A GRE student asked recently, “Wanted to know if anyone can offer insights on how to eradicate mistakes on the GRE math section. It’s extremely frustrating to make the odd error or two on every GRE practice test, even when you expect to have answered every question perfectly. I realize it just boils down to being more vigilant but is there a more defined method, a trick maybe?”

While performing tedious calculations, many of us make minute calculation errors and sometimes even tend to forget what the question has asked. This is frustrating because we know how to solve the question, understand the problem, and feel confident, but we make stupid mistakes.

So One Asks Where the Issue Is.

It would be best if you evaluated where you made the error. Was it that you misread the question or read it fine but made a mistake at the beginning or at the end. Often, while working with GRE students, I see that they don’t read the problem well – the question is asking something else, but they are solving for something else or ignoring essential parts of the question. Sometimes they understand the problem, solve it correctly, but then make a small error in the calculations or even make the worst mistake of all – mark the wrong answer.

This is just a lack of focus – how many times have you seen a basketball team winning a match and then suddenly lose it in the end? This is the same thing happening to you on the GRE – you lose focus in the end, relax, and rush through the question to do it wrong in the final steps. With the internet, Facebook, cell phones, and so many distractions, our brains and eyes are now used to not seeing the same thing for more than a few seconds.

How do you tackle this?

Well, it’s simple; focus hard from the beginning till the end. Spend time reading the question correctly and identify what the problem is asking – write down and make notes of everything in the question and highlight what is required. Please do not immediately reach for the pencil; first, read the question, let it sink in for 5 seconds, and then write down the information on paper.

Don’t Rush through the Calculation.

Instead, slow down and skim over the steps that you have carried out to solve a question to make sure you have not made any mistakes. At the end of every problem, spend 10-15 seconds looking at your work and tie it up with what the question is asking. Moreover, don’t skip steps or don’t try to do too much in a single step. Make sure you write down every step of calculation that you are making and break down the solution in small steps. Be careful with minus signs in arithmetic and algebra; this is the most common mistake that students make. They either ignore the minus sign altogether or solve it incorrectly.

Calm Yourself Down. 

Calm yourself down before taking a practice test and hide the time if you want – many GRE students that I have worked with find it much more relaxing if they hide the clock and stop thinking about the time left.

Starting Fresh is Essential. 

Don’t keep on doing one test after the other. Take one full length mock each day and not more than that. I have often seen students making a lot of mistakes because they are either tired or have been working for a long time in a stretch. Take breaks and make sure you sleep well before you sit down for a few hours of GRE preparation.

With these simple techniques, I hope you will perform better during your preparation and actual test days. Make sure you practice enough with these techniques to become second nature to you, and you will see your improvement.