“Studying for the GMAT is like crushing boulders into sand”… and a GMAT Math Tip by a 99th Percentile Scorer

I. Studying for the GMAT is like crushing boulders into sand

My method for studying for the GMAT involved crushing boulders into sand. For every set of practice questions that I answered, I categorized each question into the following groups:

‘Sand’: I knew how to solve this question and I solved it correctly and quickly. ‘Small pebbles’: I knew how to solve this question, but it took me longer than it should have. ‘Large rocks’: I knew how to solve part of this question, narrowed down my choices to two answers, and guessed. ‘Boulders’: I did not know how to solve this problem and I made a wild guess.

 

In each session, my approach was to crush my largest objects. So if I had ‘boulders’, I would immediately re-answer those questions. If I didn’t have any ‘boulders’, then I would re-answer my ‘large rocks’. But if I had ‘boulders’, I would just re-answer those, wouldn’t re-answer any other questions, and end my practice session. This would ensure that I took the most important lessons away from each practice session and not get distracted by less important lessons. I didn’t try to try to crush a ‘boulder’ into ‘sand’ in one session. That process would take multiple sessions.

The learning theory that supports this approach is called “spaced repetition”.  Essentially, the theory outlines the interval of time between exposures to new material that is optimal for long-term learning.  First developed in 1932 by Professor CA Mace, the theory is now utilized by some software programs such as Anki and SuperMemo. 

II. GMAT Math Tip – When to Estimate

Below is a video tip on how to tackle questions that require tedious arithmetic.  There are two way of answering the question in the video:

Do the arithmetic using the actual numbers Do the arithmetic using approximate numbers

In order to determine which method to use, you should check the answer choices first.  If the answer choices are very close together, then method 2 is likely not the best option.  However, if the answer choices are spread apart, then method 1 is likely the best option.  So before choosing an approach for tackling questions with tedious arithmetic, check your answer choices first.  It can save you a lot of time, which is valuable during the GMAT.