Avoidable mistakes are so painful because, in hindsight, they are so obvious to you, but at the moment, they are overlooked and cause a negative impact. Careless mistakes on GMAT Math (or GMAT Quant) are no different. They cut us deep because we know we are better than that, but we just made a mistake. But, don’t fret about these silly mistakes on the GMAT. We’re here to help you minimize those situations. With some simple preparation, you can train to become a better test-take and more mindful of those common slip-ups. Combating all GMAT errors is an extremely difficult task, but minimizing the careless mistakes on GMAT math is an effective solution, a very 80-20 approach.
First, let’s talk about the GMAT Math section
The GMAT Math section consists of 37 question in a 75-minute period. You are not provided a calculator for this section at all, not even the onscreen calculate that is provided for the integrated reasoning section. However, you DO have a useful tool at your disposal, the scratch pad, which allows you to write out your work, take notes, and manually perform calculations. Make sure you utilize your Scratchpad. It is very easy to make mistakes on mental math. Writing out your work with a Scratchpad can help you organize your thoughts and avoid those careless mistakes on GMAT math.
Remember that the GMAT Math is an adaptive section (Math/Quant and Verbal are both adaptive sections. AWA and Integrated Reasoning are not). An adaptive exam simply means that based on your performance, the level of difficulty and your potential score range will change. For instance, if you do poorly on the first ten GMAT Math questions, you might find that the questions get easier and easier. Don’t celebrate just yet. This also means that your score range will be lower. Because the GMAT Quant section is adaptive, it is especially important that you avoid careless mistakes on the GMAT quant section. If you end up making a lot of unintentional slip ups, your exam questions and your score will be negatively impacted heavily. To help you prepare, we have put together the top fifteen GMAT errors on the quant section. Read through and take heed on these issues.
Top 15 Careless Mistakes on GMAT Math
1. Accidental Mistakes
We’ve all been in those situations. Forgetting to carry the tens digit while multiplying out multi-digit numbers, unintentionally ignoring the negative sign, accidentally thinking that an octagon has seven sides–these errors are just aggravating and usually the result of hasty work. But, these silly mistakes on the GMAT can mean the difference between a 600-range score and a 700-range score. These mistakes can add up.
Whether you have a minor mistake or a major error in your calculations, you will be penalized the same value for a wrong answer. By being careful and cautious in your calculations, you can save yourself many points. Don’t underestimate the small stuff!
2. Misunderstanding the problem
There are two main types of questions on the GMAT math, problem-solving questions and data sufficiency questions. For both types of questions, it is INCREDIBLY important that you understand the problem. Those problems are designed to confuse you and trip you up. Make sure that you fundamentally understand the problem, what you need to solve, and what the information is telling you.
Misunderstanding the problem can be a slippery slope that leads you to wasted time, effort, and a lower score. Make sure you read all the information that the problem is giving you, understand why the information is displayed the way it is, and assess what the information is trying to tell you. Similar to the verbal section, if you can’t understand the passage, you won’t get the right answer.
3. Not reading the question thoroughly
The questions on the GMAT math section give away a lot more information than you think. Make sure that you are reading the question closely and can fully comprehend the problem statement.
First things first, find out what the question wants. This is not as easy as you think. Because of time, many people choose to skim over the question and use assumptions to fill in the blanks. Don’t fall into that trap. It will take more time to read each question thoroughly, but you should do so to avoid misunderstanding the question, solving the wrong question, and providing the wrong answer on the exam. By taking the necessary steps up front, you may be able to save more time in the long run.
Take a look here. The problem statement is asking for how much MORE does a flight cost (in percentages). Many people don’t read the question thoroughly and assume that they are looking at an absolute cost and not the difference between two numbers. Make sure that you are reading the entire problem statement thoroughly.
4. Not answering the question
You should always ask yourself if you’re answering the question in the problem statement. The GMAT math word problems usually provide some extra information that can lead you astray. You should briefly check your answer against the problem statement before moving onto the next question to potentially save you from getting penalized for a wrong answer. For instance, if you are a given a problem statement about the angle and side measurements of a triangle and the question asks what is the value of angle x, if you click on the value of the side measurement of x, you are not answering the question. You have the right answer for the wrong question.
For instance, look at this question here. The problem is asking you for the price of one shirt, but the problem talks about shirts and hats. Make sure you’re giving the price for the shirt and not any other combination of products.
5. Not learning from your mistakes
The best way to practice is to learn from your mistakes. Don’t hide from your errors. Instead you should embrace them, work on them, and overcome them.
With lots of practice on the GMAT math section, it’s easy to identify those topics that seem to stump you over and over again. Flag the topics and the problems that you have trouble with and prepare an intensive study strategy to learn from your mistakes. Your training and your preparation are only as good as the work and effort you put into it. If Geometry is your weak point, don’t expect to get over that hurdle without any additional preparation. Target your studying and build your strength in the GMAT math section.
6. Looking at the wrong information
Especially with the GMAT Math word problems, it is easy to get distracted with the extra information they provide. Don’t lose sight of the problem statement and use that to direct your approach.
For the data sufficiency problems, this can be a huge hazard. By focusing on the wrong things, you won’t be able to assess accurately the data sufficiency validity of the options.
Make sure that you fully understand the information given and the problem statement before you develop your approach. Even while using the process of elimination approach, you will need to look at the correct information.
Look at this example and see if you’re able to separate what information is required and what information is unnecessary.
7. Spending too much time on problems
Time management is a constant theme throughout the GMAT. However, you need to make sure you are thinking strategically about your score as a whole and not about getting each question right. It is difficult to cut your losses but sometimes it is the best approach to take if you’re not making much traction. You never want to spend a ton of time on one problem because it will potentially hurt your performance on the remaining problems. Have an approach and a cut-off time-limit that you have in mind before going into the exam.
8. Not paying attention to detail
Skimming questions will only get you so far. Don’t expect to be successful with that strategy. The GMAC likes to throw you some curve balls that do require strong detail orientation. Take the time to read the question thoroughly. This will save you time in the long run because it will limit the need for re-reading the question later on. You can also use your scratch pad to write down notes and organize your thoughts. This can help you keep track of details.
9. Misunderstanding standard rules and theories
There are some equations and theorems you should know before taking the exam. You may need a brushing up on your math skills and practice. You don’t want to walk into the exam feeling confused or unsure of any math-related processes, standards, or techniques. During the official exam is not the time to start debating whether exponents come before parenthesis under the order of operations (the correct answer is parenthesis come before exponents by the way – PEMDAS). You can avoid lots of stress and sabotaged points by doing you due diligence and confirming standard math techniques ahead of time.
Do you remember all the equations for areas, surface areas, volumes, and perimeters? If so, great. If not, hit refresh with practice problems at Albert.io here.
10. Mistakes in your calculations
It is understandable that you would get some of your manual calculations wrong on the GMAT exam, nobody is perfect. However, you can protect yourself from careless calculation errors by showing your work on your Scratchpad and quickly checking over them before submission. This can help you in the long run because it will help you catch errors, if there are any, much sooner and more effectively than if you were doing all your calculations in your head.
Keep your calculations organized on your Scratchpad. It won’t help if you can’t read what you wrote and had scattered equations and formulas all across the page. By taking steps to ensure legibility and organization, you can help yourself out.
11. Disorganization
In the same vein, organization, in general, is a must! We’ve seen too many students struggle with organizing their thoughts, their approach, and their calculations, which ultimately feeds into a bad answer. Take the extra bit of effort to remain organized.
If you’re not normally an organized person, the best way to train yourself to be is to prioritize organization while practicing. Use grid paper and designate space for each question’s work. Soon you’ll find yourself naturally gravitating toward that style of structure.
12. Overthinking the question
It is incredibly easy to overthink the data sufficiency questions. If you are finding that you’re having trouble with these questions, then give them some TLC. Do lots of practice problems and try solving each of the circumstances based on the options in the answers. Find the one that works and that will be your answer. It is okay if these questions take you a long time at first. Once you get the hang of them, it should get easier.
13. Making too many assumptions
Don’t fall into that trap of thinking you know something beyond what the exam is telling you. A lot of people assume that because they do a lot of practice problems, they can recognize patterns on the exam. That may be true, but don’t be overly confident. This can lead to making some general assumptions that don’t hold true on the official exam. Be careful of this one because this is the one issue that seems to pop up as a result of lots of practice.
Sometimes test takers look for the odd solution out. Either to choose as their answer or to eliminate first during process of elimination. This is not good standard practice as just shown because answers can really go either way. Don’t assume that because an answer choice stands out, it is immediately wrong or immediately right.
See the answer examples below. One of these does not fit just by first glance. Solve the full problem here and figure out the actual answer.
14. Misinterpreting patterns
On a similar note, some students have fallen the trap of drawing conclusions about the exam based on the previous exam questions. Try to think of each question as a unique question. Don’t draw to a previous question to give insight into the current question. You may be assuming that something is a pattern when it is not.
The test is designed such that if you are having problems with a particular set of questions, the test will give you more of those questions. Therefore, you should not use conclusions from previous answers to make an assumption on future questions. In fact, that test may be trying to elicit that wrong answer by providing that question to you again, provoking you to make the same mistake.
15. Not double checking that your answer makes sense
Lastly, double checking, when done efficiently, is not time-consuming. This is not something that you have to do, but is a good way to catch all your careless mistakes. Don’t be afraid of double checking your answers. A quick skim over your calculations and the problem statement should help minimize the risk of incorrect answers.
The GMAT Math section can be a minefield for traps and opportunities for careless mistakes. Use lessons learned from past GMAT test takers to prepare for the GMAT Math in the most effective and efficient way. By taking the time and effort to go the extra mile, you can effectively bump up your score with minimal added work or preparation.
Let’s put everything into practice. Try this GMAT practice question:
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