A GMAT Pacing Strategy, simply put, is the well-thought-out plan for utilizing the GMAT exam time in such a way that you are able to complete the exam. Pacing strategies are often underestimated in a person’s performance on the GMAT. A score of 740+ can only be achieved through strategic planning. Do you struggle with finishing the exam or mocks on time? Have you devised a GMAT pacing strategy and tested it? Why should you have a timing strategy in the first place? Let’s dive right in!
Why is it Important to Have a GMAT Pacing Strategy?
A simple calculation of 65 minutes / 36 questions in verbal and 62 minutes / 31 minutes in quant isn’t going to yield an effective pacing strategy for the GMAT. Questions vary in difficulty as well as the time they need to be answered across the sub-topics in each section. Thus, it’s necessary to plan your pacing for each question type using a range of minutes, rather than one fixed number. A person needs a highly developed and time-tested timing strategy for the exam. Here is why pacing is important:
- High score: A score of 740+ needs both impeccable timing and accuracy, guaranteed only by an effective pacing method that gives you ample time to go through the questions.
- Pacing yourself prevents you from spending disproportionate time on some questions which may cause you to leave GMAT incomplete
- Effective use of time ensures that the conceptual foundation you built and the practice you put in (not to mention the hefty GMAT registration fee) do not go waste.
- Lack of a pacing technique or a flawed one is bound to leave you flustered towards the end, thus worsening your performance.
GMAT Pacing Strategy for Verbal Section
Follow these guidelines for an effective timing strategy for GMAT verbal section:
- Get a handle on Scope, Assumptions, Inference, and Conclusions. If you can master these, you will be able to save at least 5 minutes on the GMAT, and probably pick up as many as 5 points in your verbal score.
- For Critical Reasoning, read the question first and mark the type of question (W for weaken, S for strengthen, A for assumption, etc)
- After reading the passage in CR, read the question again and answer it without reading the answer choices first. This helps with accuracy and timing on the medium-level questions but not much on the difficulty level.
- In SC, try and pick the error just from reading the question and then from going through the list. This is faster than analyzing each answer choice separately.
- In Reading Comprehension, read the passage carefully the first time itself so you do not have to go back to it. You can also paraphrase each paragraph and take notes as you proceed. This helps you to remember the text better.
- Spend around 45 seconds on SC. For some of the harder questions, you may take up to a minute and a half. In CR, spend no more than 1.30 on each question. Like SC, some questions may be solved in 30-45 seconds, others in 2 minutes, averaging one and half minutes.
- Keep the maximum time aside for RC. If you followed the above timings, you would have 40 minutes left for reading comprehension, permitting you 10 minutes per passage.
| Finish this question # |
minutes remaining as per on-screen timer |
|---|---|
| #6 | 55 minutes |
| #12 | 44 minutes |
| #18 | 33 minutes |
| #24 | 22 minutes |
| #30 | 11 minutes |
| Finish this question # |
minutes remaining as per on-screen timer |
|---|---|
| #4 | 54 minutes |
| #8 | 46 minutes |
| #12 | 38 minutes |
| #16 | 30 minutes |
| #20 | 22 minutes |
| #24 | 14 minutes |
| #28 | 6 minutes |
Pacing Strategy for GMAT Quant Section
Follow these guidelines for an effective pacing strategy for GMAT quant:
- Learn key equations on common per cent values, square roots, powers, and fractions by heart. This will allow you to save time on calculations.
- After seeing the quant question, give yourself 4-5 seconds to go over the answer choices and the possible approaches you should follow instead of diving into solving without thinking.
- Most questions have a set pattern and a familiarity with them will help you save time. However, this is true only for easy and medium questions. The harder GMAT questions tend to be fairly unique. This is where practice from reliable material comes in handy.
- Do not calculate in your head, instead, write intermediary calculations to eliminate careless mistakes and improve accuracy. Even if it takes an additional 3-4 seconds, it helps in the long run.
GMAT Pacing Strategy: Top 5 tips
- Work smarter and not harder: Focus on learning techniques of applying concepts and solving problems in a faster and more accurate way. Utilize the practice sessions to experiment with new approaches and tricks to increase your speed for certain types of questions.
- Follow the 15-25 method: You should be on the 15th question when the clock shows 25 minutes. Alternatively, break down the exam into small sections and follow the rule of 40-20-2 in quant: you should have 40 minutes left after question 11, 20 minutes left at 21 questions, and 2 minutes on the last question.
- Focus on the first 10 questions. If you’re aiming for a 600+ score, the first 10 questions you see will most likely contain the easiest questions. Take a few seconds after you’ve answered each early question and be sure you didn’t make a silly error. At the same time, you cannot spend too much time on them. If you leave the exam incomplete, any initial progress would have been lost anyway. Focus on accuracy in the shortest possible time for the first 10 questions.
- For integrated reasoning, you should spend around two minutes and 30 seconds (2:30) per question set.
- Always have timed practice sessions: Get into the habit of pacing yourself early in your GMAT journey so you learn to balance time with accuracy early on.
Come up with a strategy with your trainer to solve that section in a fast and efficient manner. During our mock analysis sessions at Enzo, we analyze your timing and offer actionable suggestions for pacing strategy. Reach out to us here
Conclusion
The time on the clock and how we time as we *feel* are very different. This is why a scientific approach is needed for the GMAT. When you sit with a clock for each practice, you get accustomed to a 10-minute stretch feels like. An exam with strict time limitations is definitely not the most ideal time to experiment with new approaches to questions. This is what makes rigorous practice important with a GMAT expert vital. This ensures you are able to figure out efficient frameworks to reduce the time taken to solve questions. Enzo Prep offers the highest number of practice questions in the country to ensure its students are geared to ace the GMAT once and for all. Reach out to us today!
Have all your GMAT questions answered here: What is The GMAT: Everything You Need to Know About the Exam
You may also want to know how are different sections of the GMAT exam scored. Read it here – How is GMAT Score Calculated?
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