutes for the remaining 7 questions.
Perhaps you’d feel more comfortable checking your pacing more often, say, every 5 questions. To use the “time remaining” approach, use 2 minutes per question to determine what your remaining time should be after a given question. So, every 5 questions should take you about 10 minutes. The math is not as exact, but you’ll still have a good idea of the time you should have remaining.
TTP PRO TIP:
For the most precise “time remaining” approach, divide the Quant section into three 7-question, 15-minute chunks.
Some students want a pacing strategy that is a little bit more flexible. So, let’s discuss a strategy that allows you to calculate your time at any point, rather than at pre-set questions.
The “Calculate Time on the Fly” Approach
Maybe you don’t like memorizing key times. Here is an easy method to estimate your time at any point during the Quant section.
You simply look at how many problems you have remaining and multiply that number by 2. For example, when you start question 4, you have 18 questions left to complete. So, you should have 2 minutes x 18 questions = 36 minutes remaining.
However, let’s say the clock shows 32 minutes, so you are 4 minutes behind your target time. You don’t have to catch up right away. At the same time, the fact that you are behind is a signal. Perhaps it means that you have to pick up your pace in general. Perhaps you have to be ready to quickly guess on a particularly challenging question given your strengths and weaknesses. Maybe you will soon see some questions that fit your strengths, and therefore, you will catch up naturally.
Whatever the case may be, you can check your time on the fly as you answer some more questions. By doing so, you can see whether you are making up time and adjust your strategy accordingly.
TTP PRO TIP:
Estimate how much time you have left by multiplying 2 minutes by the number of remaining questions.
Next, let’s discuss the most sophisticated GMAT Quant timing strategy.
The Sophisticated Quant Timing Strategy
The final strategy works well if you are adept at finding simple, fast solutions. You don’t have to find every shortcut, but you do need to work efficiently to bank time for tougher questions. Furthermore, you need a grasp of which questions you can get right with some extra time. The goal is to boost your Quant score by allocating extra time to getting tough questions correct.
If you are well prepared, many questions may take under 30 seconds. Conversely, questions that require a detailed setup or careful analysis may take 3+ minutes. With this strategy, you can safely spend that extra time.
To illustrate, let’s say that this is your first GMAT Quant question:
https://gmat.targettestprep.com/gmat_quant_challenge_question_7
With practice, this challenging rate question can be answered in 30 seconds. Because you were prepared, you bank the extra 1:30. You then see your second question:
https://gmat.targettestprep.com/sample-total-digits-question
Question 2, although challenging, can also be solved quickly, as the solution shows. You take 45 seconds, save 1:15, and now have 2:45 to reallocate.
Perhaps question 3 is a tough word problem that requires careful translation. After 3:30, you answer correctly. You took longer than 2 minutes, but that’s okay! You used some banked time, and you’re still 1:15 ahead going into question 4:
https://gmat.targettestprep.com/gmat_quant_challenge_question_2
It takes you 3:15 to solve. You’re 4 for 4 on correct answers, and you’re even with the clock. By saving and reallocating time, you got tough questions correct without ruining your pacing.
TTP PRO TIP:
If you’re adept at finding fast solutions, consider a sophisticated timing strategy to bank time for tough questions.
Of course, the best timing strategy is the one that you can use successfully.
Find the Timing Strategy That Works for You
As we’ve discussed, it’s unrealistic to expect to spend exactly 2 minutes and 8 seconds on each GMAT Quant question. Some questions will take much less time; maybe you are able to take advantage of shortcut formulas. Similarly, some will take more time; perhaps you take time to puzzle out which mathematical concepts you need. Even after getting many questions right, you could still see some relatively easy questions mixed in with the harder ones. For many reasons, GMAT Quant pacing is not linear.
Whatever strategy you use, the truth is that sometimes you will be ahead of the clock and sometimes you will be behind it. You may decide to be especially careful at the beginning of the Quant section as you get warmed up. As a result, you may end up with some extra time that you decide to spread over the last 6 questions. There is no magic formula for making these kinds of calls. Having a feel for what question you should be on at certain intervals is a matter of familiarity with the GMAT.
Learning to effectively deploy an optimal strategy takes time, care, and practice. So, don’t expect to master Quant pacing overnight. It’s not unusual for students to take 6-8 practice GMATs before taking the real exam. It is in this test simulation setting that you have the opportunity to hone your timing strategy. With each mock test, you should find it easier to manage the clock and optimize your timing. By developing your timing strategy, you give yourself the best chance to maximize your Quant score on test day.
TTP PRO TIP:
Spend some time considering which pacing strategy makes the most sense to you.
Let’s wrap up by reviewing the key points about GMAT Quant timing that we discussed.
Key Takeaways
In this article, I’ve discussed several important points about timing in the GMAT Quant section:
- The GMAT is computer-adaptive: how questions affect your score depends on their difficulty.
- You do not need to get all 21 Quant questions correct to score high.
- Use your strengths and weaknesses to determine which questions are worth investing your time on.
- Know when to move on from a question to preserve time for questions you can get correct.
- In your Quant prep, work to develop a sense of what 2 minutes feels like.
- Similarly, work to develop your sense of how you’re progressing on a question.
- Do not overinvest time on the first 7 questions. Instead, manage your time consistently throughout the section.
- Do not blindly throw away questions to catch up on time.
- Make sure you answer every question to avoid a severe penalty for unanswered questions.
- You won’t have time to check your work, so work meticulously.
I also examined 3 timing strategies that you can use in the Quantitative section:
- Using the “time remaining” approach, you plot how much time you should have left at certain “checkpoints” in the section.
- Using the “on the fly” approach, you calculate how much time you should have left after any given question.
- Using the most sophisticated approach, you track your banked time to reallocate to tougher questions.
With the information in this article, you now have the tools to craft a timing strategy to help you achieve your Quant score goal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How much time should I spend per question in Quant?
The GMAT Quant section gives you 45 minutes to answer 21 questions. So, you have about 2 minutes and 8 seconds for each question. As we’ve discussed, though, not every question will take exactly 2 minutes and 8 seconds. Some questions can be answered in 30 seconds, and some questions may take you 3+ minutes.
Should I guess if I’m running out of time?
Absolutely! The GMAT levies a severe penalty for leaving questions unanswered. Even one unanswered question will hurt your score significantly more than an incorrect answer will. So, make sure you submit an answer to every question.
How do I know when to give up on a difficult question?
Give every question your best effort for 30-45 seconds. At that point, if you’re completely lost, eliminate answers, make an educated guess, and move on.
Even if you make progress initially, you may still need to move on at some point. Let’s say you hit the 3-minute mark, and you don’t see a path to the correct answer. Is it worth spending more time in hopes of figuring out what you need to do? Even if you end up getting the right answer after 5 minutes, that time will likely cost you questions later in the section. As a result, getting the right answer may end up hurting your GMAT Quant score.
Should I answer questions in order?
The GMAT requires you to answer each question as it is presented. So, you can’t answer questions out of order, but you do have the option to mark questions for later review. Keep in mind that you will only be able to change up to 3 answers at the end of the section. And, depending on how much time you have left, you may not be able to review every question you marked.
How do I build timing stamina?
If you’re studying properly, you’re building timing stamina throughout your GMAT preparation. As you complete study sessions, your stamina increases. In addition, your practice tests serve as a useful form of endurance training. Each time you take a practice test, you’re improving your ability to maintain focus for the length of the exam.
What’s Next?
Looking to improve your speed in the Quant section? Check out this article about getting faster at solving Quant questions.
Concerned about doing math without a calculator? Review these strategies for tackling GMAT Quant with logic and conceptual knowledge.
Interested in ways to boost your GMAT Quant score? Check out these tips for learning content, improving accuracy, and developing speed.
Curious about how working with a GMAT expert can improve your test-day performance? Sign up for a free consultation to learn how private tutoring can help you achieve your GMAT score goals.
