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Taking the test in August 17. Kaplan 540 - what to do?

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whatthehell
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Taking the test in August 17. Kaplan 540 - what to do? [#permalink] New post   21 Jun 2009, 16:58
Guys. I am taking the test in August 17, i.e. I got almost 60 days to go. Here is my breakdown of my scores and ability:

KAPLAN CD test 1 - 530
KAPLAN CD test 2 - 540

OG Guide - I am breaking all the different questions into test sets. I am doing really well here - for the first set I got 4 incorrect in Quant (2 careless mistakes) and 5 incorrect in verbal. Second set, I only got 1 incorrect in Quant. Working through the rest.

For the KAPLAN tests, in both sections, I tend to do well in the beginning and later on get pushed by time, end up speeding through the last 6-7 on both sections and spoiling the test.

Please suggest what should I be doing? Subject matter wise, I think I am doing good but I screw up the timed practice test. Still got time, but really need help. Thanks.
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Re: Taking the test in August 17. Kaplan 540 - what to do? [#permalink] New post   21 Jun 2009, 17:07
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Kaplan tests are not accurate in terms of scores - see this tool to estimate your final performance: GMAT Score Estimator/Calculator.

It is not really easy to tell you what to do without knowing what you did or which areas need improvement.
The quality of answers you get depends on the quality of your question :)
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Re: Taking the test in August 17. Kaplan 540 - what to do? [#permalink] New post   21 Jun 2009, 18:45
Alright. My question was pathetic. I guess, I really needed help and am ready for any input.
Like I had said, I believe I know the subject matters inside out for both quantative and verbal. It feels like I am just hitting a road block while taking an exam under timed condition though. On top, as soon as I finish the exam and start reviewing the mistakes, in no time I will realize the stupid carelessness. Perhaps the anxiery of the timed test somehow screws up my concentration and my ability to think. Any tips on staying focused on the test?

Btw bb, you got a 750 on the real GMAT, how did you do on the KAPLAN tests? The score estimator is very helpful as well. Thanks.
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Re: Taking the test in August 17. Kaplan 540 - what to do? [#permalink] New post   21 Jun 2009, 21:14
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whatthehell wrote:
Alright. My question was pathetic. I guess, I really needed help and am ready for any input.

No problem - thank you for admitting it - takes a man to do that. Others would have come up with excuses.
Quote:
Like I had said, I believe I know the subject matters inside out for both quantative and verbal. It feels like I am just hitting a road block while taking an exam under timed condition though. On top, as soon as I finish the exam and start reviewing the mistakes, in no time I will realize the stupid carelessness. Perhaps the anxiery of the timed test somehow screws up my concentration and my ability to think. Any tips on staying focused on the test?

This is quite often the case - big part of the GMAT is getting the question right in the allocated time. One tool gmat club members use is the timer - gmat-timer-56014.html it helps time yourself with OG and other materials

Quote:
Btw bb, you got a 750 on the real GMAT, how did you do on the KAPLAN tests? The score estimator is very helpful as well. Thanks.

I believe I got 640 as the highest on Kaplan, even a week before I got 750, 640 was my best, so you are around 650 right now - not bad at all considering 550 is the average - don't forget that!

If you feel that you know the subject matter and it is only down to careless mistakes, the only option is to work under timed conditions and polish your test-taking skills. Use the timer with OG or other resources to get your speed up and stop getting rushed so that you have a feel for time and can feel comfortable. Also try to do a quick check before you are done with every question to make sure your answer makes sense - esp. helpful with math.

If you are not comfortable with Quant and Verbal - there are plenty of books and resources - just click one of the links in my signature to get started.

Also, browse through the Share Your GMAT Experience forum and see what people with 700+ posted worked for them - perhaps you can identify some issues they were able to overcome - there are some great posts there.
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Re: Taking the test in August 17. Kaplan 540 - what to do? [#permalink]
21 Jun 2009, 21:14

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