How Much Time One Should Spend on Each GMAT Question

Timing is as important on the GMAT as answering the questions correctly. So, how long should you spend on each question? I offer the following guidelines:

On the math section, you have roughly 2 minutes for each question. Some of the easier DS (data sufficiency) problems can be near-obvious, and let you gain some valuable time for use on future questions. However, I don’t recommend you try to track this “time bank” to cash-in on it later. Instead, try to develop a steady rhythm for solving the math questions in 2 minutes or less. If you have some extra time in the end – which is very unlikely – so be it.

For verbal questions, plan to spend roughly 4 minutes on RC (reading comprehension) passages, about 1 minute for each following RC question, about 2-2.5 minutes on critical reasoning, and 1-1.5 minutes on sentence correction questions.

Whatever you do, don’t let yourself get stuck on a time consuming question. In fact, you’re much better off guessing and moving on to the next question sooner, thereby giving yourself more time overall, than spending an extra one or two minutes on a single problematic question, thereby limiting your time for the remainder of the exam.