GMAT Tips + Tricks (Common Sense Quant Speed Advice)

GMAT Tips and Tricks

GMAT Tips, Tricks, and Speedy Problem Solving (All about the workflow!)

There is a lot of discussion around learning tips and tricks, memorizing formulas and number property rules, and even memorizing common calculations in relation to speeding up your problem solving especially on the quant section.

And it is true that if you have something memorized and recall it with perfection at just the right time that it may indeed give you a significant speed boost in that moment. 

There are certainly numerous examples of memorizable properties that are directly applicable on the GMAT quant, and, yes, in the tutoring program we cover all of the things that matter.

But I want to sharpen the thinking here a bit in terms of what really works to alleviate timing issues on the quant section.

  1. Avoiding careless mistakes. 
  2. Having an organized workflow (defining the question and having a step by step execution)
  3. Having a reasonable timing strategy (based on your personal pace, current level, and goal)

These three are vastly more important than any specific (or sum of) memorizable GMAT magic trick. Of course, why not have both! And to the extent that you can assimilate a bag of tricks one of which might hit at the right moment that’s great. 

Some tips on GMAT Tips and Tricks:

  1. Learn them in context by being a super thorough reviewer of official GMAT questions. Learn by doing and by pursuing multiple solutions to questions. 
  2. With that in mind, avoid pre-made cheat sheets. If anything, make your own based on what you learn from review.
  3. Learn what makes the ‘magic’ happen. If you dig behind the scenes and learn the mechanics of the math then you are more likely to recognize when you can apply it and have a better chance of applying it properly.

And remember, the real magic is in the basics: having an organized workflow, avoiding careless mistakes, and applying a reasonable timing strategy. You can achieve an amazing GMAT quant score just focusing on these three things (as long as you have all of your fundamental quant content in place). 

Good luck and happy studies!