Why You Should Ignore the Average Time for GMAT Quant Questions

Chances are that you already know a bit about the GMAT, including the fact that the quantitative section (quant section) of the exam gives you 75 minutes to answer 37 questions. With those restrictions, assuming that you use the full 75 minutes to complete the section, it’s not hard to figure out that the average amount of time per question is a little over two minutes. You’d be amazed at how many test takers mistake that average to mean that they should try to spend two minutes (or less) on each of the quant questions. That idea is not only a bad goal, but it’s also an unrealistic way of approaching the quant section – one that could significantly hurt your GMAT score.

During your studies, and when taking computer-adaptive tests, you’ve probably come across some practice quant questions that you could solve quickly – in a minute or less. You’ve also probably come across some really wordy questions that take far longer to solve (upwards of three minutes). Many of those wordier/longer questions aren’t actually all that difficult though, but the time that it takes to read and take notes means that you naturally have to invest more time to work out the answer. If you try to rush through those quant questions (because you want to answer each in under that two-minute average), then you’re far more likely to make a little mistake and answer those questions incorrectly. Since certain quant questions can be answered relatively quickly, you have the opportunity to ‘save’ some time that you can then spend on the longer questions. Of course, this idea only works if you’re comfortable spending more than two minutes on an individual quant question.

For much of the GMAT, the work that you have to do to answer an individual quant or verbal question is more about taking notes and linking concepts than anything else. In the quant section, you’ll often have to do some minor calculations involving arithmetic or algebra, but that work usually isn’t difficult. Some test takers try to rush through questions by not taking notes, doing work in their head and by employing other shortcut tactics. Unfortunately, this approach actually has the potential to lead to some big pacing problems (the problems that those test takers were hoping to avoid by spending under two minutes per question). The goal on any individual question is always two-fold: Try to get the question correct AND try to solve it in an efficient manner. Note that ‘efficient’ does not mean ‘less than two minutes’.

Some of the worst advice about this issue comes in the phrase “spend 10 minutes on five questions.” Beyond being too general, it causes problems for many test takers because there are sections of the GMAT in which you’re far more likely to see groups of wordier questions that require more ‘steps’ to solve. Many test takers who try to follow the 10-minutes-for-five-questions rule end up missing out on lots of ‘easy-to-get’ points and subsequently end up with lower scores as a result.

Thankfully, the GMAT is still the same consistent, predictable exam that it’s always been, so you can avoid many of these pitfalls – if you train properly. To start, remember that trying to answer a quant question in less than two minutes is not one of your goals. The rest of your training should involve using the proper practice materials, practicing the proper tactics and following advice that is actually pointed and useful to ensure you’re being strategic about how you tackle the test as a whole.