One Mean CAT

Imagine a test where you can't skip any questions, all answers are final, there's a penalty for not finishing on time, and you have to accelerate as the test progresses....

.... That's the new GRE CAT

Pacing strategies are more critical and difficult on the new computerized GRE than for any test you have ever taken. To quote ETS, the makers of the GRE, "Time management is key." Your timing skills could add or subtract 100 points from your score. The test has highly unusual pacing constraints:

• DOUBLE PENALTY - for any unfinished questions in each section. You should pace yourself to make sure that you finish all the questions in the allotted time.
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• NO DOUBLE CHECKING - All answers are final. If you finish a section early, you cannot go back to double check your earlier answers. For example, if you hurry and finish your section with 20 minutes left, you are stuck at the end of the test with 20 extra minutes.
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• NO SKIPPING - When you hit a tough question or get a mental block, you cannot skip the question. Instead, you have to trudge through it, guess, and hope you don't waste too much time.
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• GO FASTER AND FASTER - The value of each question decreases as the section progresses. The first few questions will determine most of your score, so you have to start slowly and carefully and then accelerate as the test progresses.
  
  

How the Test Pacer Works

GRE CAT students complained that they had trouble learning the right pacing and wasted their practice tests trying to master the GRE CAT's complicated pacing strategies. To tackle the GRE CATs tough pacing constraints, 800score.com developed the patent-pending Test Pacer training system.

The Test Pacer tells you what question you should be on, depending on your skill level, so that you pace yourself properly. For example, if the Test Pacer displays "12.0," you should be approximately on question 12 to finish the test on time at your skill level. This teaches you the right pacing interactively. Like a training wheel, the more you use the Pacer, the more you will develop your internal sense of timing and the less you will need it. We built it into our 5 GRE CAT Practice tests and many students use the Test Pacer watch when taking other GRE CAT tests.


Finishing the Test on Time

The Pacer will guide you so that you can do every question before time expires (there is a severe penalty for any unfinished questions). Following the Test Pacer also helps you to avoid leaving extra, unusable time at the end. You don't want to be too far ahead of pace or else you will waste 10 or 20 minutes sitting on the last question. (Remember, you cannot go back to earlier questions on the new GRE)..
      

Accelerating Properly
      
The way the CAT is engineered the early questions count MUCH more than the later questions. So, you should start off slowly to get the early questions right and then speed through the less important later questions. The problem is that the natural human reaction is to go quickly at the beginning (when you are nervous) and miss the most valuable questions.

The Pacer shows you the proper acceleration pattern so that you spend the most time on the questions that count the most and the least time on the questions that count the least.

 

        
Knowing When to Call It Quits

Suppose that you look at the Pacer during a question and it shows (question) 10.0, and a few minutes later it shows 11.5, you will know you spent 1.5 times the assigned time for that question. This is incredibly useful on the CAT, where you must constantly decide if you should stick to a question or move on, knowing that you can never go back to it...

If you have pacing problems or are concerned about it being a problem, consider using the Test Pacer built into our 5 GRE tests or in the watch.
   

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