Has there ever been a time when you were positive that you got certain answers right on a test, only to find out that you got them wrong? Of course you have! It happens to all of us. As common as this is, that doesn’t make it any less frustrating to lose points over questions that you clearly knew how to answer. Unfortunately, no matter how well you understand the concept, the fact that you knew the answer doesn’t change your score because you made careless mistakes.

What is the GMAT?

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is an adaptive computer test that measures a person’s analytical, quantitative, reading, verbal, and writing skills. This 3.5-hour standardized test is designed to predict academic performance and prepare students for entrance into various management programs such as an MBA, Master of Finance, or Master of Accountancy.

What Exactly is a Careless Mistake?

A careless mistake happens when we get an answer wrong, despite having all the necessary skills and information required to answer correctly. Even professionals and experts make careless mistakes, so it’s nothing to beat yourself up over. But if it’s something that happens frequently, you will want to develop a strategy to help minimize these unnecessary errors.

Common Careless Mistakes on Standardized Tests

Below is a list of the most commonly made mistakes.

1. Not reading the questions a couple of times before attempting to answer. Experts advise test takers to read everything a minimum of two times. It’s important not to focus entirely on the timed nature of the test and make sure you understand what the questions are asking you.
2. Failure to organize. Be organized about everything from your study techniques to the way you format your answers on the test.
3. Not writing legibly. This may seem pretty obvious, but it happens far more often than you would think. Test takers are rushed and stressed out and sometimes are so hectic while writing notes that they have trouble reading their own handwriting.
4. Not entirely understanding the question. This relates back to the importance of reading each question multiple times. Many people rush to answer the question without completely understanding the question, which is a big mistake.
5. Taking the test before you are ready. Most test takers will assign themselves a deadline, such as six weeks or 3 months, to prepare for the test. During the course of their studying, they might decide that they know the material well enough and will take the test sooner just to “get it over with.” You need to make sure to take as much time as you personally need to get prepared, whether this is two weeks or 6 months.
6. Only studying from one source. It’s a good idea to review information from as many sources as possible, not only the basic preparatory materials.
7. Failure to recreate the test environment in practice situations. Studying and test preparation might not be enough to achieve the highest score possible if you’re not recreating the conditions of the actual test. You will need to factor accuracy and time management into your test practice.
8. Losing track of time. While it’s important to spend enough time on each question to have a thorough understanding, you must remember that the test is timed. You should try and measure the time you are taking for each question, but don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself to rush through the questions.
9. Practice testing too soon. Experts advise against taking the practice test until you are within a reasonable time frame per question. It’s important to fix the “silly mistakes” habit before focusing on the actual test-taking.
10. Forgetting to take care of yourself physically. Due to the hectic and stressful nature of preparing for a standardized test, many test takers forget to tend to their physical needs in the process. Being well rested and eating a healthy meal before the test will do wonders on your ability to focus.

Common Errors on GMAT Verbal

Listed below are the most common errors made specifically on the GMAT Verbal section.

Sentence correction:

1. Subject-verb agreement errors
2. Grammar, meaning, concision errors
3. Parallelism errors
4. Pronoun errors
5. Modifier errors
6. Verb tense, mood and voice errors
7. Comparison errors
8. Idiomatic errors
9. Sentence structure and style errors

Critical reasoning:

1. Making assumptions- Do not fill in the gaps, take everything for what it’s worth.

Reading comprehension:

1. Reading the passage in too much detail the first time
2. Not clarifying the question
3. Failing to go back to the text to prove your answer
4. Turning to the answer choices too soon
5. Looking only for good stuff in the answer choices

Fully Understanding vs. Partial Comprehension

It cannot be emphasized enough how imperative it is that you have a complete understanding of the material you will be tested on and what the test questions are asking you. There’s a big difference between partially understanding something and being an expert on a topic.

There’s a large range to the level of understanding you can have on a topic. The subject matter could only look vaguely familiar, or it could be a problem you would figure out if you had some hints or coaching. If you have a complete understanding of a subject, you would not only be able to answer the question, but also explain your strategy and also teach the problem or concept to someone who is struggling with it. Full understanding of a subject is vital for successfully completing the GMAT.

Learning to Focus

Our brains take in about 11 million bits of information per second. Although we are only able to retain about 40 bits of this information, that’s still a lot of distractions that could be limiting your studying efforts. Fortunately, focus isn’t something that we’re either born with or without. It’s a skill we can practice and develop and there are many ways you can go about doing this:

1. Limit distractions. This includes the obvious distractions like email, phone, web browsing, music, etc. But it also includes the less obvious ones like thoughts or daydreaming. Discarding distractions will help you focus more on the task at hand, and you’ll become less likely to be distracted by other things.
2. Perform a self-scan daily. A self-scan is an Attention Training Technique that you do before starting any task. Its purpose is to harmonize your thoughts and behaviors to help you accomplish specific goals. You would start by asking yourself a series of questions daily to train your brain to focus, and then gradually decrease the frequency as time goes on.
3. Mind your multitasking. Multitasking can absolutely be a good thing, but there is a downside to it. If you frequently multitask you’re training your brain to favor divided attention and fragmented thoughts instead of focusing on entire, possibly long, task.
4. Get outside. If you’re having trouble focusing and paying attention, step outside for a quick break. Go for a walk or sit outside in the sun, just breathing in the fresh air. A quick change of scenery is a great way to break up the monotony so you can refocus on studying when you return.
5. Meditating for 10 to 20 minutes every day has been proven to help improve your focus. When you meditate, you’re clearing your mind, concentrating on your body, and focusing on your breathing. These skills could easily be used to focus on studying as well.
6. Read more. Reading for pleasure is not only fun and entertaining, but it can help build your focus. Start by reading for 30 straight minutes each day, then work your way up to 1 hour each day, then 2 hours and so forth.
7. Anticipate your needs. If you’re hungry, thirsty, or otherwise uncomfortable, then your mind will start to wander when you’re trying to focus on a task. To prevent this from happening, make sure your body doesn’t need anything before you begin testing.
8. Prioritize your tasks. Don’t put off your hardest tasks until the end of the day when you’re tired or they might end up get postponed until the following day. It’s best to take care of the most difficult tasks when you’re awake and full of energy.
9. Exercise regularly. Exercise is not only good for the body, but it also promotes brain health. Regular exercise can help stimulate the release of a chemical known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which improves memory capacity and concentration.
10. Try a small amount of caffeine. Studies show that in moderation, caffeine can help you focus, especially if you’re tired. So if you’re feeling fatigued, grab a cup of coffee or other caffeinated substance, just make sure you don’t overdo it.
11. Commit To Refocusing. Despite all the techniques and strategies you apply, at some point you will probably lose focus, most people do. You need to keep updating your current focal point. First set up a small task, complete, and then move on to the next one. Make sure you always give yourself something to focus on.

Keep Track of Your Errors: Pattern Analysis

While you’re studying, keep a notebook nearby or have a file open on your computer to make a note of any careless errors you make. Go over this list periodically to see if you catch any patterns. If you make a mistake just once, that’s not a problem; it happens to everyone! But if you’re making the same type of mistake multiple times, you need to figure out why you’ve been making this error. You’ll need to develop a strategy that will help you avoid making this mistake on the actual exam. Then just make sure you continue to pay attention to these details in the future!

To Summarize

Remember, regardless of how irritating careless mistakes are, they are an important part of the studying process. Identifying and correcting these errors will help prevent you from making them on the real test. Ultimately, nothing can completely prevent you making careless mistakes, but applying a few different study and focus techniques can help lower the possibility of them.

Let’s put everything into practice. Try this GMAT practice question:

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