Many students feel a sense of urgency the moment they begin preparing for the GRE. The clock looms large, and it is easy to believe that timing alone will determine your success. While pacing is indeed important, it is not something you improve by simply pushing yourself to move faster. In fact, the most reliable path to strong pacing begins with slowing down. You must give yourself the time and space to understand the material thoroughly before attempting to work under pressure.

Start by mastering the core concepts. Build a solid command of the strategies that the GRE requires. Learn the formulas, patterns, and reasoning structures so well that they become part of your natural thinking process. When you work through practice questions, take the time you need to solve them correctly and thoughtfully. The more comfortable you become with the content, the more speed develops on its own. Accuracy creates efficiency, and efficiency creates speed.

This is why I am cautious when I hear students say they know the material but struggle only with timing. In my experience teaching the GRE for more than 15 years, it is exceptionally rare to find a student who has truly mastered the content yet faces a genuine timing issue. More often, the real challenge lies in conceptual gaps or inconsistent reasoning habits. These weaknesses may not always be obvious, but they reveal themselves once a student begins working under timed conditions.

The solution is not to rush. The solution is to strengthen your understanding. When you know the material well, time becomes far less of a barrier. You process questions more smoothly. You recognize familiar structures. You avoid false starts and unnecessary detours. As your accuracy improves, your confidence grows, and with confidence comes speed.

So, before placing strict time limits on your practice, focus on learning the material deeply and achieving consistent accuracy. Once your foundation is solid, timed practice becomes far more productive and far less stressful. The students who excel on the GRE are not the ones who push themselves to go faster before they are ready. They are the ones who take the time to learn well, then allow skill and efficiency to build naturally.

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

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep