by Rich Cohen, Rich.C@empowergmat.com EMPOWERgmat.com
This series of emails and PMs focuses on situations that many Test Takers face during their studies. The names of the original posters have been changed to protect their identities.
Taking That First CAT is IMPORTANT
Hi Rich,
I’m thinking about waiting to give a practice CAT until I learn the concepts cold. A low score would get me very demotivated and I like to feel confident, so based on history I wouldn't want to take a CAT until I felt really ready. What do you suggest?
Tammy
Hi Tammy,
I understand why you want to be comfortable with all of the test-able concepts before you take a practice CAT, but that approach is likely to do more harm than good. There are a variety of factors that go into a strong overall performance on a CAT beyond knowing the material: overall organization, pacing skills , endurance, making good decisions when you're stuck, handling the psychological stress of the clock, handling the physical effects of a lengthy exam, etc. Your study plan needs to account for the necessary time it takes to learn THOSE skills.
You're not going to ace your first CAT, but that really isn't the goal. Your goal is to do your best and learn everything that you can (from the results) about your weak areas, so that you can work on fixing them.
Spreading Out Your CATs is Important
Dear Rich,
I’m planning to save my cats for my last 2.5 weeks of study. At that point, I plan to take 13 CATs – one almost every day, then take a day off before my real GMAT. How is this plan?
Utley
Hi Utley,
You'd likely be better of spreading out your practice CATs (taking 1 CAT every 1-2 weeks), than doing 13 CATs in 15 days. Taking a complete CAT is an exhausting experience, and requires a certain amount of time to review and do additional practice before taking another CAT. Each CAT is essentially a ‘measuring device’ – when used correct, a CAT will give you a reasonably accurate score assessment and point out your strengths and weaknesses; it will NOT make you a better Test Taker though. That comes from review, practice and honing your skills. The CAT will show you how well you’ve honed those skills and what else you need to work on.
The Big Rule When Handling a Comparison in an SC Prompt
Rich,
I would like to ask for advice regarding comparisons in SCs. I've read the whole Manhattan sentence correction book, but I'm still struggling when it comes to that particular point. I really need a kind of mathematical logical approach I can follow to nail any comparison problem.
Vaclav
Hi Vaclav,
The GMAT tends to repeatedly test straight-forward grammar rules, although sometimes those rules can be "packaged" in ways that you're not used to seeing.
Comparison questions come down to this basic rule: you must compare LIKE things, but the number does not matter.
For example, you can compare a person to another person. You can also compare a person to several people. You CANNOT compare a person to another person's grades. In GMAT SCs, be on the lookout for whichever part of the comparison is NOT underlined; that non-underlined portion is what the OTHER part must match.
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
