How can I stop rushing through puzzles?

To stop rushing, identify why you rush (anxiety, overconfidence, impatience or fear of running out of time), set a pacing plan, build in a short verification step for each item and practice deliberately slower accuracy before adding speed. Using the time you actually have, rather than finishing as fast as possible, usually improves scores.

Rushing lowers the evidence threshold for answering: you respond before fully checking. On many reasoning items, distractors are designed to catch partial solutions, so early responses often land on them. Anxiety tends to push people toward speed as a way of escaping discomfort. Timed tests increase that pressure, though a steady pacing plan usually leaves more time than rushers expect.

A test taker who usually finishes with ten minutes left adds a five-second check to every item. He finishes with two minutes to spare and makes half as many careless errors.