Understanding GMAT’s Review and Edit Feature: A Complete Guide #

Getting ready for the GMAT? Here’s some great news that might ease your test-day anxiety. With the introduction of the Focus Edition, GMAT now includes a helpful feature called Review and Edit that gives you a second chance at those tricky questions. But there’s more to it than just changing answers – there are specific rules and strategies you need to know about.

The Basics of Review and Edit #

Picture this: You’re working through a section, and you encounter a particularly challenging question. Your mind starts racing, time is ticking, and you’re not entirely confident about your answer. In the past, you’d have to make your best guess and live with it. Now, thanks to the Review and Edit feature, you have options.

Here’s something crucial to remember: You can’t skip questions on the GMAT. You must select an answer to proceed to the next question. However, you can now bookmark questions you’re unsure about and return to them later – as long as you have time remaining in that section.

How Does It Work? #

The process is straightforward but requires careful planning. When you’re taking the test and encounter a challenging question, here’s what you can do:

1. Make your best educated guess
2. Bookmark the question for later review
3. Continue with the remaining questions
4. If you complete the section with time to spare, you’ll access the Question Review & Edit screen

The Question Review & Edit screen is like your command center for final reviews. It displays a list of all questions from the section, with your bookmarked questions clearly highlighted. You can click on any question number – even ones you haven’t bookmarked – to review them. Now comes the next question: for how many questions can I change my answers?

The Three-Change Limit: What You Need to Know #

Now, here’s where it gets interesting – and where you need to pay close attention. While you can review as many questions as you want, you’re limited to three answer changes per section. And here’s the critical part: it’s three changes, not three questions.

Let me break this down with two scenarios that perfectly illustrate how this works:

Scenario 1: Multiple Questions, One Change Each #

Imagine you’ve bookmarked questions 3, 7, 11, 18, and 21 in the quantitative section. During your review time, you change your answers once for questions 3, 11, and 18. That’s it – you’ve used up your three changes. Even if you suddenly realize your answer to question 21 needs correction, you can’t make that change anymore.

Scenario 2: Multiple Changes to One Question #

Here’s where it gets tricky. Let’s say you’re reviewing question 3, where you initially marked choice C. You change it to E (that’s change #1), but then realize that wasn’t right either. Changing it again – whether back to C or to any other option – counts as your second change. If you change it one more time, that’s your third and final change – all used on a single question!

Time Management Is Critical #

There’s an important caveat to keep in mind: If you run out of time in a section, you won’t get access to the Question Review & Edit screen at all. Instead, you’ll be automatically moved to either your optional break screen or the next section (if you’ve already taken your break).

Strategic Implications #

This feature actually presents an interesting Critical Reasoning challenge within itself. GMAT has cleverly designed the instructions to test your attention to detail – the distinction between three questions and three changes is subtle but significant. Understanding this difference is crucial for planning your review strategy effectively.

Best Practices for Using Review and Edit #

To make the most of this feature:

1. Don’t be too quick to use your changes – save them for when you’re absolutely certain about a correction
2. Use the bookmarking feature liberally – you can review as many questions as you want, even if you can only change three answers
3. Manage your time carefully to ensure you actually get to the Review & Edit screen
4. Keep track of how many changes you’ve made – remember, changing an answer multiple times counts as multiple changes

The Review and Edit feature is a powerful tool in your GMAT arsenal, but like any tool, its effectiveness depends on how well you understand and use it. By keeping these guidelines in mind, you can make strategic decisions during the test and maximize your chances of achieving your target score.