Careless errors will destroy your score. That’s not an exaggeration. Yes, they can directly cause wrong answers—but what’s just as damaging, and often overlooked, is how much time they eat up. For example, let’s say you catch a careless error because your answer doesn’t appear in the choices. Now you have to go back, rework the problem, and figure out what went wrong. That takes time—time you could have spent correctly answering the next question. Worse yet, you may not even realize you made a careless mistake. In that case, you’re stuck with a wrong answer and no chance to recover. Either way, these little missteps can have an outsized impact on your score.

Avoiding careless errors isn’t about being perfect—it’s about becoming aware. The first step is to slow down just enough to avoid rushing. Rushing creates conditions where small errors flourish: a sign error here, a misread question there. You don’t need to move at a snail’s pace, but you do need to stay in control. There’s a big difference between moving efficiently and sprinting carelessly from one calculation to the next.

Another key is identifying your personal error patterns. Start paying attention to the kinds of mistakes you tend to make. Do you often drop negative signs? Forget units? Miss the final step? Overlook what the question is actually asking? These are all fixable—but only if you spot the pattern. Keep a running list in your error log so you can check in with yourself during practice and train your mind to slow down in those vulnerable moments.

And don’t stop there. Sometimes, what looks like a careless mistake is really a knowledge gap in disguise. Sure, when reviewing a question, it might seem obvious in hindsight that you should have added instead of subtracted. But dig deeper. Why did you subtract in the first place? Was it really a silly mistake—or was it a sign that you didn’t fully grasp how the concept worked in that context? If so, some targeted review and focused practice could go a long way toward eliminating those errors for good.

Small mistakes can have a big impact. But the good news is: with awareness, intentional practice, and a willingness to investigate your own thinking, you can drastically reduce them—and in doing so, potentially add five points or more to your GRE Quant score.

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

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep