When can you return to a question?
According to GMAC’s Structure page, you can flag questions as you work through a section. The Question Review & Edit screen appears only after you have answered every question in the section and if time remains. It displays the question numbers and your flags. If no time remains, you move on to the offered break or the next section.
The limit of three applies to changed answers, not the number of questions you may review. This distinction does not give you extra time: the review takes place within the section’s time limit. In practice, a flag is an invitation to revisit a question, not a guarantee that you will be able to. The selection examples that follow are for practice and do not claim to describe the scoring algorithm.
Which questions are worth flagging?
When you flag a question, attach a short reason: a unit to check, a condition to verify, a choice between two options, or an unfinished method. “I don’t like this answer” is not a diagnosis. When you return to it, you should know what check could change your decision.
Distinguish uncertainty from difficulty. You may have solved a difficult question with sound reasoning, while a short question may contain a denominator error. The best question to revisit first is not necessarily the most intimidating one, but the one where a targeted check could distinguish between the choices.
| Recorded reason | Possible check | Practice priority |
|---|---|---|
| I may have answered for sales instead of inventory | Reread the quantity requested and the last line of the calculation | Targeted review |
| Two choices remain; one contains “always” | Compare their scope with the sentence in the passage | Review using textual evidence |
| No clear path; several calculations started | The entire solution would need to be rebuilt | Consider based on time remaining |
What should you do with four flags and little time?
The case below is not a simulation of the software. It is intended to make your decision process explicit. The time available is fictional and is not a recommended time reserve for every test taker.
You have 3 minutes left. You have finished the section and flagged four questions: one with a questionable unit, one long calculation with no clear path, one answer you reviewed and justified, and one uncertain choice between two inferences. Which question would you review first, and why?
Enter your answer before viewing the review.
The solution, step by step
Starting with the questionable unit is a reasonable choice if the check is quick; no answer change is automatic.
The method in action
- The check has a specific target: is the answer expressed in the requested unit? It may confirm your choice or reveal a concrete error.
- The calculation with no clear path may use up all your time without producing a better answer. An answer you have already justified does not become a priority just because it is flagged.
- You can then revisit the remaining inference by finding the passage that supports it. The criterion is the evidence you find, not a need to use all three answer changes.
The pitfall
Using all three answer changes is not a goal
A limit is a ceiling, not a target to meet. If a second look confirms your reasoning, keep your answer. Replacing one choice with another just because it seems “too easy” is not a demonstrated improvement.
During practice, track justified changes, answers you kept after checking, and impulsive changes separately. You can compare the reasons for your reviews without making up a rule that your first instinct is always better.
How can you learn to leave a realistic time buffer?
On a current full-length practice test, observe when you actually finish and which reviews lead to a useful result. If you never reach the review screen, first work on decisions that take too long during the section. Reducing an unproductive stretch of calculation is more useful than planning a long review that never happens.
Then retry a few flagged questions without a timer and name the cause of your uncertainty. A missing concept calls for study; a forgotten unit calls for a final check. This review can help you use future flags more selectively.
Key takeaways
- Access depends on finishing the section and having time remaining.
- Link each flag to a specific check.
- Change an answer for a demonstrable reason, not to use a quota.