When practicing GRE Quant questions, you will typically move through three distinct stages of mastery within each question type.

Level 1: At this stage, you understand the underlying logic of a quant category and generally know how to approach the questions. However, your accuracy may be inconsistent, and mistakes are common. This is completely normal and an important first step.

Level 2: Here, you are getting most questions in a given category right, but speed is still an issue. You may be taking well over two minutes per question on average. This is solid progress. Consistent accuracy means you are building the foundation needed to reach your target score.

Level 3: At this level, you are both accurate and efficient. You routinely solve questions correctly in about two minutes or less. Once you reach this stage, that category is ready for the test, and you can confidently shift your focus to another area.

Reaching Level 3 requires intentional and unhurried practice, especially in the beginning. If you try to force speed too early, progress will stall. Early on, it is far more productive to work without strict timing. You can note how long a question takes, but your priority should be understanding the concept, applying sound reasoning, and choosing the correct answer. Speed develops naturally when your grasp of the material is strong and your skills are well developed.

As your comfort with the content grows, you can gradually introduce tighter time limits. For example, during the first month of preparation, you might ignore timing altogether. In the second month, aim to finish questions in under three minutes. In the third month, target two minutes. By the fourth month, push yourself to average closer to one minute and forty five seconds per question.

Some students make the opposite mistake and never practice with timing at all. Without measuring speed, it is impossible to know whether you can solve problems within a realistic test day timeframe. Accuracy alone is not enough on the GRE. Correct answers only translate into higher scores if you can reach them efficiently.

As you move forward in your preparation, consistently tighten your time expectations. By the time you sit for the exam, your goal should be to average around one minute and forty five seconds per quant question, or as close to that benchmark as possible.

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep