Need to alter my strategy, any advice?

[trepidwhlr]

From JAN13-APR13 I studied for the GMAT virtually full-time. I took the test on 19APR and scored a 560; 35Q/32V. I took a month off and have been studying again full-time since JUN. I focused my studies into the specific areas of Math for about a week each. I've also spent the last few weeks studying and breaking down SC concurrent with my Math training. I'm really trying to take the test again next month so I can get my apps in for the 1st round of looks. I know I've been improving, but today's GMAT Practice CAT Test was a 510:(
Today I took my first mock test since I took the actual back in APR. I started off strong on Q getting the first eight questions right. According to the MGMAT test I took, the 1st question was a 71st %-tile question, but the next seven were all 98%-ile. After those first eight questions I was already close to the 21 minute mark. I wasn't too worried because they’re some questions that I can crack from 30 - 45 seconds. The thing is, the hard problems just kept coming. I missed all problems 9-12, which were all 700-800 questions as well (only 68% - 76%tile though). I wasted 6 minutes on one question in particular, so from twelve on I felt rushed. I kept working through, and my scores then get very inconsistent. I'd get a 600-700 problem wrong, then get a 700-800 right, and vice versa. My first 500-600 level question wasn’t until problem #26. By that time I only had a few minutes left and felt beat. So this brings me to my first batch of questions.
1. Will you just not see a 500-600 level question if you keep on getting 600-700 levels right?
2. Getting several 700-800 questions right is new to me, so from here out managing my time will be even more important. Should I expect to see at least a few standard 500-600 level questions, or will I have to intentionally "punt" more questions away until I become faster? Because I took so long, I didn't even get any questions after 29, so I have no idea what 29-37 would've looked like, plus it's adaptive so if I got a 600-700 level question right, would it have kicked me back up to tougher questions? I used to punt several questions away because I just didn't know how to solve them. Now I have a better idea to solve tougher level questions, but it's taking me >2:00 to do them, and I have change my game plan.
3. I don't want to accept the fact that I'm just not a 650 level scorer, but does this seem to be a situation where I'm just not fast enough to score 650, or do I need to work on strategy more. Please be honest, you won't hurt my feelings by being honest.
4. From reading info on BTG and watching videos, I've also learned that consecutive wrong answers can hurt. Has anybody played the test to NOT GET GAPS of wrong answers?

Verbal went a lot better, but I still scored the same ol’ same. Overall I scored another 31 on V. From previous MGMAT tests, I usually score 31. In SC I improved dramatically. I got a few more questions right than I usually do, and they were all higher level, but I still got one 500-600 question wrong. Using MGMAT's diagnostics data, overall I got a half a question more correct that I what I’ve done on the previous four tests. Today I got 21 right, and 20 wrong. The four previous practice tests, I averaged exactly half right to those wrong. However, when looking at what problems I got wrong and right, I should've scored better. On average the problems I got right were all tougher by thirty points, and the problems I got wrong were all tougher (except CR). The average questions I got wrong on CR were 660 compared to 690 from earlier tests. I don't even know where to begin on strategy to improve on this. I haven't really touched RC and CR, because I score where I need to and frankly I don't see those scores increasing. I just don’t’ get enough questions right!! It's practical to say I could increase in those scores, but even after I review CR & RC problems missed, often I don't come away with an Ah-hah! moment, sometimes I just flat out disagree with the right answer. So anyways, do people who score in the 40's on V just not miss any problems, not miss 500-600 level problems, or just rack in the tough ones? Brian from Veritas I think would say knock out the 500-600, but I'm just curious from other's experiences. I’m having a hard time understanding why I’m getting questions right at the 640-690 level, and the questions I get wrong are at the 660-720, but my V score doesn’t get me anywhere near the mid 600s (excluding my math scores of course).

[StaceyKoprince]

After those first eight questions I was already close to the 21 minute mark. I wasn't too worried because they’re some questions that I can crack from 30 - 45 seconds.

You should have been, because...

The thing is, the hard problems just kept coming.

Right. This is exactly how the test works! You do well, you get harder questions. If you keep up this pattern (spend extra time to get too-hard stuff right, giving you even harder questions), you will NEVER get the score improvement that you want.

So your first task is to learn how this test works, because your approach is holding you back. It does not work in the same way as tests that you took in school. Read this:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... lly-tests/

Next, read this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -the-gmat/

The test has to hit a lot of parameters when choosing a question - difficulty level is just one. So it's possible to get a question right but get something that is a bit easier next or vice versa.

As a general rule, though, if you're getting higher-level 600-700 questions right, you're not going to see many, if any, 500-600 levels. (On the real test, you will have experimental questions, some of which may be lower level... and some of which may be impossibly hard - the point is that they don't have difficulty levels assigned yet so you could get anything!)

For your quesiton #2, read the above articles and then come back and tell me what you think the answer is. :)

#3. Your approach to the test is bringing your score down. You're already capable of scoring higher - if you fix your timing issues.

Here's your next assignment (two articles):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -to-do-it/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... nt-part-1/

Start doing what they say... today!

I've also learned that consecutive wrong answers can hurt. Has anybody played the test to NOT GET GAPS of wrong answers?

Think about this carefully. How would you ensure that you do not get wrong answers?

If you don't know how to do a problem, then there's nothing you can do. :) Even spending extra time doesn't help - look at those questions on your last test where you spent a lot of extra time but got them wrong anyway!

The *last* thing you want to think about while taking the test is how you're doing on the test. You can't tell and all you're going to do is stress yourself out!

Look at a question. Try it for about a minute. If you're lost, think about how to cross off some wrong answers, if possible. Then pick and move on.

EXPECT to have to guess. Expect to get things wrong. It doesn't matter how good you get - this will ALWAYS be true, at every level!

(You'll understand more after you read the above articles, too.)

I just don’t’ get enough questions right!!

That's not how it works. Don't expect to get more questions right. Your goal is to get harder questions right - but you'll still have about the same number right overall.

If you feel like you need more to understand how the scoring works (after reading the above), then read the Scoring section of our free e-book The GMAT Uncovered (it's in your MGMAT student center).