Practice systems
A simple GMAT error log you can actually use
Replace “wrong” and “careless” with one clear cause, one next action and one date to test the same skill on a different question.
The rule
Your error log should answer one question: “What will I do differently next time?”
Invented teaching example · a bad row and a useful row
“Rates. Wrong. Careless.” tells you almost nothing.
Weak note
Rates · wrong · careless
What should you practice tomorrow? The note does not say.
Useful note
“In this work-together problem, I kept the two workers' jobs-per-hour rates separate even though they worked at the same time.”
Next: build a jobs-per-hour table, add the rates because both workers act at the same time and try a different work-together question tomorrow.
The real job
Write what you did—not “I was careless.”
A useful row describes the first wrong step, chooses one next action and sets a date for a new question. Right or wrong is not enough to decide what to study next.
Include slow correct answers and lucky guesses too. Both can reveal a problem that ordinary accuracy hides.
The complete version
Eight fields, grouped into five useful questions.
Source + ID
Enough information to find the question again. Never copy protected question text into a public document.
Section + format
Quant, Verbal or Data Insights; then the actual question family.
Outcome
Wrong, slow correct, lucky correct or abandoned. Accuracy alone hides useful information.
Time + confidence
Record both before feedback. A confidently wrong answer and an uncertain answer need different reviews.
First wrong step
Choose one main cause. Where did the answer first begin to go wrong?
What you did
Write one concrete sentence about what you did, noticed or failed to notice.
Next action
Choose the smallest practice change that could fix the first wrong step.
New-question retest
Set a date, try a different question that needs the same skill and record the result.
Six common causes
Choose one main cause so repeated errors become visible.
Missing knowledge
A needed rule or meaning was unavailable.
Wrong model
The words or data never became a useful model.
Wrong method
You chose a method that did not fit the task.
Work broke down
The plan was sound, but the work contained an error.
Answer not checked
You did not check the result against the exact question.
Pressure
Time, fatigue or recovery disrupted a skill you already had.
These are DG Prep working labels, not official GMAC categories. Choose one main cause. If every row receives four codes, the log cannot show you what repeats.
The review rhythm
The dates are defaults, not laws. Increase the interval when the skill works on a new question; shorten it or change the next action when it does not.
- 01
Immediately
Write the first wrong step before the explanation changes your memory of the attempt.
- 02
Within 24 hours
Complete the next practice action and state the rule from memory.
- 03
After 48–72 hours
Try a different question that needs the same skill. Record confidence before feedback.
- 04
At the end of the week
Count causes, not just topics. Choose the one repeated pattern to practice next week.
- 05
Before a full mock
Review your rules for moving on and recovering—not completed solutions.
Repeat the useful cycle
Attempt → explain → practice → retest → update.
The log matters because it preserves this loop across days. Waiting before the retest and answering from memory reveal what you can still do after the explanation is no longer fresh.
Keep it private and lean
Use question IDs and your own observations. Do not republish copyrighted question text or answer explanations. Your log should be fast enough to maintain and specific enough to change the next assignment.
Try this on one question today.
Complete one row in under three minutes. In 48 hours, try a different question that needs the same skill and update the row. That small loop is more useful than a large archive you never revisit.
Find the first repeated cause behind a plateauWant help applying this to your score?
Turn this idea into a practice plan.
Discuss your current results, target and test date with Bruno, and ask whether private tutoring fits your preparation.