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29 Sep 2016, 23:24
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Hello,
This debrief is primarily for people like me. When i started preparation, i didn't know what a CAT was , i didn't know what a linear equation was, i had never given a computer based exam , i didn't know the difference b/w an Adjective and an Adverb , i didn't know underroot2 = 2^1/2.
Yes things were bad!!!!
Here is a little background.
gmat-6-9-month-plan-600-score-205795.html#p1577347
Materials used/ suggestions
Quant Basics : Khan Academy
Quant Foundation : Manhattan or Veritas (Both are really good, you'll need a solid foundation and these courses can provide that)
Quant Improvement : Empower Math Scorebooster
Verbal Basics : Foundations of GMAT Verbal Manhattan (Again the basics , nouns, verbs, modifiers etc)
Verbal SC : Powerscore + MAX (Empower)
Verbal CR: Powerscore + MAX (Empower)
Verbal RC : Foundations of Verbal + Max (Empower)
I think i need to explain why i recommend (Empower) for Verbal. Max has this amazing method through which you can eliminate "three" wrong answers in a number of seconds. Some people might call these techniques cookie cutters but believe me when test takers are short on time they need something with which they can quickly eliminate as many wrong answers as possible. This you will learn from Max.
CAT1: 450 (Veritas)
CAT2: 530 Veritas
CAT3: 600 Veritas
CAT4: 560 GMATprep
CAT5: 640 GMAT Prep (Finally)
CAT6: 5** (MGMAT)
CAT7: 610 MGMAT
CAT8: 590 (Q40 , V30) GMATPrep
From all of these CATs i learned one thing , i was really really bad at pacing. So i asked Rich (Empower) and this is what he said "The best Test Takers that I've ever worked with went into each practice CAT (and the Official GMAT) with the GOAL of 'dumping' a few hard questions on purpose". That is exactly what i did in the last 7 days before the test. I sat down and before attempting any question i would ask myself ? Dump or Solve ? If i felt i couldn't solve the question in 2 mins, i would just dump it.
Yes, i know a lot of people say that you should solve the easier ones quickly so you can save time for the harder ones. But in my case it was totally different, i made sure i didn't solve ANY hard questions.
I think i should explain this in a little detail. While going through my 7th CAT i realized that till the 29th or 30th question in Verbal i would be at the 90th Percentile and in the last 10 Questions my score would go from 90th straight to 60th or 65th percentile.
Reason : String(s) of wrong answers.
This wasn't about concepts , if i had some major conceptual gaps i wouldn't be near the 90th percentile by the time i was attempting question 30 in Verbal. This is why i decided to change my strategy. No Hard questions , nothing above 3 mins and dumping within 15 secs.
GMAT result : 700 (Q48,V38). Yes, that is all i had to change to go from a 590 to a 700. I was losing points because i wasn't dumping questions on purpose.
I owe this to Rich . I see so many people trying to solve extremely difficult questions , these problems aren't meant to be solved (Unless you want a 49+ in Quant). I learned a really simple Mantra from Rich i.e. "If you are good at everything else then go ahead but if you aren't ... dump it."
TLDR ... if you are going to get it wrong, get it wrong in 15 secs instead of 4 mins.
This debrief is primarily for people like me. When i started preparation, i didn't know what a CAT was , i didn't know what a linear equation was, i had never given a computer based exam , i didn't know the difference b/w an Adjective and an Adverb , i didn't know underroot2 = 2^1/2.
Yes things were bad!!!!
Here is a little background.
gmat-6-9-month-plan-600-score-205795.html#p1577347
Materials used/ suggestions
Quant Basics : Khan Academy
Quant Foundation : Manhattan or Veritas (Both are really good, you'll need a solid foundation and these courses can provide that)
Quant Improvement : Empower Math Scorebooster
Verbal Basics : Foundations of GMAT Verbal Manhattan (Again the basics , nouns, verbs, modifiers etc)
Verbal SC : Powerscore + MAX (Empower)
Verbal CR: Powerscore + MAX (Empower)
Verbal RC : Foundations of Verbal + Max (Empower)
I think i need to explain why i recommend (Empower) for Verbal. Max has this amazing method through which you can eliminate "three" wrong answers in a number of seconds. Some people might call these techniques cookie cutters but believe me when test takers are short on time they need something with which they can quickly eliminate as many wrong answers as possible. This you will learn from Max.
CAT1: 450 (Veritas)
CAT2: 530 Veritas
CAT3: 600 Veritas
CAT4: 560 GMATprep
CAT5: 640 GMAT Prep (Finally)
CAT6: 5** (MGMAT)
CAT7: 610 MGMAT
CAT8: 590 (Q40 , V30) GMATPrep
From all of these CATs i learned one thing , i was really really bad at pacing. So i asked Rich (Empower) and this is what he said "The best Test Takers that I've ever worked with went into each practice CAT (and the Official GMAT) with the GOAL of 'dumping' a few hard questions on purpose". That is exactly what i did in the last 7 days before the test. I sat down and before attempting any question i would ask myself ? Dump or Solve ? If i felt i couldn't solve the question in 2 mins, i would just dump it.
Yes, i know a lot of people say that you should solve the easier ones quickly so you can save time for the harder ones. But in my case it was totally different, i made sure i didn't solve ANY hard questions.
I think i should explain this in a little detail. While going through my 7th CAT i realized that till the 29th or 30th question in Verbal i would be at the 90th Percentile and in the last 10 Questions my score would go from 90th straight to 60th or 65th percentile.
Reason : String(s) of wrong answers.
This wasn't about concepts , if i had some major conceptual gaps i wouldn't be near the 90th percentile by the time i was attempting question 30 in Verbal. This is why i decided to change my strategy. No Hard questions , nothing above 3 mins and dumping within 15 secs.
GMAT result : 700 (Q48,V38). Yes, that is all i had to change to go from a 590 to a 700. I was losing points because i wasn't dumping questions on purpose.
I owe this to Rich . I see so many people trying to solve extremely difficult questions , these problems aren't meant to be solved (Unless you want a 49+ in Quant). I learned a really simple Mantra from Rich i.e. "If you are good at everything else then go ahead but if you aren't ... dump it."
TLDR ... if you are going to get it wrong, get it wrong in 15 secs instead of 4 mins.
sairam595
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Last visit: 23 Dec 2016
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29 Sep 2016, 23:58
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Hi Hnoorshn,
Congrats!
Thanks for highlighting a very important point to make note off.
"The best Test Takers that I've ever worked with went into each practice CAT (and the Official GMAT) with the GOAL of 'dumping' a few hard questions on purpose". That is exactly what i did in the last 7 days before the test. I sat down and before attempting any question i would ask myself ? Dump or Solve ? If i felt i couldn't solve the question in 2 mins, i would just dump it.
Congrats!
Thanks for highlighting a very important point to make note off.
"The best Test Takers that I've ever worked with went into each practice CAT (and the Official GMAT) with the GOAL of 'dumping' a few hard questions on purpose". That is exactly what i did in the last 7 days before the test. I sat down and before attempting any question i would ask myself ? Dump or Solve ? If i felt i couldn't solve the question in 2 mins, i would just dump it.
30 Sep 2016, 01:11
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Sairam,
Thank you. I noticed you are struggling with the Verbal section. Be careful you can't just dump questions in Verbal Section.
Verbal is different from Quant and therefore the tools you will need will be different. Instead of dumping, i suggest learning "cookie cutter" techniques e.g. in SC a mid sentence "being" is incorrect. Don't think about it , the moment you see a "being" mid sentence just slash. Now you are down to 4 or 3 choices.
In Verbal "Dumping" is more like what Max (empower) calls triaging. Try learning how to get rid of 3 wrong answers in less than 20 seconds. This way you will always have a 50% chance of getting the Question right. (better than 1/5)
One last thing... by the time you are attempting questions number 25 and 30 (Verbal) what are your percentiles ? (I have attached an image).
If by question number 25 you are somewhere near the 99%th percentile then believe me you don't need to learn anything except pacing and dumping (Cookie cutters)
Thank you. I noticed you are struggling with the Verbal section. Be careful you can't just dump questions in Verbal Section.
Verbal is different from Quant and therefore the tools you will need will be different. Instead of dumping, i suggest learning "cookie cutter" techniques e.g. in SC a mid sentence "being" is incorrect. Don't think about it , the moment you see a "being" mid sentence just slash. Now you are down to 4 or 3 choices.
In Verbal "Dumping" is more like what Max (empower) calls triaging. Try learning how to get rid of 3 wrong answers in less than 20 seconds. This way you will always have a 50% chance of getting the Question right. (better than 1/5)
One last thing... by the time you are attempting questions number 25 and 30 (Verbal) what are your percentiles ? (I have attached an image).
If by question number 25 you are somewhere near the 99%th percentile then believe me you don't need to learn anything except pacing and dumping (Cookie cutters)
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