GRE Super Over – Getting Rid of Silly Mistakes in Quant

Scoring a perfect 170 in Quant is definitely an achievable target, particularly for engineers.

But, silly mistakes and exam nerves almost always get the better of most of us.

While it can be extremely frustrating, it is a serious problem that prevents many students from actually achieving their true potential.

One such student was Somya Bajaj.

With her sights set on Ivy League Universities, she was aiming for a 325+ score.

In Nov 2015, Somya took up the task of preparing for GRE and spent 3 months of dedicated attention to mastering each of the GRE topics.

Come exam day, Somya was left disappointed as she stared at an unsatisfactory 310 on the screen.

Fast forward to a year later, in Sep 2016, Somya decided to plunge into her GRE preparation again.

With two personal trainers, she realized where she was making mistakes.

“For example, after analyzing the time spent on each of the test questions, her clicks, and her answer choices in her online practice, her Quant trainer found out that her problem was not with difficult questions, in particular, but with lengthy questions that required her to read through details carefully.”

Armed with a constructive feedback like this, Somya consciously worked on her weak areas and gave her GRE again in Nov 2016.

This time, Somya walked out with a massive 23-point score boost and a 333 in GRE.

What Expert Tips Helped Somya Overcome Silly Mistakes in Quant

#1: Befriend Time

There are 20 questions and 35 minutes, per Quant section. This means that you shouldn’t spend more than 1.5 minutes per question.

To achieve this, if you are using a watch, then stop it right away. Practice with a timer, preferably online, so that you recreate the actual GRE atmosphere as much as possible.

AdmitEDGE Pro Tip: If a solution doesn’t present itself within the first 30 seconds of seeing the question, just mark it for verification and move on. Come back to it after answering other questions confidently!

#2: Switch It

Our Quant SFAs (Personal Trainers) here at AdmitEDGE say, “Substitute 0 and 1 wherever you can, particularly for Quantitative Comparison questions.”

This saves you a large amount of time, as you will be able to answer the questions within seconds.

For example, consider this question:

Rather than using algebraic methods to solve this question, simply substitute 0 in place of x.

A = 3x + 2 = 3(0) + 2 = 2

B = 3(x + 2) = 3(0 + 2) = 6

Therefore, option B is the correct answer!

And look at the time! Not even 10 seconds.

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#3: Divide & Rule

Do word problems give you the chills?

Simply use the age-old ‘Divide & Rule’ concept where you break down the word problem into its subsequent components, that is, what is given vs. what you must find.

This kind of clarity enables you to utilize the information in sequence and ensure zero errors in the final answer.

#4: IGMO

The GRE has no negative marking.

Therefore, if you feel yourself spending too much time on a question, i.e., more than 2 minutes, just make an Intelligent Guess & Move On!

These are just some of the many tips that 35,000+ students have used to achieve their dream GRE score!

We can help you become the next one too!

Get more such expert tips & achieve your target score!

[EXPERT WEBINAR]: 8 Time Management Tips to Score 320+ in GRE
Learn how to defeat the GRE timer, save time in Verbal, and prevent silly mistakes in Quant – Register Now!