The GMAT math section was not designed to ensure that takers understood the questions clearly. On the contrary, test makers made sure that questions are trap-laden and as tricky as possible. The goal of every student preparing for the GMAT is to anticipate these traps and minimize errors. Increasing your score in the GMAT involves reducing the instances of errors. There are strategies to accomplish that.
1. Know the different types of errors.
Like in war, knowing the enemy is an important part of the battle plan. There are 3 types of errors:
2. Know what types of errors you usually commit.
This is about recognizing your weaknesses. In every wrong answer you give, what error or errors did you make? Why did you make such error? This is accomplished with the use of an error log to learn from your errors. An error log is a systematic record that monitors the errors you make. It will help you assess your weak aspects, the efficacy of corrective methods you employ, and how you are improving. Create a GMAT error log in easy steps.
a. Use a notebook, an Excel file, or a downloaded GMAT Error Log. Whatever type of error log you use, it must consistently be the tool you use to record all your GMAT errors.
b. If you are using the downloaded error log, follow the site instructions.
c. If you are doing your own electronic file or logging manually on paper, make sure that you have the following important columns:
3. Unlearn bad habits, learn good ones.
From the reason you have provided, you will see how errors could be minimized.
1. If it is a habit that makes you repeatedly make an error, such as habitually doing mental calculations which proves unreliable for you, stop doing it. Instead, make it a habit to write down your solution and use paper-and-pencil to do calculations. Review your errors weekly and correct them the following week. After you have adopted new techniques and habits, review again and see if you have made headway.
2. Develop your standard way of approaching a problem. In PS, for instance, there is an advantage in writing down every step you perform to compute for the answer. This makes it easier for you to spot errors when reviewing. If you approach DS by eliminating, make sure that you use consistent marks. If an x is used to mark those eliminated choices and a circle is used to mark the probable choices left, use these marking all throughout the test. Imagine your careless mistake if you forgot about what the markings meant and used the opposite instead.
1. Know the different types of errors.
Like in war, knowing the enemy is an important part of the battle plan. There are 3 types of errors:
- Careless errors - are those you commit even when you knew the concept and the methods for solving the problem. The data were all there, yet you committed a slip anyway.
- Content errors - are those you commit because you forgot a concept or didn’t have enough knowledge about the problem.
- Technique errors - are errors you commit in the method used for solving a problem which you have adequate knowledge on. It may also include error in timing technique.
2. Know what types of errors you usually commit.
This is about recognizing your weaknesses. In every wrong answer you give, what error or errors did you make? Why did you make such error? This is accomplished with the use of an error log to learn from your errors. An error log is a systematic record that monitors the errors you make. It will help you assess your weak aspects, the efficacy of corrective methods you employ, and how you are improving. Create a GMAT error log in easy steps.
a. Use a notebook, an Excel file, or a downloaded GMAT Error Log. Whatever type of error log you use, it must consistently be the tool you use to record all your GMAT errors.
b. If you are using the downloaded error log, follow the site instructions.
c. If you are doing your own electronic file or logging manually on paper, make sure that you have the following important columns:
- Information on the question: the book name and page of the problem where you committed an error on, the question type, the content category of the problem, and the date and time spent for solving the problem
- Information on the error: detailed description of the error or errors
- Reason for the error: why do you think you made an error
3. Unlearn bad habits, learn good ones.
From the reason you have provided, you will see how errors could be minimized.
1. If it is a habit that makes you repeatedly make an error, such as habitually doing mental calculations which proves unreliable for you, stop doing it. Instead, make it a habit to write down your solution and use paper-and-pencil to do calculations. Review your errors weekly and correct them the following week. After you have adopted new techniques and habits, review again and see if you have made headway.
2. Develop your standard way of approaching a problem. In PS, for instance, there is an advantage in writing down every step you perform to compute for the answer. This makes it easier for you to spot errors when reviewing. If you approach DS by eliminating, make sure that you use consistent marks. If an x is used to mark those eliminated choices and a circle is used to mark the probable choices left, use these marking all throughout the test. Imagine your careless mistake if you forgot about what the markings meant and used the opposite instead.