It’s easy to make mistakes when your writing is illegible. For example, if your numeral 2 has a funny habit of morphing into the letter Z, you’re likely to make errors, especially on multi-step math questions that require precision.

To avoid these mistakes, write carefully. This is not a minor point. Sloppy writing is often a sign of sloppy thinking. It can also result from anxiety, rushing through a problem, or simply wanting to move on. Don’t hide behind a veil of messy, disorganized writing. Make it a habit to solve each GRE Quant problem in a clear, orderly, and structured way. Your handwriting should reflect your focus and clarity of thought.

In addition to writing neatly, it’s important to organize your work thoughtfully. Don’t let your scratch work sprawl randomly across the paper. Disorganized scratch work makes it harder to track your steps and increases your chances of missing something important. Instead, aim to work within well-defined areas for each question. Write out your steps clearly. Label variables and intermediate results. Draw diagrams or number lines when needed.

The more organized your work is, the easier it becomes to spot mistakes and catch calculation errors before they cost you points. Clean, systematic scratch work also helps you stay calm and focused, especially when you're under time pressure.

Even small improvements in how you write and structure your work can make a meaningful difference in your GRE Quant performance. Treat neat writing and clean setup as tools that help you think better and score higher.

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

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep