GMAT Prep: Explain Answers, Don’t Just Question Them
Today, Dustin wants to share an aspect of self-study for GMAT / GRE candidates that many overlook: the mindset for review. Let’s start with a real-life example.
A Common GMAT / GRE Review Scenario
Urban planner: When a city loses population due to migration, property taxes in that city tend to rise. This is because there are then fewer residents paying to maintain an infrastructure that was designed to support more people. Rising property taxes, in turn, drive more residents away, compounding the problem. Since the city of Stonebridge is starting to lose population, the city government should therefore refrain from raising property taxes.
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the urban planner’s argument?
A student’s question and thought process:
To weaken the argument: 1. Raising taxes is necessary / 2. Population will decline even without raising taxes.
(A) If Stonebridge does not raise taxes on its residents to maintain its infrastructure, the city will become much less attractive to live in as that infrastructure decays.
My thought: If the city’s infrastructure declines, it becomes less attractive to residents. But the passage doesn’t state the reason for migration. How can we establish that a decrease in attractiveness leads to people moving away?
(C) If there is a small increase in property taxes in Stonebridge and a slightly larger proportion of total revenue than at present is allocated to infrastructure maintenance, the funding will be adequate for that purpose.
My thought: If there’s a small tax increase and a slightly larger proportion of funds for maintenance, the funding will be adequate. Doesn’t this mean taxes can be raised while maintaining infrastructure, thus preventing population loss?
(Official Answer: A)
This student’s question is very typical. When a student gets a practice question wrong, the most natural reaction is: “Why is A correct? Why is my choice C not wrong? I think C could also be right!”
On this point, I want to share three sentences with all students:
“Don’t question the correct answer, and don’t insist that your thinking is correct.”
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“The GMAT will never change the standard answer for you.”
“Why Did I Get It Wrong?” vs. “Why Is It Correct?” — Two Mindsets, Two Outcomes
I invite you all to shift your thinking from:
“How can A be right? My choice C isn’t wrong!”
to:
“What explanation makes A the correct answer? What reasons might make C incorrect?”
We should never go against the GMAT test makers; it’s a battle destined to be lost. Instead, we should try to think from the GMAT test makers’ perspective and consider “How can the correct answer be explained as right?” This is the approach that will truly help you improve.
From “Giving the Answer” to “Guiding the Thought Process”: Coaching Questions
So, my response to this student was:
“I could, as I have before, directly tell you how to solve this question. But I’d like to hear your thoughts first: If you had to explain why option A is the correct answer, how would you do it? And if you had to explain why option C is incorrect, how would you do it?”
I believe that the explanation you come up with yourself, combined with my corrections and guidance, will help your abilities grow far more than if I simply fed you the answers.
Conclusion: AI Gives Answers, But Teachers Cultivate Mindset
This is also what I believe AI cannot currently do.
AI only gives answers; it only caters to you. Sometimes it may even yield to you or flatter you under your unintentional guidance. It’s difficult for AI to challenge your fundamental thinking when you’re being stubborn.
However, a good human educator, beyond just “answering questions,” offers greater value by helping you from a more macroscopic, holistic perspective. Elevating from “localized” test-taking blind spots to a “global” test preparation mindset—this is the greatest value I can bring to you through my guidance experience in the Terminator course.
