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Do's and Dont's for GMAT— |
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1.
DON'T resort to random guesses. Instead, always try to eliminate at
least one answer choice before you confirm your response. |
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2.
If you must guess, always try to eliminate obvious wrong-answer choices
first, then go with your hunch. Eliminating even one choice obviously
improves your odds. If you're out of time on a section, there's no advantage
to guessing randomly on the remaining questions. Why? You might luck
out and guess correctly. But incorrect responses move you down the ladder
of difficulty to easier questions, and your reward for responding correctly
to an easy question is less than your reward for responding correctly
to a more difficult one. So on balance, there's no net advantage or
disadvantage to guessing randomly. |
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NOTE:
The scoring system for the paper-based GMAT (available only at certain
locations outside the U.S.) eliminates any advantage of random guessing
by deducting one-quarter point for each incorrect response. |
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3.
DO look out for sucker-bait answer choices. |
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4.
The test-makers love to bait you with tempting wrong answer choices.
So unless you're running out of time, heed the given advices. |
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5.
In Problem Solving questions wrong-answer choices typically reflect
common computational errors. To avoid this trap: |
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6.
On the Verbal section questions typically include a best response and
a second-best response. So unless you're quickly running out of time
on the Verbal section, never hasten to select and confirm an answer
until you've read all the choices! |
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7.
DO pace yourself so that you have enough time to consider every available
question—but don't be a clock-watcher. |
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8.
To give your full attention to all 37 Quantitative questions and all
41 Verbal questions, you'll probably have to work at a somewhat quicker
pace than is comfortable for you. Check your pace after every 10 questions |
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9.
Adjust your pace accordingly so that you have time to at least take
a reasoned guess on every available question in the section. But try
not to be a constant clock watcher (easier said than done, of course,
when the time remaining is always right in front of you—in the
upper-left corner of the computer screen) |
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TIP:
The best way to avoid the time squeeze is to practice under timed conditions,
so that you get a sense for how quickly you must proceed to get through
a multiple-choice section within the allotted time. |
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10.
DO take your time with the first few Quantitative and Verbal questions. |
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11.
The CAT uses your responses to the first few questions to move you either
up or down the ladder of difficulty. Of course, you want to move up
the ladder, not down. So take great care with the initial questions—perhaps
moving at a somewhat slower pace initially. Otherwise, you'll have to
answer several questions just to reverse the trend by proving to the
CAT that you're smarter than it thinks you are. |
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12.
DON'T succumb to perfectionist tendencies. |
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13.
On an exam as important as the GMAT, it's easy to be a stubborn perfectionist.
The design of the CAT itself contributes to this mind set, because your
reward for correct responses to difficult questions is greater than
your reward for easier questions. But a stubborn attitude is self-defeating,
for two reasons: |
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14.
It reduces the number of questions that you attempt, which lowers your
score |
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15.
You run the risk of over-analyzing questions, and going against your
initial hunch (which more often than not is correct). As you take the
Quantitative Mini-Tests and Verbal Mini-Tests here at my Website, get
comfortable with a quick pace by adhering strictly to the time limits
imposed. Remember: You can miss quite a few questions and still score
high. Develop a sense of your optimal pace—one that results in
the greatest number of correct responses. |
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16.
DO maintain an active mind set. |
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17.
During the GMAT it's remarkably easy to fall into a passive mode—in
which you let your eyes simply pass over the words while you hope that
the correct response jumps out at you as you scan the answer choices.
Fight this tendency by interacting with the test as you read it. Keep
in mind that each question on the GMAT is designed to measure a specific
ability or skill. So when you're presented with each new question, try
to adopt an active, investigative approach to the question. Ask yourself: |
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18.
DO use your pencil and scratch paper |
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19.
Doing so helps keep you in an active mode. On the Quantitative section,
perform only the simplest calculations in your head; commit everything
else to paper! Obviously, you'll use your scratch paper less during
the Verbal section. Nevertheless, outlining Reading Comprehension passages
and jotting down conclusions and premises for Critical Reasoning questions
can help keep your thought process clear and straight. |
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20.
DO move the keyboard away to the side for the multiple-choice sections. |
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21.
You won't use the keyboard at all for either the Quantitative or the
Verbal section. So put your scratch paper right in front of you, and
get the keyboard out of the way. |
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22.
DON'T waste time reading directions while the clock is running; make
sure you already know them inside and out |
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23.
At the start of each new section, as well as just before each specific
type of question (e.g., Data Sufficiency or Reading Comprehension) appears
for the first time, the CAT will display the directions for that section
(or question type). The clock will be running! So dismiss the directions
as quickly as you can by clicking on the DISMISS DIRECTIONS button—without
taking any time to read them. |
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