Should You Try To Answer GRE Experimental Questions?

September 12, 2008

In a recent article, I discussed the format of the GRE's new question types. For now, they don't count toward your score, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be prepared. But when you encounter them on the test, how should you react?

In most cases, it makes sense for you to “skip” these questions. (Just be sure to make sure on the day of your test that these questions continue to be experimental!) The GRE will not allow you to leave anything blank on the test, so by “skip," I mean: Answer randomly and keep going. This will allow you to bank time on the test and take a little mental break.

When Not To Skip

There are, however, two conditions under which you should absolutely answer these questions.

First, if answering randomly without doing any work on a question will break your concentration, then spend a reasonable amount of time (45 seconds for the verbal, 90 seconds for the math) doing this question. Answer it to the best of your ability, and move on. Some students need to stay in the zone for the whole test in order to stay focused.

Second, if you forget to double-check on the day of your test that these questions remain experimental, then you must do these questions. You cannot afford to breeze through a question that may actually now be counting. The testmakers have been very vague about when that day will come.

Where will I find these questions?

Recent student feedback indicates that the testmakers are on to those of us who answer randomly and continue. To that end, many students have found the experimental question to be the last question of the section. That’s a pretty clever way to get more students to do these questions!

There is no guarantee of that placement, however. The question could be any one of the 30 verbal or 28 math questions on your GRE. Be careful not to make a faulty assumption.

As with just about every aspect of the test, don't sweat the details: It's important to be prepared for the new question format, but even when the testmaker starts scoring it, it will be only a small part of the exam. The fewer surprises you encounter, the more you can focus on getting the best possible score.

Jeff Sackmann is a test-prep tutor based in New York City and the author of Total GRE Math, among other GRE and GMAT resources.

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