Request Inputs on Preparation and Strategy

[graghukalyan]

Hello Stacey,

I would request your inputs regarding preparation & strategy for cracking the GMAT. I am an Indian IT professional with quite a good professional exposure and experience. I am aiming for the top 25 colleges which makes it necessary to get a 700+ score. I have been regular reader of the Manhattan blogs but this is the first time that I am posting.

I have my exam in the first week of September and have started my preparation in April. Here are the details of the material I've used for my prep :
(1) Nova's GMAT for brushing up
(2) Princeton Review
(3) Manhattan Guides
(3) Aristotle - SC Grail & RC -99
(4) OGs

I have started giving my mock tests in May. I've started with the relatively easier Princeton tests and here are the details of my scores
Princeton Tests :
640 46/33 Errors : 4 (Quant) 14 (Verbal)
620 46 / 30 Errors : 7 (Quant) 11 (Verbal)
620 Errors 48/ 28 : 4 (Quant ) 15 (Verbal)
670 46 /36 Errors : 3 (Quant) 12 (Verbal)

For the tests above, I have started preparing Error Logs Question wise . For the initial 3 tests, the details weren't very detailed but after I went through your article : (http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/a ... roblem.cfm) , I have started preparing more detailed error logs which kinda helped.

Later, I've enrolled for MGMAT's and have given 4 tests so far. The results are as follows :
Test # 1 : 640 - 44/34
Test # 2 : 560 - 40/28 (Pathetic :( as I ran out of time and could not reach end in both sections)
Test # 3 : 620 - 45/31
Test # 4 : 610 - 40/ 34
The results look very disappointing.

I have taken a GMATPrep test as well yesterday and scored a 630 (49/33) in the test.

After each MGMAT, I did analyze each and every question in MGMATs using the below resources and prepared my error logs :
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/a ... roblem.cfm
http://www.manhattangmat.com/tags/critical-reasoning/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/tags/readi ... rehension/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/tags/sentence-correction/

I did put into practice some of the learnings from my analysis and Error logs into each subsequent tests but still seem to be stuck in the lower 600s.

Some more points as part of my analysis :
(1) I clearly seem to have timing issues. For most of the Mock Cats, I do set benchmarks for 10 , 20 , 30 questions as 55 min, 35 min, 15 min respectively (Both Quant & Verbal) . Yet i falter & fall behind by the time I reach Q# 20. In certain cases, the delta was 9-10 minutes. On account of this , most of my last 7-10 questions in both sections are all random guesses causing errors.
(2) Though, I spend an extra minute or two in the first 5 questions in both sections, I always end up with at least one error in the first 5 questions.
(3) After my analysis, I figured out that I need to strengthen Geo, Prob, Some specific Algebra & Number concepts in Quant especially in DS as most of my mistakes lie there.
In Verbal, most of my mistakes are in CR & RC (most of these mistakes are in the second half of the section )
(4) I am too hard on myself and spend more time when I encounter a tough question trying to solve it.
(5) My filtering strategy works very well in the first 1 -1.5 min wherein I end up with 2 probable options , correct one being one of them (85% hit rate). But in quite a number of cases, select the trap answer lowering my score.
(6) Most of questions from 700-800 range in both sections end up as errors.

My goal is to land in the 700+ score range and would request your inputs.

I went through the following relevant articles yesterday :
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... lly-tests/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... to-win-it/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -to-do-it/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... nt-part-1/

Learnt some great insights from them :)

Please advise on how to gain maximum in the coming weeks so that I can achieve my dream score. Please let me know whether you require more details for analyzing my case. Will be glad to assist.


Thanks In Advance

[StaceyKoprince]

Actually, many schools in the top 25 have average GMAT scores in the mid-to-high 600s. So you don't necessarily HAVE to get a 700+. :)

If you are having to make guesses on the last 7 to 10 questions in most sections (and scoring in the low 600s on those tests), then there's a good chance that your score will jump 30 to 50 points JUST by fixing the timing problems.

Though, I spend an extra minute or two in the first 5 questions in both sections, I always end up with at least one error in the first 5 questions.

Spend an extra 5 or 10 minutes. Spend all the time you want. You're still going to have at least one error. (So don't spend any extra time! Just expect that you're going to get 1+ wrong.)

Your comments about # wrong on certain tests and that comment above tell me that you don't know enough about how this test works. That's causing you to make non-optimal decisions about how to spend your time and that's killing your score.

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

Literally right now - go read it, then come back here. Ah, okay - I just read further into your post and saw that you've already read this. So you tell me: what does that article tell you about the (faulty) mindset / approach you've been taking to this test so far? How do you need to change things?

In Verbal, most of my mistakes are in CR & RC (most of these mistakes are in the second half of the section )

Speed? Are you using too much time in the first half?
Stamina? Are you losing mental steam in a big way?
Some of both?

My filtering strategy works very well in the first 1 -1.5 min wherein I end up with 2 probable options , correct one being one of them (85% hit rate). But in quite a number of cases, select the trap answer lowering my score.

You probably aren't noticing all of the times that you do end up choosing the correct option. Most people focus on what they get wrong, so you then think that you're mostly guessing wrong when you narrow it down to two. But you're just not noticing all of the times that you guess correctly!

Here's how to get better at that stage. When you're reviewing verbal problems, ask yourself:
1) why was the wrong answer so tempting? why did it look like it might be right? (be as explicit as possible; also, now you know this is not a good reason to pick an answer)
2) why was it actually wrong? what specific words indicate that it is wrong and how did I overlook those clues the first time?
3) why did the right answer seem wrong? what made it so tempting to cross off the right answer? why were those things actually okay; what was my error in thinking that they were wrong? (also, now you know that this is not a good reason to eliminate an answer)
4) why was it actually right?

You're training yourself to know what traps they set on the most tempting wrong answers (and how they can sometimes make the right answer sound / seem worse than the most tempting wrong answer!).

Most of questions from 700-800 range in both sections end up as errors.

Sure. That's where you want your wrong answers to be - on the hardest questions. :) You can miss every 700+ question and still score a 700. But if you make too many mistakes on easier questions, then you won't reach 700.

So don't worry about those. Worry about the times that you miss lower-rated questions!

Start working on that timing, which you read about already. Build your 1-minute time sense and start learning how and when to make decisions about what to do and when to cut yourself off and guess.

Also, just note something: according to your post, you've read the major things that should have allowed you to answer the questions that I answered above. (eg, the goal is not to get everything right, do NOT spend more time on earlier questions, develop your 1-minute time sense and know how and when to cut yourself off, etc.)

But you still asked me those questions. So I'm going to make you think this time. You tell me what you think you should do with all of this new information you've got - about how the test works and about your own strengths and weaknesses with respect to content AND timing. Then I'll tell you where I agree and disagree. :)