Ultimate GMAT Guessing Strategies To Boost Your Scores!
Is there a penalty for guessing on the GMAT? - There is a penalty if you run out of time in the end and leave questions unanswered. But there is no penalty for guessing.
Should I guess or leave a blank / skip the question? - On the GMAT, you need to PICK an answer for ALL the questions in the given time. There is no option for you to leave it blank or skip the question.
When to guess on the GMAT? - If you end up randomly marking an answer at the end of two minutes – it is not guessing – it is giving up. In this case, the GMAT is in control.
How many questions can I guess for my target GMAT score? - You need to score possibly in the 80th percentile range for both quant and verbal – giving you a total GMAT percentile score in the high 90s.
At what level do I estimate the GMAT? - Due to the way the GMAT algorithm works, we need to allow enough time for the initial part of the test. This lets us know how we pace ourselves, so we know when to anticipate.
How do I pace myself by guessing smartly on the GMAT? - Whenever you are slowing down, and you need to pick up the pace – make a few guesses in each of the quartiles without worrying about your scores dipping too much.
How much time should I take before I decide to guess a question on the GMAT? - You have a total of 127 minutes (62 minutes for Quant and 65 minutes for Verbal) to complete 67 questions (31 questions in Quant and 36 questions in Verbal) i.e. 113.73 seconds per question on an average.
What types of questions on the GMAT are more “guessable”? - If we specifically look at each of the question types, you could either make -
An educated guess – you are stuck between the last two (or three) options, and investing more time is not helping you. You mentally flip a coin to pick an answer.
A blind guess – You have read the prompt and question a few times but cannot understand what’s said. You mark a random option and move on to the next.