GRE Tips: Time Management for the GRE

Time Management

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Time Management

GRE Time Management

Pacing · guessing strategy · timed practice

GRE Time Management: How to Work Accurately, Confidently and Quickly

Succeeding on the GRE is not only about knowing the content. It is also about managing the clock, deciding when to move on, making smart guesses and practicing under realistic test conditions.

Why GRE time management matters

The old version of the GRE gave test takers 20 Verbal questions in 30 minutes and 20 Quant questions in 35 minutes, which created different pacing targets.

The current GRE is shorter. ETS states that the overall test time is about 1 hour and 58 minutes, with one Analytical Writing task, two Verbal Reasoning sections and two Quantitative Reasoning sections. That means students should now use updated pacing targets rather than relying on older timing charts.

Current GRE timing at a glance

Use the current ETS timing structure as your starting point for pacing practice. The Analytical Writing section always appears first, while Verbal and Quantitative sections may appear in any order after that.

Important update: The older timing charts for 30-minute Verbal and 35-minute Quant sections are no longer aligned with the current GRE. Use the current shorter format when practicing.

1. Work by section, not by perfect question

GRE sections are timed as a whole. You can spend more time on hard questions only if you save time elsewhere.

• Do not freeze on one item
• Use easier questions to bank time
• Return only if time allows

2. Guess before moving on

There is no reason to leave questions blank. If you mark a question, pick an answer first.

• Never leave blanks
• Eliminate first if possible
• Mark only after selecting an answer

3. Practice under real timing

Practice-test scores become misleading if you pause the clock, work off time or take breaks that the real test does not allow.

• Use a timer for drills
• Take full timed practice tests
• Review both errors and slow answers

Suggested pacing by question type

The exact time you spend can vary, but the principle remains: know which question types should be quick and which ones deserve more time.

Reading Comp note: For a short passage with two questions, aim for roughly 3 minutes total. For a longer passage with three questions, plan around 4.5 minutes total.

Verbal pacing strategy

Verbal pacing requires balancing fast vocabulary-based questions with slower reading questions. If Reading Comprehension is slow for you, you must become more efficient on Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence.

• Do not read passages passively; read for structure and purpose.
• Do not overthink vocabulary questions when you clearly do not know the word.
• Use elimination aggressively on difficult choices.
• Mark a question only after selecting a backup answer.

Quant pacing strategy

On Quant, many students can solve problems correctly but not quickly enough. That means the method matters as much as the answer.

• Learn shortcuts for Quantitative Comparison.
• Use estimation when exact calculation is unnecessary.
• Watch for long word problems that can consume too much time.
• Review slow correct answers, not only wrong answers.

Updated section checkpoints for the current GRE

The old article used checkpoint charts for 30-minute Verbal and 35-minute Quant sections. Because the current GRE uses shorter sections, the checkpoint system should also be updated.

Verbal 12 questions / 18 minutes

Verbal 15 questions / 23 minutes

Quant 12 questions / 21 minutes

Quant 15 questions / 26 minutes

How to use these checkpoints: Do not check the clock after every question. Check after blocks of questions so you can adjust pacing without becoming distracted.

Guessing strategy: do not wait until the final minute

If you ignore the clock until the end, you may be forced to guess on questions you could have answered correctly. A better strategy is to recognize when you are behind and choose strategically which question types to skip, estimate or mark.

If you are slightly behind Speed up on question types that are usually quick for you. Avoid re-reading unnecessarily. If you are clearly behind Guess or estimate on your weakest time-consuming question types, then move on. If a question is going nowhere Eliminate what you can, choose an answer, mark it, and come back only if you have extra time. If time is nearly over Make sure every question has an answer. A blank answer gives away possible points unnecessarily.

GRE at a glance

GRE test tips

Build your GRE pacing strategy before test day

GRE timing is trainable. With timed drills, full practice tests and review of both wrong answers and slow answers, students can improve speed without sacrificing accuracy.

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