Don’t rush your GMAT Quant section (timing benchmarks can be hazardous to your GMAT score)!

Yes, if the train is pulling out of the station: get moving! But in your GMAT studies and on your official GMAT you want to be patient. Steady. Consistent. I know this may seem at odds with a lot of what you’ve heard in terms of GMAT timing.

All over our GMAT blog we certainly stress that you shouldn’t dwell or get stuck anywhere. That no single question is worth it even in those oh so important first ten.

Yes, that is all true. However, what we see in our GMAT tutoring program is people trying to rigidly stick to a timing strategy so that the important thing becomes hitting a certain time on the clock by a certain question rather than focusing on the quality of the work. Efficiency isn’t helpful without some level of effectiveness. And rushing around in order to hit timing milestones is absolutely counterproductive.

A worthwhile timing strategy will help you ignore the clock for large stretches of the exam so you can concentrate your energy on solving GMAT questions.

If you need some insight on GMAT timing then I would clear out half and hour and dig into this in depth GMAT timing article. It talks about the psychology behind poor GMAT timing decisions and makes suggestions that you can then use to formulate your own timing strategy. There are general principles that work well for everyone but each individual has different needs and it’s important to formulate an approach that is based on your profile and goals.