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Going through school, whenever a teacher said the exam was multiple choice, I would automatically assume it was going to be an easy test! In my mind the idea of multiple choice meant that the answer was on the page somewhere, so if I couldn’t answer it, I would just guess! The common myth was, if you couldn’t answer the question; circle C, as it was the most common correct answer.

Sadly this is not the case for the GMAT; we can’t assume it’s simple and effortless just because the Quantitative and Verbal sections will provide multiple choice answers for us! However there is a way to use multiple choice to your advantage. When stuck on questions, instead of guessing, adopt the method of ‘Process of Elimination’. The answer is on the screen somewhere - if you can’t get to it, eliminate the wrong answers first, in order to increase your odds of getting it right.

The vital point being, you are on a strict deadline - an average of two minutes per question is not a long time. Most GMAT takers spend too long trying to tackle difficult questions, jeopardizing the chances of scoring marks on prevailing questions. This is why the method of process elimination is so useful.  For example, in a sentence correction question, you can cut out any answer that is drastically different from all the other answers provided. In data sufficiency question, you can automatically discard two of the answers once you have determined that one of the statements is true. A word of advice when it comes to the art of guessing, go with your gut instinct and don’t second guess yourself.

Again, the idea of multiple choice sounds nice and easy. However the GMAT is a Computer Adaptive Test (CAT). Moreover this type of CAT is a tricky, as you are not allowed to go back and check answers, or to skip any question. Furthermore, if you don’t finish, you will be hit with a big penalty!

I know it sounds ridiculous but ultimately you want the difficult questions. This is an indicator to how well you doing. The more difficult questions you are getting, the higher you are climbing in terms of score.  The test is adaptive to your level. So if you are answering the questions correctly, the computer will be assigning you harder questions to assess your skill level.

Finally, just remember that you always have to option to cancel your exam. I know this option is not ideal, but if you have really tanked an exam, you do not have to submit it.