Careless errors can quietly undermine your GRE Quant score. While the most obvious consequence is getting a question wrong, there is another effect that can be just as damaging. These errors can waste valuable time. For instance, you might notice that the answer you calculated does not appear among the choices. In that moment, you will need to review your work, track down the error, and often redo the problem. This extra work eats into the minutes you could be using to secure points on other questions.

Sometimes you will not have enough time to fix the mistake at all. When that happens, you are left guessing and moving on, knowing you lost points that were within reach. Improving your accuracy is one of the simplest ways to protect your score. Even a small reduction in careless mistakes can lead to a meaningful improvement—often five points or more.

One proven way to reduce these errors is to slow down enough to think through each step carefully. Many students rush in an effort to beat the clock, but moving too quickly increases the chance of overlooking small but important details. Working efficiently does not mean moving at top speed. It means finding a pace that balances accuracy with the time available. The distinction is critical.

Another effective strategy is to identify the types of mistakes you tend to make most often. Some students lose points by misreading a question. Others set up the problem correctly but make a simple calculation error. Still others make it through the hardest part of a problem, only to make a mistake in the final step. By becoming aware of your patterns, you can train yourself to pause and check for those specific errors before finalizing your answer.

It is also important to consider that what you think is a careless error may in fact signal a gap in your understanding. When reviewing an explanation, it is easy to think, “I should have multiplied instead of divided,” and move on. But if you pause and ask yourself why you made the wrong choice in the first place, you may discover that you were not entirely clear on the underlying concept or the correct approach. Those gaps require focused practice, not just faster calculations.

In short, improving accuracy in GRE Quant is not about being perfect. It is about slowing down just enough to catch your common errors, practicing until those errors fade, and making sure you have a solid understanding of the concepts behind each question type. This steady, deliberate approach will protect your score and help you make the most of the time you have on test day.

Reach out to me with any questions about your GRE prep. Happy studying!

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep