Given that each quantitative reasoning section of the GRE presents 20 questions to be answered in 35 minutes, you’ll have an average of 1 minute and 45 seconds for each quant question.

However, you should consider this average time a baseline — a reference point by which you can track your pace — not a fixed point to which you must adhere. Because of the varying levels of difficulty of questions on the test and your particular strengths and weaknesses, some questions may take you only 30 seconds to answer, while others may require three minutes.

In fact, you should expect some variation in time per problem and consider that as part of your test strategy. If, for example, you answer a relatively easy quant question in 30 seconds, you’ve just “banked” an extra 1 minute and 15 seconds for a more difficult question in that section, or an extra 45 seconds each for two medium-level questions.

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep