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GMAT / GRE
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1d.
GRE Pacing Strategies for the CAT
One Mean CAT
To
quote ETS, the makers of the GRE, "Time management is
key." Your timing skills could add or subtract 100 points
from your score. Timing skills are important because the CAT
has unusual pacing constraints:
- DOUBLE PENALTY - for any unfinished questions in each
section. The penalty for unfinished questions is severe, worse
than getting a question wrong. You should pace yourself to make
sure that you finish all the questions in the allotted time.
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- NO DOUBLE CHECKING - If you finish a section early, you
cannot go back to double check your earlier answers. For example,
if you hurry and finish your section with 20 minutes left, you
are stuck at the end of the test for 20 minutes.
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- NO SKIPPING - When you hit a tough question or get
a mental block, you cannot skip the question without entering
an answer. Instead, you have to trudge through it, guess, and
hope you don't waste too much time. In addition, all answers
are final and you have to answer the question in front of you.
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- GO FASTER AND
FASTER - The value of
each question decreases as the section progresses. The first
few questions will determine most of your score, so you have
to start slowly and carefully and then accelerate as the test
progresses.
Tame that CAT
... The proper pacing to the GRE is difficult
to learn. You have to accelerate as the test progresses, you
have to finish the test on time, and you can't get bogged down
on questions. The
CAT is engineered so that the early questions count MUCH more
than the later questions. The result is that you should start
off slowly to get the early questions right and then speed through
the less important later questions. The last few questions are
virtually valueless. The problem is that the natural human reaction
is to go quickly at the beginning (when you are nervous) and
miss the most valuable questions.
How to take control
of your pacing
To tackle the GRE's tough pacing
requirements, we developed our Test
Pacer pace-training system and built it
into our 5 GRE CAT practice tests. The Pacer tells you what
question you should be on so that you finish the test on time.
Like a training wheel, the more you practice with the Pacer,
the stronger your sense of timing will become. The Pacer is designed
to adjust its pace to guide you through the test depending on
your skill level and what question you are on.
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Questions |
first third (1-8) |
second third (9-20) |
last third(21+) |
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Pacer Guide |
The Pacer will be
going slowly because the questions are valuable. Use the Pacer
as a brake to slow yourself down, particularly for the all-important
first eight questions. Double-check yourself before answering.
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The Pacer speeds
up here to a “normal” pace. Be careful, but not as
cautious as earlier in the test. If you are far ahead of pace
by question #9, it may mean that you were not careful enough
with the important (slow) questions at the beginning.
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The Pacer goes quickly
because the questions have little value. Move rapidly and guess
more frequently if you are behind.
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The pacer system is also available
as a watch for use on tests
other than our 5 practice GRE CATs.
w 1e. More strategies
for the CAT
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