GMAT Prep 1 - 680(Q50,V32), Target - 750(Q51,V41+) - Advise

[shailendra.sharma]

Dear Stacey,

Need advise - a bit long text, but I want to paint the whole picture :

1) I have been studying for GMAT since 4 months.

2) I have scheduled my GMAT on 16th July. I have target score of 750-760+ (Q51, V40+).

3) I have given Three MGMAT CATs, One GMAT PREP-1, One Grockit Test

My scores are --

Grockit 1 : 670 - Q48, V36 -- 07th June
MGMAT Cat 1 : 650 - Q44, V35 -- 13th June
MGMAT Cat 2 : 680 - Q46, V36 -- 16th June
MGMAT Cat 3 : 590 - Q44, V28 -- 23rd June ==> something terribly went wrong, I gave this after full day of studying.
GMAT Prep 1 : 680 - Q50, V32 -- 26th June, today.

Unlike many people, I did not start with GMAT Prep 1. I started giving CATs only after 3 months of extensive preparation.

4) While I have some consistency on Quant score, I am stuck badly on Verbal -- looks like I have hit ceiling of 35-36. I have long path to take on Verbal.

5) On CR: both in GMAT Prep 1 and MGMAT Cat 1 - I got only 3 questions wrong. If I leave 1 or 2 questions, with a bit careful approach I can maintain much higher accuracy.

6) On SC: in MGMAT Cat 2, I got only 3 questions wrong - but on other MGMAT Cats and GMAT Prep 1 - I have got 6 questions wrong.

7) On RC: I am stuck at accuracy of 60%.

8) My biggest worry is SC: I have spent so much time on it: earlier MGMAT Course, E-GMAT Course, OG12, OG13, VR. The 6 problems I got wrong on today's GMAT Prep 1 -- 5 out of 6 are areas I have not directly read. Once I read the explanation of those questions on forums, I could link them with known topics - otherwise those were distant questions for me. I have been getting quite good accuracy on all official material - but somewhere I am missing the trick - may be I have much more gap to fill up on verbal comprehension - as visible from RC accuracy too.

9) I am thinking of postponing my GMAT exam by another 20 days - so new date will be around 5th of August now. Postponing it later than that would mean, I miss round 1 deadline.


10) I need some guidance on how to improve on SC in next few weeks. After analyzing - my biggest weakness areas are:

a) Idioms (I have not learnt Idioms in MGMAT SC - may be I should do that ?)
b) Comparisons with ellipsis - if it is some new construction, I get it wrong.
c) Once a while tense sequencing.

Probably I need to practice more on SC, need to see more constructions than what OG can offer. For example, many of the constructions on MGMAT Cats were new to me. But learning through tests is definitely a bad idea :).


11) RC is a matter of attentiveness - when I do RC outside the exam pressure, I am able to get it with much higher accuracy - almost 95% accuracy on OG13 RC. In exam, many of the times I am getting stumped for misreading the question or not able to relate to answer choices that have some indirect inferences because of synonyms they use. But I have not done many RC passages also - only 40% of OG13 passages. I can target to do 2 passage a day and improve my RC skills further. I do not have any issues with timing on RC. In MGMAT Cat 3, I got only 3 RC questions wrong - one was because of reading the question prompt wrong.

12) I have started doing Manhattan Advanced Quant - so that will help me maintain consistency in Quant.

13) I have also attended many Thursday with Ron sessions and also seen many archives too. I can attend a few more from archive, if you advise so.

14) I have done one revision of OG13 questions (top 50) for CR, SC, Quant - I can do revision for whole set too. I plan to do revision of top 20 questions from VR and what I got wrong in previous attempts.

15) I also plan to do Question Pack 1.

16) I have access to Grockit, so I can target specific skills in that and practice more.

17) I have not spent much time on forums, except reading articles from you or following Ron's post on BTG.

Regards

[shailendra.sharma]

Please reply early if possible.

[StaceyKoprince]

Please remember to read the forum guidelines before posting. Please don't "bump" your own post. We respond to all posts in order, oldest first, and the date of your post is based on the date of the last post in the thread, not the first. If you bump your own post, you will wait longer for a response.

Please also note that the forums are a free service, open to the public. Because of the volume of traffic we receive, it is not unusual to wait a week from the date of the last post (sometimes longer) for a response. If you see that older posts in the same folder have not yet been answered, then you know that we haven't missed you - we just haven't gotten to your question yet.

Okay, on to your post.

First, you're taking too many CATs to close together. Take ONE test, then analyze it thoroughly to figure out what you need to do to get better, then go spend 2-3+ weeks getting better, then take another test (only when you feel that you've made substantial progress from the last test).

Second, why did your score drop so much on MGMAT CAT 3? If you don't figure that out, then your score might drop again on other practice tests... or the real thing.

Use the below to analyze your most recent MGMAT CAT(s):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Then come back here and tell us the results of your analysis and what you think you should do based on that analysis. We'll tell you whether we agree and advise you further. (Note: do share an analysis with us, not just the raw data. Part of getting better is developing your ability to analyze your results - figure out what they mean and what you think you should do about them!)

If we ignore that 590 test*, then you're averaging in the mid-to-high 600s. Your goal is 750+. That's a very ambitious goal for the timeframe. What is your minimum goal (ie, you would be unhappy and would take it again if you scored below this level)?

Assume that you would score in the high 600s (at best) in 2 weeks - so, yes, you need some more time.

*Note: we can't really ignore that test, though, because until you figure out why that happened and what you can do about it, there's a chance it will happen again...

For SC, yes, if you haven't learned the idioms listed in the book, you need to do so. :) The book will also help you with the other grammar issues that you mention.

Also, are you struggling at all with meaning? That's often an issue for non-native speakers, and the test-writers really like to test meaning.

Here are some resources that can help with meaning and structure issues:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... orrection/

I would recommend concentrating on official questions wherever possible - pick them apart, understand the structures, and try to articulate out loud why the wrong answers are wrong and how the right answer fixes or avoids any errors found in the wrong answers. If you can explain it out loud, as though you're explaining to someone else, then you'll know you really know it.

You say that RC is better when you do it "outside the exam pressure." Are you giving yourself more time? Are you answering all 6, 7, 8 questions for a passage? Obviously, that will never work on the real test - you're stuck with a time limit, and you'll only get to answer 3 or 4 questions about one passage. (Additional questions get easier and easier because you know more about the passage.)

Alternatively, are you feeling pressured to rush more than usual when you're taking a test? Is that because you might be spending too much time on different questions? Why is the pressure on RC so different when taking a test?

Synonyms can be an issue, again especially for non-native speakers - as can foreshadowing language and idioms. You'll need to dig into those when you see them - learn the synonyms or idioms, start spotting foreshadowing that could've given you an idea of the direction the passage was going.

Let me know what you think about all of the above.

[shailendra.sharma]

Please remember to read the forum guidelines before posting. Please don't "bump" your own post. We respond to all posts in order, oldest first, and the date of your post is based on the date of the last post in the thread, not the first. If you bump your own post, you will wait longer for a response.

Please also note that the forums are a free service, open to the public. Because of the volume of traffic we receive, it is not unusual to wait a week from the date of the last post (sometimes longer) for a response. If you see that older posts in the same folder have not yet been answered, then you know that we haven't missed you - we just haven't gotten to your question yet.

Apologies for this. I shall take care of the issue in future.

First, you're taking too many CATs to close together. Take ONE test, then analyze it thoroughly to figure out what you need to do to get better, then go spend 2-3+ weeks getting better, then take another test (only when you feel that you've made substantial progress from the last test).

My aim to improve score on Quant was the main reason to take tests so frequently. On all tests I were getting more than 30 questions in 700-800 range; on latest MGMAT Cat, I got 35 questions in 700-800 range. Even though I knew that to score high I need to guess on some time consuming questions, but somehow it was not coming naturally to me, and I just wanted to practice that aspect. In the GMAT Prep I, which I gave after MGMAT Cat 3, I could put that in execution, I guessed on almost 4 questions to save time, successfully scoring 50 on Quant. If I would not have done couple careless mistakes, 51 was so near.

Second, why did your score drop so much on MGMAT CAT 3? If you don't figure that out, then your score might drop again on other practice tests... or the real thing.

Use the below to analyze your most recent MGMAT CAT(s):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Then come back here and tell us the results of your analysis and what you think you should do based on that analysis. We'll tell you whether we agree and advise you further. (Note: do share an analysis with us, not just the raw data. Part of getting better is developing your ability to analyze your results - figure out what they mean and what you think you should do about them!)

I have analyzed all the MGMAT Cats in great depth - that's how I aimed to improve. I downloaded the score in excel - as I could myself create more in depth reports.
- I analyzed: in what areas I am taking too much time.

On Quant ---
- I identified: if I remembed certain formulas, rather than constructing them during exam - it would have saved me 30 seconds and avoided some confusions. For example, 3 sets overlapping problems were time consuming as I was trying to build the whole formula in exam.
- I identified: if I avoided certain silly mistakes in simple divisions that I tried doing in mind, I would not have needed to redo certain calculations. Especially writing all the steps is less error prone and is not as time consuming as I thought earlier.
- I identified: I should stick to the techniques I practiced and not try discover new shortcuts and new ways to solve questions in the exam. For example, during practice session I always solved 2-sets problem by creating a 2x2 matrix and filling up the numbers, but for some reason in MGMAT Cat 3 - I tried to solve by venn diagram - I needed to redo this by creating a 2x2 matrix :)

On Verbal ---
- I, a non-native techie who have not spent so much time in reading literature, magazines, and newspapers, is having difficult time when I find new and awkward sentence constructions, or idioms.
- On RC, some distant synonyms are giving me some tough time.
- Though I should not be boasting, but I find myself very strong in CR, and SC. Meaning based sentences are not as big problem for me, and I am able to very often correct those long list of modifier sentences. I need to register various sentence patterns, which appears in OG, in my mind.
- During exam: I was overlooking difference between mass nouns v/s singular nouns, I was not paying enough attention on those 2 letters pronouns, I was rushing without noticing SV agreement on choice I picked as correct, I was not paying particular attention to idiom correctness - these were the main reasons I was getting certain SC wrong. It can be manifest of mental fatigueness or lack of concentration because in normal time I can not get those wrong. Those concepts are well cemented in my mind - I need to focus on looking into those aspects while solving questions.
- Biggest trouble for me is RC. I follow the strategies as suggested by you in various blogs and as Ron has taught in 'Thursdays with Ron'. While reading passages, I just focus on what is the main point of the passage and paragraph, and why certain details are there - I am able to read the whole passage under 4 minutes - I time myself with a stop watch. But I have found while answering RC questions in exam, I am rushing and trying to answer them within 30-45 seconds, with understanding of the passage that I built in one single read. I need to correct this: I should recheck the answers with exact references in the passage.

If we ignore that 590 test*, then you're averaging in the mid-to-high 600s. Your goal is 750+. That's a very ambitious goal for the timeframe. What is your minimum goal (ie, you would be unhappy and would take it again if you scored below this level)?

Assume that you would score in the high 600s (at best) in 2 weeks - so, yes, you need some more time.

*Note: we can't really ignore that test, though, because until you figure out why that happened and what you can do about it, there's a chance it will happen again...

I also do not want to ignore that 590 test. I could not sleep well for 2 days after that test. Though one primary reason for doing bad in that test was I was in dual mind whether to give the test. I forced myself to give the test with that nagging thought. First-quant-question was so easy, but I ended up spending 5 minutes. After that question onwards, I just wanted the test to get over, and I ended up guessing on many questions very quickly - all that resulted in such a bad score. Ideally I should have cancelled the test. In a way it is good - that test is keeping me on grounds, telling me everyday to work harder, and making me take things more seriously. I would not have done MGMAT Advanced Quant, if I would not have scored so bad in that test. I would not have become as serious towards idioms and vocabulary building as I am right now.

I sit in a very distinctive zone and phase of my career - beyond those top 5 Business schools might not be as good for me and beyond those schools it would become hard for me to convince those who have vested professional interest in me. I must get at least in the median score for those top 5 business schools. Without that score, I can not even reveal my goals to my recommender / peers / investors. So, minimum for me is 730, if not 750+ :).

For SC, yes, if you haven't learned the idioms listed in the book, you need to do so. :) The book will also help you with the other grammar issues that you mention.

Also, are you struggling at all with meaning? That's often an issue for non-native speakers, and the test-writers really like to test meaning.

Here are some resources that can help with meaning and structure issues:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... orrection/

I would recommend concentrating on official questions wherever possible - pick them apart, understand the structures, and try to articulate out loud why the wrong answers are wrong and how the right answer fixes or avoids any errors found in the wrong answers. If you can explain it out loud, as though you're explaining to someone else, then you'll know you really know it.

You say that RC is better when you do it "outside the exam pressure." Are you giving yourself more time? Are you answering all 6, 7, 8 questions for a passage? Obviously, that will never work on the real test - you're stuck with a time limit, and you'll only get to answer 3 or 4 questions about one passage. (Additional questions get easier and easier because you know more about the passage.)

Alternatively, are you feeling pressured to rush more than usual when you're taking a test? Is that because you might be spending too much time on different questions? Why is the pressure on RC so different when taking a test?

Synonyms can be an issue, again especially for non-native speakers - as can foreshadowing language and idioms. You'll need to dig into those when you see them - learn the synonyms or idioms, start spotting foreshadowing that could've given you an idea of the direction the passage was going.

- I am somehow rushing in answering questions associated with passage, as I do not want to come in situation with very less time on last few questions. I answered 4 paragraphs in 23 minutes - average of 6 minutes.
- On CR, I took more than 2.5 mins on 2-3 tough questions and more than 2 minutes on 4-5 questions - looks like this is where I am losing time.
- On 4 tough SC also, I have taken more than 2 minutes - though got only one wrong out of 4 - but I need to save some time here to do better on RC.

Corrective actions :
- Now I am reading many official sentence patterns that I find in all official material - whether RC or SC.
- I am improving on Idioms by going through MGMAT and being careful in OG questions too.
- I am revising and practicing official questions again and again.
- I am going through that 1400 vocabulary list.
- While doing RC passages, I am noting down various unknown words I encounter and trying to remember them.

[StaceyKoprince]

Love your analysis - nice work. :)

not try discover new shortcuts and new ways to solve questions in the exam

Good! Yes, DURING the exam, you're not trying to discover new ways to do things. You either know or you guess and move on, period. Afterwards, great, spend all the time you want trying to learn a new way of doing something. Just not while the clock is ticking!!

Re: RC, yes, rushing is going to get you in trouble. Any specific details have to be checked in the passage before answering. As always, if you're running low on time, you guess on one question (quickly!) and save that time for elsewhere.

For verbal timing, don't spend more than 2.5 on CR or more than 2 on SC - if you need to spend that much time, then something's wrong, and your chances of making a mistake increase anyway.

Next, actually plan to guess on 3 to 5 throughout the section - the types that are hardest for you + you just look at the question and think "ugh, that looks horrible." Save ALL that time on those 3 to 5 questions (on which, right now, you're losing time!) and you will reduce the pressure on all of the other questions and also minimize your careless mistakes.

Read this:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... lly-tests/

Nutshell: at times, your best decision really is to guess fast and spend that time elsewhere. :)

Here are some RC resources:

Start here, on reading passages:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... p-passage/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -passages/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -passages/
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... -passages/

These guys talk about specific RC Q types:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/09/ ... prehension
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/11/ ... il-problem
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/a ... estion.cfm
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... e-details/

And this is a 3-series set on the same passage:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... -passages/
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... m-passage/
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... m-passage/

[shailendra.sharma]

Thanks Stacey !

Regards.

[StaceyKoprince]

you're welcome!