Tips to minimize silly errors?
Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 2:48 pm
I'm taking the PGRE this Saturday and after doing the practice tests I think the biggest issue for me is careless mistakes. Stuff like messing up some trivial algebra or arithmetic (for example writing 1/2 M R^2 w^2 as the rotational energy of a disk, forgetting that its 1/2 I w^2), misreading/misinterpreting a problem (reading three-dimensional oscillator as 1-d), and most stupidly, thinking one answer and absent mindedly bubbling in another.
For the algebra, I think it'll be most helpful if I write out my steps a bit clearly instead of just doing it in my head. And for numerical ones, not to choose an answer until I get one that pretty close to one of the answers. For the bubbling in the wrong answer I think it should be helpful if I both circle the answer on the test booklet and then bubble it in. The most useful strategy would be to have 20-30 minutes at the end to recheck, but that's not realistic given the time constraint.
Anyone else have such problems with stupid errors? How did you guys deal with it?
For the algebra, I think it'll be most helpful if I write out my steps a bit clearly instead of just doing it in my head. And for numerical ones, not to choose an answer until I get one that pretty close to one of the answers. For the bubbling in the wrong answer I think it should be helpful if I both circle the answer on the test booklet and then bubble it in. The most useful strategy would be to have 20-30 minutes at the end to recheck, but that's not realistic given the time constraint.
Anyone else have such problems with stupid errors? How did you guys deal with it?