Understand the computer structure of the test: your first question will pose an average level of difficulty. If you answer it correctly, the next question will pose a slightly higher level of difficulty; if you answer it incorrectly the next question will be slightly easier. Answers cannot be changed after they are submitted. Different types of questions will be asked in random order according to the computerized test's algorithm.
Become familiar with the three categories of the test: Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning and Sentence Correction. Understand what kind of intelligence and competency each is designed to measure and how the questions are designed to gauge these skills.
Take practice GMAT tests, especially mock-computer tests. The mock-computer tests simulate the actual testing environment and they will help you to learn how to manage your time wisely.
Address each question appropriately. Take your time with the first five questions of each section because those answers determine the computer's assessment of your ability and the type of questions it thinks are appropriate for you. Learn to spot intentionally deceptive incorrect answer choices and learn to make educated guesses when you get stumped on a question.
Plan to finish the test. If you don't complete the test you will face significant scoring penalties. A blank answer will cause greater harm to your overall score than an incorrect answer will.
Determine if the question is among the three most common subject areas for this section: science, social science or business. Science passages are usually factual and tend to be the easiest to comprehend. Social science questions may be the most interesting and tend to be read quickly, making it more likely that you will comprehend less of the information contained in the passage. Business passages employ complex sentence structure and will demand that you infer meaning and the author's opinions.
Identify whether the question is among the four usual types of questions: factual, inference, main idea or tone. Practice GMAT tests will increase your familiarity with each of these question types. Inference questions will require you to draw conclusions whereas tone questions ask you to identify the overall tone of the piece (which is usually positive or neutral). In main idea questions, answer choices that provide factual information can usually be safely eliminated.
Read the first question before reading the passage in order to anticipate what you will need to know about it. If the question refers back to a specific line in the next, always re-read a few lines before and after the specific line because those sentences may be the key to the correct answer.
Anticipate the goal of each question. Critical reasoning questions will ask you to perform one of the following reasoning tasks: strengthen or weaken an argument, recognize a parallel argument, identify an inference, identify an assumption or choose the most appropriate conclusion.
Read the question before reading the text so that you read the text with an anticipation of what you will need to do with it. Try this technique first with practice GMAT tests to see if it works well for you.
Locate the passage's assumptions and conclusion. The conclusion will not always be the last sentence and may not even be stated explicitly. The text's assumptions are prerequisites for the conclusion, i.e. without these assumptions the conclusion is false.
Imagine the correct answer before reading the answer choices. Your own derivation of the answer will often be the correct one. However, still read every answer choice because you may find one that fits better.
Skip answer A which always repeats the exact wording of the question's sentence. This fact will be evident in the GMAT practice tests.
Choose an answer that meets all of the following criteria: no grammar errors; correct sentence formation; no diction mistakes; and no changes to the sentence's intended meaning. Use the process of elimination to discard answer choices that fail any of these criteria.
Watch for multiple errors in the question's sentence. Some answer choices may correct only one of the errors whereas the correct answer identifies all errors in the sentence.
Reread the question but insert your chosen answer (or answers if you have trouble choosing between them). This ploy will help you identify subtle problems or differences in the answer choice(s).