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by Rich Cohen, EMPOWERgmat.com [email protected]
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.
Usefulness of Paper Tests vs. CATs
Hi Rich,
My schedule is very busy, so I’m thinking about using the official paper tests occasionally instead of taking regular CATs. Is there any link for the paper tests?
Erich
Hi Erich,
The GMAC paper tests are available from www.mba.com. While they are a nice source for formerly used Official questions, it's worth noting that a pencil-and-paper exam does NOT properly simulate what an Official Computer Adaptive Test will "feel" like. It doesn't adapt, doesn't physically "test" you in the same way that the CAT will and doesn't require the same level of psychological discipline that the real GMAT demands. I think of them as great sources for practice, but NOT for determining current level of ability. If you plan to use the GMAC Paper Tests, then you have to understand that the score results are not necessarily going to provide a realistic score result. To get those types of results, you have to take FULL-LENGTH CATs under realistic conditions.
Efficient Handling of Word Problems in Quant
Dear Rich,
How am I supposed to answer wordy questions in 2 minutes? I usually take 1.5 minutes just to understand what the problem is asking.
Franz
Hi Franz,
To start, you are NOT expected to answer each Quant question in under 2 minutes. Attempting to do so is really bad idea. Certain questions can be answered quickly (in less than a minute), while others are designed to take you 3 minutes to solve.
So instead of asking how you can answer those longer/tougher questions quicker, the better question might be "what were you doing for those first 1.5 minutes?" If you were just reading and re-reading, then that's the real problem. Another question would be “how can I be more efficient when dealing with wordy prompts?” Try taking notes (and/or drawing a picture) with just the information in the first sentence. Then deal with the next sentence, and so on. Pacing problems are NOT about intelligence, they're about how you choose to organize your work and how quickly you decide to do work.
2 Days Before Test Day
Rich,
My GMAT is in 2 days. Do you have any last minute tips/advice on what I should or should not be doing?
Guapo
Hi Guapo,
Since you're so close to your Official Test Date, it's probably better to think about the proper mindset for Test Day and not about any last minute changes to how you approach the exam. You can do a bit of light review, but not too much (and NO CATs). Try to get some extra rest and go into your Exam calm and ready to perform. Remember that the GMAT will give you the score that you EARN, so work hard throughout the exam and EARN IT. Take lots of notes, stay organized and THINK.
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
