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The quantitative section on the GRE is great for those who have a knack for mathematics. For the majority of takers this section may seem like a walk in the park, especially if you have been dealing with numbers throughout your academic and professional career. That being said, this section is not just about dealing with mathematical problems. It’s about avoiding the traps set out for you, as well as figuring out the answers under serious time pressure. With time in mind, under this section you will have 45 minutes to solve 28 mathematical questions. Here are some tips to make sure you ace the quantitative section on your GRE exam.

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Firstly, do not waste time reading the instructions! You are under a significant amount of time pressure. Having done enough practice tests, you should know exactly what each section will be asking you to do. My best advice is to DISMISS DIRECTIONS as soon as they appear to give you more time to go and answer the questions on each section.

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Avoid resorting to random guessing. This is a common error made by GRE takers. They see a question they cannot answer, then simply circle an answer without thinking in order to move onto the next question as fast as possible. In this situation you should use your logic to deduce at least two wrong answers. Using this technique you can automatically improve your chances of getting the correct answers. Keep in mind that the GRE will adjust you down the ladder if you continually answer incorrectly, so make sure you at least try and use the process of elimination to prevent this from happening.

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They provide you with scrap paper for a reason, so make sure you use it! I know a lot of students like to do the working out of a question all in their head. The only issue with this, is you may forget the answer, or how you got to the answer in the first place. Scribbling down your workings out will help you to no end, as you’ll be able to retrace your footsteps if you do end up at the wrong answer. 

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Commit to regular practice. It is far better to go over practice questions for 30 minutes each day as opposed to spending 3 hours solid every Sunday. The reason for this is to make it a daily habit. It will not only improve your speed of solving calculations, but you will get your fix of math every single day up until your exam.

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Avoid the overly obvious answer. Make sure you always double check your answer; look at all the options so you don’t get caught out.

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When practicing exam questions, focus on the questions you get wrong! In life it’s essential to acknowledge your weaknesses and work on them. The GRE is no different. If you are constantly failing to get the right answers for quadratic equations, go back to basics and focus your time on overcoming your weakness areas.