One of the most effective ways to cut down on careless errors is to become intimately aware of the kinds of mistakes you personally make. Careless mistakes are different from gaps in knowledge. They are avoidable slips that occur when attention falters, when assumptions go unchallenged, or when a routine step is skipped. Once you know the specific errors you tend to commit, you can catch them before they cost you points.

Start by keeping an error log. After every practice session or practice test, record questions you missed because of carelessness and describe exactly what happened. Did you misread the question stem? Did you swap numbers during a calculation? Did you answer the wrong variable, or copy a value incorrectly? The act of naming the mistake makes it easier to spot the same pattern later. Over time, those entries will reveal the recurring problems that are holding your score back.

When a pattern emerges, build a preemptive check into your process. If you frequently answer a question that is not being asked, pause and restate the question in your own words before you proceed. If you mix up numbers or signs, tighten your notation and practice hand calculations until basic arithmetic is automatic. If you lose your place in multi-step work, slow down and write each step clearly, even if that means taking a few extra seconds. The point is not to be slower for its own sake. The point is to be deliberate and accurate.

Mindfulness during practice pays off on test day. Train yourself to work methodically, to slow down when necessary, and to treat each question as a discrete task that deserves full attention. This approach reduces the chance that a momentary lapse will turn into a wrong answer.

Finally, remember a simple cost benefit rule. It is usually better to spend a little more time to avoid a preventable error than to rush and incur that error. Four careful questions that yield correct answers are worth more than four rushed questions that you miss and then must guess on later. By identifying your common careless mistakes, building targeted checks into your routine, and working with steady attention, you will remove one of the most common barriers to meaningful score improvement.

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

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep