The GMAT allows test takers to choose the order in which they do the 3 sections of the test (Quantitative, Verbal, and Data Insights). But test takers often struggle with determining their optimal section order. The truth is that there is no specific section order that is best for everyone…it really depends on the test taker. That said, there are several factors to consider when trying to decide and some strategies for how to ultimately make the decision!
Try a Variety of GMAT Section Orders!
Probably the most important thing to say about all of this is that, ultimately, you can try different section orders and see what feels best for you. There are six official practice tests, and those tests can be repeated (at least once), so you will have ample opportunity to test out different section orders and decide what feels right for you. However, some considerations might help you strategize what might be best.
The Weakest to Strongest Strategy: Is It Best?
You may have read or heard that the GMAT adapts between sections and that, because of this, it’s best to start with your weakest section and progress to your strongest. Let’s unpack that. If you start with Verbal, for example, and perform really well, the algorithm will assume that you are a strong test taker and adjust by beginning the next section (let’s say you’ve chosen to do the Quant section second) with slightly harder questions. If the Quant section is your weakest, you might assume that this would be a less-than-optimal section order since you will start off your weakest section with slightly harder than normal questions.
There are some merits to this notion, but don’t overestimate the extent to which the test adapts between sections. The algorithm makes a slight adjustment based on how a test taker performs on the previous section, but it is slight. Moreover, the algorithm is tuned to not overly weigh those initial questions anyway. This is something that the head psychometrician and chief architect of the GMAT explained at a recent GMAC conference.
So, while you can certainly try ordering your sections from weakest to strongest, it’s very possible, perhaps even likely, that that will not be the ordering that feels most comfortable to you. Below we discuss some reasons why…
Optimal GMAT Section Order: Factors to Consider
One factor that should be considered is fatigue. People tend to find it most difficult to maintain focus on the Verbal section when fatigued. The fact is that you are much less likely to lose focus and start daydreaming on Quant questions, since very little upfront reading is needed on any given question and since one tends to be more active when solving Quant questions. If you do the Verbal section last and are prone to fatigue and loss of focus, you might find it difficult to read a long RC passage about some obscure and boring topic when you are 2 hours into the exam and exhausted. But not everyone is like that. I personally do not get fatigued that easily on the GMAT and don’t tend to lose focus when doing Verbal questions, so I have no problem doing Verbal last.
Another factor is anxiety. One of the problems with starting with your weakest section, as described in the section above, is that, if you’re prone to anxiety or panic, you might have a very bad start to the exam. For example, if quant is your weakest section and if you tend to panic early on in the exam, then having to face some difficult quant questions within the first few minutes of your exam might not be the best idea. It’s often the case that, even for people who suffer from test anxiety, once test takers get going and get past the first handful of questions, the anxiety begins to subside and they are then able to perform, much less encumbered by their nerves. This is definitely true of me. I’m often pretty nervous on the first few questions and often spend much more time on them than I ordinarily would, but once I get into a groove, the anxiety abates and no longer affects me. If this sounds like you, then you might be better off starting with a section that you feel more comfortable with, so that even if you have a slow start out of the gate, you can make up for that later in the section.
One additional consideration is timing. Personally, I tend to start the exam a little too complacent about timing. I often then catch myself and realize that I need to pick up the pace. For me, it’s easiest to do that on the Quant section. There will be questions that I can answer very, very quickly, thus allowing me to make up for time that I may have squandered earlier in the section. This realization that I was moving to slowly then sort of primes me for the sections that follow: I tend to be less complacent and more aggressive about timing in the subsequent sections. Data Insights is the section that I, like many other test takers, find the most difficult in terms of timing. Apart from data sufficiency, most of the questions on the Data Insights section just require a lot of time (as an aside, we have an entire article about using Data Sufficiency questions as a way to deal with timing issues on the DI section). One can only be so fast on Chart/Graph questions or Multi-Source Reasoning (MSR) questions. So for me, starting with the Data Insights section is a little bit dangerous because I might be too complacent early on and then get myself too deep in a hole to finish the section the way I’d like to. However, if I’ve done the Quant section first, I tend to go into the Data Insights section with a more aggressive time management mindset.
Keep in mind that the above are just some of the factors to consider. We’ve seen students who have particular reasons why a certain section should come first or last for them. And often those reasons are totally understandable! It’s just that they are very particular to each student and not necessarily generalizable. So, you should really follow your gut and if you have a good reason, internally, why a particular section order makes sense for you, you should go with it!
The Optional Break on the GMAT
The final thing to consider with regard to section order is the optional break. Before we go any further, it’s important to point out that the break is optional! It might seem crazy to you to forgo a break that you are being offered, but it’s not that crazy! Personally, I never take the break, unless I really need to go to the bathroom! As mentioned previously, I sometimes get off to a pretty slow start but then lock in once I get past the first few questions. Well, once I’m in the zone, I don’t want to move! Just give me the next section! We’re not saying that this is a good idea for everyone, but it’s definitely something that you shouldn’t feel silly considering.
For people who choose to take the optional 10-minute break, this can be one more factor to think about regarding section order. For most people, it makes sense to take the break after the second section, although you can take it after the first section if you want. And taking the break after the second section can help mitigate the fatigue issue that we described above. Perhaps doing the verbal section last would be too difficult without the break, but perhaps with the 10-minute break you’ll feel refreshed and able to tackle the verbal section without losing focus.
Conclusions
Although the above considerations can help you strategize what would be most comfortable for you, the best way to ultimately determine your optimal section order is to just try some different options on the official practice tests. Most people come away with a pretty strong feeling for which particular ordering works best for them. That said, don’t stress this decision. Even given the factors mentioned above that impact me personally, I’m pretty sure that, for me, the end result would be virtually the same no matter what section order I chose. So try to find the section order that feels most comfortable for you, but don’t overly stress the decision!
You can read more about the test structure, section order, the optional break, etc. on the official GMAT website.
And if you’d like to read some of the musings of GMAT Club users about different section orders and their reasoning as to what is optimal, check out this page on GMAT Club.