470 very bad score.

Question

Dear friends, perhaps I must be the first one on GMATClub to get such a low score. I got 42 in Math and just 14 in Verbal. I was expecting at least 600 since I want to go for part time MBA where they don't look for higher GMAT score. I took 4 Manhattan test, 5 paper test, SC brutal, 3 GMATPrep. My last GMATPrep was 590. I never did so bad in verbal. In quat I did not study much. Actually, with me time was the main problem. I hardly got time for study. I prepared a lot for verbal but still it did not improve. At the end of my preparation I was good in solving SC problem but RC and CR was consistently going wrong. 

Now, for improving verbal, may I get good tips?

I suggest you guys to do solve paper tests. They are similar to real GMATPrep exam. But Manhattan is very tough as compared to real GMAT.

asdert · Answer

yash, I'm sorry to hear about your test. I'm sure you'll do as good as you want to do next time. When are you thinking in taking it?

How close are the paper tests? Is quant harder in the real thing than in the paper tests? Quant seems a bit easy. Is verbal ok?

Again, wish you good luck in breaking the score you want! Keep it up buddy.

yash500 · Answer

I found quant quite easy as compared to verbal. I did not find any differnce in paper test verses computer adaptive test. Less marks in verbal will reduce your overall score. 

And as someone wrote recently, take GMATprep aroudn 20 times even if you find repeat questions but play with GMATPrep. If I had read that message earlier, I would have doen that. I spent lot of time on Manhattan test is far tougher than real GMAT test. 

There is one more thing - OG11 and two suppliments are more than enough if one wants to score 700. 

GMATClub is a very good source to clear ur doubts. Just dig it for every problem you face. 


I will first prepare for verbal and then decide the date. I got admission for part time M. Tech. (in s/w engineering). So I will continue with it. But I will not leave MBA dream aside. I will try my level best to prepare for GMAT. 

The last paper tests are more better than earlier paper test. I mean more higher the number, more better the test is. 

regards,
Yash

misterJJ2u · Answer

Hey Yash,

So your breakout is q42, v14? That's good because it's a clear indication what your weakness is: verbal.

You can raise your score significantly if you just focus on verbal and i bet you can get into the high 30s / low 40s if you focus.

For SC: 
1) Read MGMAT SC book and do all the examples
2) Do the last 1/3 of OG11 SC
3) Use the POE (process of elimination) approach: write out A, B, C, D, E and cross out each one when you run into a mistake
4) Use the PR (princeton review) 3/2 approach too: identify the 3/2 split between your choices. find one with an error and elminate those choices (3 of them or 2 of them)

For CR: 
1) Get Powerscore's Critical Reasoning Bible
2) practice by identifying the premises of the argument and find out what the question is attacking (weaken, strengthen, contradiction, etc.)
3) same approach with OG11 and OG Verbal guide

For RC: 
1) Read Rhyme's approach to RC; i tried it and it didn't work at first; gave it another shot and after a few examples, it clicked; i credit my verbal increase to this

Once you have the basics down, start testing yourself with new material. I used the zip files with the Chinese characters.

Curious, how was your timing? Do you have an error log?

yash500 · Answer

Hi MisterJJU2 - ur tips are very good. Thanks for your post. 

What is Rhyme's approach means?

About my speed - it was not so good. I have to run last 5 to 7 questions in both verbal and quant. Now I think, if I try honestly first 30 questions and guessing remaining questions because of no time, then I can do better. But at that time, I never wanted to skip any question. Even at the last minute I always try to solve the question. In quant, I felt my last questions were answered correct. But yes, speed was the problem for me. Especially, in verbal section. 

POE - I reached to this phase. But could not cross after it. It means, I knew, among A or C, either one is correct but which is exactly correct is always the problem and most of the time I marked wrong one.

In real GMAT, in SC there were many examples where "which" is tested. I found it so difficult because all choices had "which".

asdert · Answer

Although my RC is quite good, I'm going to give it a shot myself. I found it takes me a lot of time to answer RCs, so maybe it will help me speed it up a little bit...

yash500 · Answer

Thanks buddy.. its great information, will read, in leisure. 

MisterJJ2U - I had not kept error log.

asdert · Answer

Hey, Yash, check Rhyme's strategy. Thing works. :shock:

Have tried 2 passages so far, got just one wrong and just because i didn't read a 'LEAST' in all caps, duh! Need to work on timing, though. It took me 26 mins to solve the first one with only 6 questions, but only took me 20 mins to solve the second one with 9 questions. Not bad. Awesome, specially if you consider the hit rate. So far it's +93%. Would had been 100% if it wasn't for that silly mistake. Will try again tomorrow.

misterJJ2u · Answer

Yash,

Keeping an error log is key. 

Create a simple excel spreadsheet to keep track of question types that you got wrong (SC, CR, RC) and keep notes on what was tested and why you got it wrong. 

When I say take notes I mean: what was tested (i.e. idiom, verb tense, etc.); did you get down to two choices but picked the wrong one? make note; at least you're identifying wrong answers (right track);

Also, log questions you got right but had to guess on; If i had to guess on a question or wasn't 100% sure what the answer was, I mark the question with a star to review the answer later on.

With the error log you'll start to see a pattern. When you do, search out these type of questions and get comfortable attacking them.


As for RC: 
Rhyme's approach works but it takes a decent amount of practice.
Reading the first and last sentence of the intro paragraph tells you what the author is trying to discuss.

The first sentence of the following paragraphs should provide evidence to strengthen his argument or it might present a counterargument to show both sides of the discussion. 

Last paragraph (read first and last sentence) usually wraps up the idea.

Key is to know the basic outline of the argument. WHen a question asks for specifics, find out where in the passage it refers to; based on where it is in the passage, it should match what you already know; 

For example: if a question stems from a body paragraph and you already know (from the 1st sentence) that the purpose of that paragraph is to support the author's argument about X, look for the answer that matches. 

Hard to explain, but when you are able to see it work in practice passages, it becomes clear.

-JJ

yash500 · Answer

Thanks to both of u - Asdert & JJ!!!!!

While taking GMAT exam, I had 4 RCes and while solving it, at the first attempt it looked so easy to me. But when it comes to selecting best one out of two, it was so difficult. As I said, I might have chosen the wrong one. Out of 5 answer choices, 3 are sure shot wrong, but out of remaining 2 choices, its a difficult game to chose right one and it takes plenty of ur time in selecting it. Thats where I found GMAT tough. But I understood, after all practice makes man perfect. I am sure, after taking numerous examples for practice I will be able to do well. There is one more thing, only GMAT provide class examples. 

Thanks for ur tips. 

Yash

amik · Answer

I know this is an old post but the link above for rhyme approach doesn't exist anymore. Does anyone know if it can be found somewhere else? Thanks a lot and sorry if this question was asked in another post already. d.

greenoak · Answer

Hi amik,
Perhaps this is what you are looking for:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/1-t30247

amik · Answer

Thank you very much greenoak!! : )

alimad · Answer

have you tried the SETS. My verbal improved by 8 points just by going through all tests from sets.

StartupAddict · Answer

Yash,

Look on the bright side man-- you got a 42Q, which most people don't get. You can easily bump that up.

As for your Verbal, you just have to work on that. I would recommend getting a tutor and really working hard on SC, and doing OG 10 & 11 SC along with SC 1000. That's about 1,400 SC questions. If you can master those you can master any SC questions that the GMAT throws at you.

You just have to put in the time man, and you'll do great. I've seen plenty of people go from 450, 460, etc to 650+. You just have to put in the time.

Best of luck.

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470 very bad score.

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