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Hello All,

I've been preparing for a while and my issue remains the same, managing the time on test. This I've figured based on the mocks, official, Veritas, Gmatclub. I have over 4-7 questions remaining before I complete the test. In Quant, when I practice the questions, I can complete most in under 2 minutes but can't replicate the same in mock. If I take the mock untimed I score about q47-50. 
For Verbal, my speed varies based on different question types. I've practiced alot of questions, revisited the topics for any gaps but I don't seem to improve. 
Also, in verbal, I can preform well in 600-700 level questions (8/10 on SC,CR,RC) but my accuracy drops when doing 700 level. I only do official questions for the section. Also vague but what score can I get with this accuracy.

Thanks

Give kudos if anyone has similar difficulties

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

For Verbal, learning solving approach can be helpful - as in the way you tackle or approach a question/question type.

Try to read to ABSORB, for example.

https://www.gmatknight.com/post/5-verba ... gmat-tutor

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi TanviWatts,

Many GMATers face pacing issues in the Quant section, the Verbal section or both - so you are not alone. However, it's important to remember that pacing problems do NOT exist on their own - they're the results of OTHER problems. Since most GMAT questions can be approached in more than way, you have to consider HOW you are approaching questions; even if you are getting the correct answer, you might be doing so in an inefficient fashion that is costing you too much time. By extension, if you're comfortable using faster Tactical approaches, then you can choose the fastest approach for each question and avoid much of the anxiety (and pacing issues) that many GMATers face.

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used?
3) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score?
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

MathRevolution · Answer

Hello TanviWatts,

The official GMAT exam tests the candidate’s ability to manage time, handle pressure, apply the learned concept, and score better.

You can schedule a Free counseling session for 20 mins with one of our experts:https://calendly.com/mathrevolution/1-on-1-session for detailed advice on your current study plans.

We would recommend you learn and command the Variable Approach for DS questions and IVY Approach for PS questions. These approaches are the robust self-designed time-saving techniques that will help you learn efficiently, thus raising your score in the quick nick of time.

Register with MathRevolution https://www.mathrevolution.com/member/signup to get access to our 7-day on-demand course for free trial lessons.

Adding to the same, mastery of the Variable Approach to solve DS questions and the IVY approach to solve PS questions would add a feather to the cap. Since we are a math expert, we will recommend you go through our post on the GMAT club: Breakdown of GMAT math questions and types: https://gmatclub.com/forum/overview-of- ... l#p1641411

Regular tests will reflect the positive change in the score, and hence, your confidence will boost up. Gradually, with the help of mock tests, you will be able to compete with time and hence will be able to learn time management.

We appreciate your time and patience in reading this reply.

Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]

Success is within your reach.
Good luck!

Math Revolution Team

TanviWatts · Answer

I'm sure my approach to the problem takes me long to solve.

1) I've been studying for about 6 months and about 25 hours a week. 
2) I've studied Manhattan, Veritas and official books 
3) I've been very irregular with my mocks, I take 2 a week and then no tests for 2 months because I want to 'fix' the issue before I take another test 
4) I want a 700+ while I'm at around 670 
5) I'm planning to apply in r2 and in Kelley, Fisher, Warrington

Thanks

TanviWatts · Answer

Thanks to you and your suggestion to solve a question from each topic, my score has improved a lot. But my speed didn't improve in the mock. I'll schedule another call.

Thanks

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi TanviWatts,

I've sent you a PM with some notes and additional questions.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi TanviWatts,

Since you seem to struggle with timing, here is a helpful article you can check out:

How to Get Faster at Solving GMAT Questions

Feel free to reach out with additional questions.

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi TanviWatts,

I am very much familiar with the problem stated by you as it is a very common problem among students and I have helped a lot of students to overcome this barrier and achieve their goal. So, don’t lose hope, you are almost there. Just a little brush up/guidance will help you understand what is holding you back. Let me share my observations here.

Time management is one of the most important skills for competitive exams that most students struggle with. There is a significant penalty for failing to complete any section of the GMAT exam, so it is also important to develop pacing skills. Once you hone your time management skills strategically, you will be confident about not missing out on any questions on the test day.

The possible reason for struggling with time management: 
 In case of Quant: 
 One of the reasons could be encountering question types that may be new to you or appear to be harder than what you have practiced and the fear of not being able to solve them within time. This ultimately must have demotivated you and slowed you down. Also, in some cases, over verification leads to spending almost double time on single question. So, evaluate if this is the case with you. If you are well-prepared, you need to trust yourself and solve every question with full concentration in one go. There may be other reasons which you can share briefly to help me understand better.

For Quant, identifying your weaker areas and working your weaker areas should ideally get you a score of 49/50. You have to work a little more on the application of concepts while solving the Quant Questions. You should consider spending more time on analysing the solutions of the questions from the topics in which you are weak. By analysing I mean, go through each step of the solution, identify the exact step at which you made the mistake, compare your approach with the right one and then learn the right approach. This should help.

If you are struggling with some specific topics, you may share the same for better understanding.

In case of Verbal:
 Talking about the reason behind struggling with time management, you are likely taking more time to solve RC questions. The reason for this might be you are taking too long to read a passage or you might be going back and forth to the passage for every question. This happens when you don’t use the right reading strategies. Students often read the passage from a detail perspective and stuff themselves with the details. And once they come across an inferential question or a main point question, they cannot answer it and they read the passage again to find the answer. This would often lead to the wastage of time.

For GMAT Verbal, it is very important that you follow the right methodology and the logical approach. Your focus has to be on eliminating four incorrect choices rather than choosing the right one. The key is to develop a solid understanding of the concepts that are typically tested on the GMAT and master the process skills that are required to solve GMAT questions. Only then, you will be able to smartly avoid the traps set by the test makers and avoid taking too much time in solving questions.
• For  SC  – Follow the meaning based approach. 
• For  CR  – Focus on Scope Analysis and Framework driven Pre-thinking. 
• For  RC  – Involve yourself in the passage and understand why the passage is written and not just on what’s written.

Important Tip   – Don’t practice tons of questions directly. First focus on learning the right methods for each question. That plays a significant role in getting hard questions correct within 2 mins.

Having said this, I would like to know what is the approach you followed during the test so that I can suggest you a more structured plan. Given you have limited time in hand before the next attempt, it would be better to discuss this over a call. You can schedule a free consultation call using the below link. Considering the effort you have put, I would really like to know the concerns and help you reach your target score.
    Click here to schedule a call

MathRevolution · Answer

Glad to hear that our strategies are working for you.

Hope you achieve your target score.

Good Luck!

Thanks.

RetaketheGMAT · Answer

Hi TanviWatts,

Timing on the GMAT is largely driven by your approach to questions (Test Taking Skills) -- obviously core content knowledge its critical too. But most of our clients who suffer from timing issues come to us with deep knowledge of the content but are falling short in how they're applying it on test day.

It's extraordinarily important to assess your Test Taking Skills in a testing environment (live practice test) and expert coaches can help to identify gaps in real time and build skills drills that target specific gaps.

Here's the good news. If you shift your focus to improving HOW you take the test -- you'll shorten your time to reach your target score dramatically.

Happy to show you how it works in a FREE Diagnostic Testing Simulation session.

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