Although many GRE prep books mentioned that there is penalization for questions we don’t answer on both verbal and quantitative sections of the test, I am concerned about timing.
Would it be better if I concentrated on answering the first 10-15 questions of the sections correctly and after that guessing on questions, especially in math, that would take me londer to answer, even know I could, so that I could complete the session rather than leave 7 or so questions answered? Or is it better to answer 21 questions in math but garanteeing that I get those right and hence loosing points for the 7 questions I never got to?
Another question I have is: does the exams on the CD follow the method of the real GRE, where I do get an easier question if I make a mistake. More importantly, are my scores generated the same way they would in the actual GRE?
thank you kindly for your time and support,
best wishes,
sumina
Hi, it’s probably best if you try and keep a balance between spending more time on difficult questions and speeding up by guessing the answers to other questions. The GRE has been designed to simulate a situation in which you are under a certain amount of pressure to assess your ability to solve a task within a given time frame. In ‘real life’ you will often find yourself in similar situations: You have to do something as fast as possible which means you have to decide very quickly how much time you spend on which particular task.
That’s why it’s good if you analyze your speed and try to increase it.
As for your second question, most GRE prep materials simulate the actual exam.[YSaerTTEW443543]
TOEIC listening, photographs: An overground pipe[YSaerTTEW443543]
Sumina,
It certainly is better to answer as many hard questions as possible because those questions carry more weight than less difficult questions. So yes, your strategy makes sense. However, if you still have enough time to prepare for the GRE you can try and improve your overall perfomance to a degree that will allow you to answer most of the questions correctly. That way you will be under less time pressure during the exam and your level of confidence will rise.[YSaerTTEW443543]
TOEIC listening, photographs: Taking a corner fast[YSaerTTEW443543]
thanks.
here is a response I got from kaplan:
“Wrong answers near the end of the test will have the same effect on your score as wrong answers at the beginning, as the test adapts continuously in calculating your score.”
so the best strategy is to pace oneself and really answer all questions, paying enought time to get them right.
it is important to know that questions in the end can still do a lot of damage to your score b/c most places speak of the first 5 questions as if they had a higher impact on your score. The truth seems to be they do, but not much more than the other questions. Therefore, don’t blow the last 5 questions…pace yourself and finish it strong.
thank you for your replies.