by dbernst Fri Aug 03, 2007 12:59 am
Just a little word to the wise about the challenge problems. The challenge problems are great fun, and they are also excellent practice for those scoring in the 95th+ percentile on their Quant sections. However, most of the challenge problems are somewhere between 750 and 900 in terms of difficulty (that is not a typo - many of the challenge problems are more difficult than any problem you will see on your official GMAT). Thus, though I encourage you to continue to work through the challenge problems, do not do so at the expense of truly solidifying your fundamentals.
Unlike Stacey K and Emily S and Jad L, who score in the 99th percentile on their Quant, I only score in the 90-93 percentile range (I like to think that I return the favor on the verbal, but they all score exceptionally on it as well!) Thus, I rarely see problems on my quant sections that are as difficult as the challenge problems. Because I am aware of the types of problems I am most likely to see (at least in terms of difficulty), I prepare for my GMAT accordingly. Whereas my colleagues might do challenge problems galore, I rarely look at them. For me, it's all about the fundamentals (and I mean FUNdamentals!).
Just my 2 cents. Hope it helps!
-dan