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Need urgent advice on which GMAT verbal package(Online) to choose

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Vaibhav0607
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Need urgent advice on which GMAT verbal package(Online) to choose [#permalink] New post   09 Nov 2016, 08:43
Hi GMAT experts, I had given my GMAT one month before and i scored an abysmal 640(Q50,V28). This was very unexpected as i was continuously scoring over 690 in all my mocks. I have planned to give GMAT again on 26th Dec.My target is 720+. I need to work on my verbal skills. Can anybody please suggest me which course to take. I would prefer an individual instructor leading me. Thanks in Advance.
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EMPOWERgmatRichC
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Re: Need urgent advice on which GMAT verbal package(Online) to choose [#permalink] New post   09 Nov 2016, 16:06
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Hi Vaibhav0607,

First off, a 640/Q50 is a strong score (it's just shy of the 80th percentile overall), so it could be enough to get you into your first-choice School. As such, a retest might not be necessary. Depending on the Schools that you plan to apply to, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile. There's a Forum full of them here:

ask-admission-consultants-124/

Raising this score to a 720+ will take some significant work - but since you're already so strong in the Quant, you can concentrate your studies in Verbal. With a V28, you would have lost significant points in at least 2 of the 3 major Verbal categories (SC, RC and CR), so you're probably going to have to work on all 3 categories going forward.

Studies:
1) How long have you studied?
2) What materials have you used?
3) How have you scored on each of your CATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?
4) Did you take the FULL CAT each time (including the Essay and IR sections)?

Goals:
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
6) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Vaibhav0607
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Re: Need urgent advice on which GMAT verbal package(Online) to choose [#permalink] New post   10 Nov 2016, 02:04
Hi EMPOWERgmatRichC ,

Thanks a lot for your quick reply. I am targeting Indian School Of Business round 2. I am an IT professional with 4 years of work experience. I have decent profile but not an extra ordinary one. I am planning to take a retest as I thought I messed up my verbal on the test day. I used to score 32-37 on my regular CATs. Here are the answers to your questions:
Studies:
1) How long have you studied?
I studied for approximately 3 months(1 hour daily and 2 hours on weekends).
2) What materials have you used?
I consumed Official Guide 13, MGMAT SC guide. For CR and RC I used my CAT questions and questions from GMATCLUB.
3) How have you scored on each of your CATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?
Here are my scores :
Kaplan Free Test:680(Q49,V34)
MGMAT(free) : 660(Q49,V31)
MGMAT1: 680(Q47,V35)
MGMAT2: 670(Q45,V36)
MGMAT3: 700(Q49,V36)
MGMAT4: 680(Q46,V37)
MGMAT5: 690(Q49,V35)
MGMAT6: 710(Q50,V36)(Some quant questions were repeated)

GMATPrep1: 720(Q50,V38)
GMATPrep2: 650(Q48,V31) This was 2 days before the main exam. May be this hampered my confidence.
4) Did you take the FULL CAT each time (including the Essay and IR sections)?
I had taken all the CATs with all sections included. However for one or two I was not very much compliant with the timing.
Goals:
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
I am planning for April 2017.
6) What Schools are you planning to apply to?
As of now I am targeting ISB(Indian School Of Business). I am open to other Business schools too. If you can suggest me schools of the same caliber as ISB is. I would be more than happy.
I will ask the admission experts as you mentioned. However if I give a retest, I am thinking of enrolling into a verbal online course which would keep me motivated and disciplined. Any suggestions from your side are welcome. :)
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Re: Need urgent advice on which GMAT verbal package(Online) to choose [#permalink] New post   10 Nov 2016, 12:57
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Hi Vaibhav0607,

The drop in your Verbal score on Test Day is significant; the two likely "causes" involve either something that was unrealistic during practice or something that was surprising (or not accounted for) on Test Day. If you can answer a few questions, then we should be able to figure this out:

When you took your CATs:
1) Did you take them at home?
2) Did you take them at the same time of day as your Official GMAT?
3) Did you ever do ANYTHING during your CATs that you couldn't do on Test Day (pause the CAT, skip sections, take longer breaks, etc.)?
4) Did you ever take a CAT more than once? Had you seen any of the questions BEFORE?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Re: Need urgent advice on which GMAT verbal package(Online) to choose [#permalink] New post   10 Nov 2016, 22:56
Hi EMPOWERgmatRichC,

I messed up my timing on the test day and once I knew i was lagging , I lost my cool. There have been instances where I could not even read all 5 options. I got nervous. Here are your answers:

1) Did you take them at home?
Yes , I took all my CATs at home.
2) Did you take them at the same time of day as your Official GMAT?
My GMAT exam was scheduled @ 5 pm that I was not very much comfortable to go with. I didn't have any other slot, so I was left with no options. I took most of my CATs (if not all) @5 PM. I felt a bit tired every time though.
3) Did you ever do ANYTHING during your CATs that you couldn't do on Test Day (pause the CAT, skip sections, take longer breaks, etc.)?
I have paused my exam. I did that for two of my exams. However, I haven't skipped any sections.
4) Did you ever take a CAT more than once? Had you seen any of the questions BEFORE?
I only took GMAT prep more than once. A handful of questions were repeated. Roughly 2 or 3.
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EMPOWERgmatRichC
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Re: Need urgent advice on which GMAT verbal package(Online) to choose [#permalink] New post   11 Nov 2016, 13:08
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Hi Vaibhav0607,

Test Day is a rather specific 'event' - the details are specific and they matter, so you have to train as best as you can for all of them. The more realistic you can make your CATs, the more likely the score results are to be accurate. The more you deviate, the more "inflated" your scores can become - and that's what happened here. By taking the CATs at home, pausing the CATs, seeing repeat questions, etc., you weren't properly training for the FULL GMAT 'experience.' In addition, taking the GMAT at 5pm was likely not a good idea. Most people do their 'best' thinking in the first 4-5 hours of the day. If you were up all day, then took the GMAT at night, then you were probably a bit too tired to perform at your best.

Thankfully, this is a relatively easy set of problems to fix. The big question now is "how long will it take you to properly get 'used to' taking the full GMAT?" You'll certainly need a new set of practice CATs to work with and you have to put in the necessary time to train your brain (and body) for the FULL GMAT. You might also need to invest in some new GMAT training materials.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Vaibhav0607
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Re: Need urgent advice on which GMAT verbal package(Online) to choose [#permalink] New post   13 Nov 2016, 07:46
Hi EMPOWERgmatRichC,

I agree with all points mentioned by you. I was a little casual while giving one or two CATs. Nevertheless, I have planned a retest on 26th Dec 10 AM. Could you please suggest me a good verbal course online and a tight verbal schedule(If possible) so that i can work with my verbal skills. Personal instructor would be a great thing.

Thanks,
Vaibhav
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EMPOWERgmatRichC
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Status:GMAT Assassin/Co-Founder
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GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
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Re: Need urgent advice on which GMAT verbal package(Online) to choose [#permalink] New post   13 Nov 2016, 21:16
Expert Reply
Hi Vaibhav0607,

Based on everything that you've described, I think that you would find the EMPOWERgmat Verbal Score Booster to be quite helpful. Most of our clients finish that Study Plan in under a month, so it would fit your schedule perfectly. During that time, you'll also be able to access any of the Quant resources that interest you. We have a variety of free resources on our site (www.empowergmat.com), so you can 'test out' the Course before setting up an account.

If you have any additional questions, then you can feel free to contact me directly.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Re: Need urgent advice on which GMAT verbal package(Online) to choose [#permalink]
13 Nov 2016, 21:16

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