Help needed !!

[ankur.kapur4]

Hi

I took GMAT yesterday and got a score of 540 (Q44 V21). In January 2012 when I started my preparation I scored 640 in MGMAT test (don't remember the split). My last few exam score are as mentioned below:

GMATprep 610 (Q49 V25)
GMATprep 700 (Q48 V34) Repeat
GMATprep 660 (Q49 V31) one week before actual GMAT

There are couple of issues which I have figured out so far. First, I left my job 4 days before the GMAT date, that might have added some pressure. Second, 3 days before the exam I started getting body ache and fever. I could not catch proper sleep 3-4 days before the exam and because of health problem had to take medicines too. There are bad days in everyone's life and maybe I had mine yesterday.

However, I also acknowledge that I was anyways not close to 700 mark even before the exam (although 540 was 120 points less than my last test). Clearly time management is a major issue. I have gone through MGMAT books, Powerscore CR, OG12 and OG supplements. I have already taken all the tests of MGMAT and GMATprep. If I take these tests again I will get an inflated score and not a true reflection.

Kindly provide me your valuable suggestion how I can improve my score in as early as 2 months. Also let me know what all aspects should I specifically recall from my yesterday's experience which would help me understand the real problem and work towards it.

[StaceyKoprince]

As you noted, it's important to figure out what led to the score drop - if we can figure those things out, then we can tackle them. The illness certainly contributed. You also mention timing problems. You may want to look at this to see whether any other ideas pop up:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ent-wrong/

Re: time management, have you read these?
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... to-win-it/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... nt-part-1/

Start practicing what they say right away. :)

Your issue at this point is not how much you study / how many tests you take / how many practice problems you do. Your first issue is to figure out HOW to study effectively. As you do that, you may go back and re-do many of those OG problems - because you probably didn't learn as much as you could have your first time through.

Read this; pay particular attention to the "how to learn" section:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... an-part-1/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... an-part-2/

Also if you discover that careless errors are part of your problem (and they usually are for most of us, particularly when timing problems are present):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -the-gmat/

If you'd like to get some more detailed advice, then we need data on your strengths and weaknesses. 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. (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!)

Re: the practice tests - set those aside for now. Don't study them, don't even look at them. Forget them. You've already got enough data to figure out a 2-4 week study plan. Then, you may be able to repeat GMATPrep and MGMAT CATs without remembering all of the questions.

Follow a few guidelines to minimize the chance of artificially inflating your score via question repeats. First, anytime you see a problem that you remember (and this means: I know the answer or I'm pretty sure I remember the answer, not just "hmm, this looks vaguely familiar..."), immediately look at the timer and make yourself sit there for the full length of time for that question type. This way, you don't artificially give yourself more time than you should have. Second, think about whether you got this problem right the last time. If you did, get it right again this time. If you didn't, get it wrong again. If you *completely honestly* think that you would get it right this time around if it were a new question (even though you got it wrong last time) because you've studied that area and improved, then get it right this time.

[ankur.kapur4]

Thanks Stacey,

I reflected back on my actual GMAT and also the last mock CAT I took 3 weeks before the actual test day.

Exam scenario:
1. I took most of the mock CATs under official conditions, especially the ones close to the actual GMAT. However, even in mocks I did not see great improvement from one CAT to the other.
2. Illness increased my anxiety and reduced my concentration in the actual GMAT
3. While taking the actual GMAT, in both sections I rushed through few of the last questions (~8-10). Especially, in verbal I was way too exhausted towards the second half.

I relate to your "˜In It to Win It’ article. I applied the strategy in practice problems, however failed to apply in any mocks, maybe that’s the reason of not been able to increase the score. With respect to time management, either I would not look at the clock or I would look at the clock too often. It was very difficult for me to go beyond 650/660+ in any of my mocks with the split of average Q47-49 V30-34.

I picked up my last MGMAT CAT (600 Q45 V28) which I took 3 weeks before the exam. I completed the essay on time and then moved to IR. I felt little burnt out after IR section. I scored 4.36 in IR, though I am not sure what would be a decent average IR section score.

In Quant section, there was one string of 3 questions incorrect. This string started when I had spent ~4min on one question and the rest 2 questions were less than 30 sec. There were 5 questions on which I had spent more than 3 min, infact 2 of them were more than 5 min. There were also 3-4 questions incorrect due to careless mistakes. Numbers of Problem solving incorrect questions were more than DS incorrect questions.

Average difficulty of PS questions correct 610 (2:03) incorrect 660 (2:37)

Average difficulty of PS questions correct 640 (1:06) incorrect 650 (1:52)

Strengths
1. Equations
2. Exponents (although there were few careless mistakes in this CAT)
3. Formulas
4. Geometry
5. Overlapping Sets
6. Statistics
7. Fractions
8. Percents
9. Ratios
10. Digits & Decimals

Mixed
1. Quadratic Equations
2. Rates & Work

Weakness
1. Inequalities (although there was no mistake in this CAT)
2. Formulas
3. Probability (I get 600-700 category question correct)
4. Combinatorics (I get 500-600 category question correct)

In verbal section, I started off pretty well. I was able to get 700-800 category questions correct in a row but then got 4 questions string incorrect. In the second half of the verbal section got 2 strings of 4 and 5 questions incorrect.

Average difficulty of SC questions correct 630 (1:09) incorrect 660 (1:30)
Average difficulty of CR questions correct 640 (1:35) incorrect 670 (1:34)
Average difficulty of RC questions correct 510 (0:59) incorrect 640 (3:06)

In verbal, there is no fixed format of questions getting correct/incorrect. Overall I have seen, the CATs in which I have performed better in RC, I have usually scored well. SC, if I spend 90 sec I usually get the correct answer however catching up with time, SC is an easy option because of which I lot of commit mistakes. In CR, I have low accuracy in assumption and weaken question.

My target score is 700+, however I also acknowledge that I was already scoring between 630 and 670 in CATs. I am not sure should I really be concerned about my actual GMAT performance.
My major weakness has always been verbal with the average range from 28-34. I have an application deadline to meet in early March, therefore I have to get this score in next 6-7 weeks. Please suggest me a study schedule over the next 6-7 weeks; I can put in 20 hours a week.

Many Thanks !!
ak

[StaceyKoprince]

Okay, it's more clear what happened. If you're rushing on the last 8-10 questions in the section, then you're getting a higher percentage of those questions wrong, which leads to a score drop. You did this in both sections and in both sections your score did drop compared to practice tests.

You were also feeling even more mentally fatigued than usual because (a) this was the real thing and you knew that, and (b) you were literally sick and hadn't gotten enough rest. So that would have led to more careless mistakes throughout, also leading to a score drop.

So you definitely have some timing work to do - and it sounds like you already realize that that might have been what was holding you back on practice tests. The time management article will help you do what you need to do to get that on track.

At the same time, you'll need something to work on while you practice timing - and now you have that list from your test analysis.

If you EVER need to save time, do NOT try to save a few seconds on a bunch of problems. Pick one problem and bail on it COMPLETELY. Save ALL of that time. Then get back to work normally. (Tennis analogy: you ran so much on the last point that you're still huffing and puffing as your opponent is getting ready to serve. So you just let that point go and catch your breath - don't tire yourself out even more! - and then you're ready to go on the following point.)

I can't give you a 6-7 week study schedule; nobody can. :) From this point on, your study is 100% driven by the actual weaknesses that you discover as you study. You've got a ton of data right now from your last couple of practice tests, so you're set for the next 2-3 weeks. When you feel ready to take another practice test, do so and then analyze the thing again just like you did above, and start all over again with whatever the new list is.

Now, how to actually study? You start by analyzing (to death!) the most recent problems that you've done. And that's where you start using all the "how to learn" stuff that I linked in my last post. As you analyze a problem, you'll discover what else you need to do or learn or practice - maybe you need to re-read part of a chapter, or do some drills for a particular skill, or make some flashcards to help remember something, or ask a question on the forums about a more efficient way to do something or why a certain verbal answer is actually wrong. You might spend 10 or 20 minutes doing things based on your analysis of a single problem - but you'll be learning every step of the way because your analysis is actually what tells you WHAT you need to do.

As you're doing this, you'll sometimes do new sets of problems. And then guess what? You'll turn around and analyze those and start the whole process all over again. Once you get to the point where you're ready to try another practice test, then you'll have a TON of new data to turn around and analyze. (Don't bother taking a new practice test, though, until you've done something with all of the data you've already got. There's no point in spending 3.5 hours on a new test if you haven't yet addressed the issues you identified in your last test.)