Can I make my target of 680 with my current stats?

Question

Hi guys,

I am very very slow in both quants and verbal. By the time I am done with 28th question in Quants, I have less than 10min on the clock and end up just marking randomly the last few and as expected most of them turn out wrong. In verbal I ended up randomly marking the last 12. I am working on improving my time. I am currently scoring a 570. If i improve my time what are the chances I end up with more than a 680? I have my GMAT in the end of May 2012.

My break up: Q:44, V:25

What strategies would you guys suggest at this point for me to improve my score(concerning my time management)? Is this a possible target?

Cheers!!

OasisGC · Answer

Hello,

Do not think so much on numbers that you want to reach to 680 or 700 etc, focus more on how you can improve your performance across quant and verbal and you will have the score.

I am not sure about the source of test for which you have given your break up, so honestly can not make comment on how much can you improve.

With the given information, i can tell you that you have a lot of room for improvement, a few points for your time management.

1) In GMAT, you have to choose your cards to play with, you must know your strengths and weaknesses for each quant and verb, so you can decide your strategy of allocating more time to your strengths, and you also know the Qs where you would like to make an educated guess and move on.

2) For quant, you must never give more than 3 mins to any Q (3 min also to one or two Q that are your strengths, not all), you have to have strategies for intelligent guessing for quant.

3) You should ideally keep track of your time during entire 75 mins, you can not just ignore to keep a track of time for first 25/30 mins and then start tracking it, you can use benchmarks for no of Q. Ideal time for a Quant Q is 2 mins, so you may divide the 75 mins in three slots of 25 mins and keep on tracking your progress at the end of every 25 mins. You must practice the strategy for timings for a few times, do not expect miracle to happen on test day.

4) Analyze your test results, and you will get more idea where you are going wrong, check the areas where you are taking more time to answer Qs, you would also notice that you will not be getting the Qs right even after giving 4/5 mins to some questions because the test is built in such a way that it tries to knock you every time you start scoring high.

Good Luck

vivekarl · Answer

thank you.. I scored 570 in both Kaplan and the GMATPREP..

gayathriz · Answer

Hi,

I am facing quite the similar problem and my target is 680 as well. I took the test today after nearly two months of preparation using OG10,11,Quantitative Review,Manhattan books and i scored 520!! (Q: 31, V:28)

I had studied everything except geometry. During the test i saw 4-5 geometry questions with 3 of them appearing within the first 10 min so i got a little stuck there.Plus i didnt work on time at all!! every question esp in Math seemed to be really hard and i took more than 3 minutes on some.

The conditions of the test was a little bad too as i was feeling feverish.

But anyway, all said and done i am feeling really down today and thinking of taking one more test under proper conditions based on which i will decide whether to postpond my exam date.

OasisGC · Answer

Hello gayathriz,

which test did you take, so i can give you better insights.

also help me with a few more questions

1) did you take more than 3/4 mins for any question (other than geometry), if yes how many of did you get correct?
2) any problem as far as DS vs PS ?
3) did you take exam under strict exam conditions ?
4) For verbal, do you know any specific area where you think that you did not perform upto mark ?

I will be able to give you better insights with more details

OasisGC · Answer

If you scored 570 in gmatprep, 680 could be a bit stretch for you, but if you think you only have time management problems and you do have complete understanding about fundamentals of verbal and quant,than the situation might come under control

do you think if you managed time well

1) you could have solved the remaining questions correctly
2) you could reduce the time taken in first few questions to 2 mins or less maintaining the accuracy

gayathriz · Answer

Hello Oasis,

I had taken the first test in GMATPrep. I hadnt managed time at all. I seem to have wasted time a lot by writing down a lot of details on the worksheet. But when i go by manhattan they advise us to write a lot down on the worksheet. But this method i find to be very time consuming. I had totally got 5 geometry questions and 2 Standard deviation questions. Now, in Standard deviation questions, guessing should be the best option right?

To answer your questions:

1. yes i must have taken 3/4 mins for nearly 8-10 questions(Approx). This was mainly due to writing a lot of data down on the worksheet, trying to find the correct answers by looking at the solutions, alternating between methods while working out a problem, getting nervous when i see a geomtery question and then losing some hope when the next question comes up.

2. i have got the same amoutn of incorrect problems in both DS and PS. But while studying i did find PS more easier and my accuracy was better however in the test this never showed up.

3.Yes i did take the exam under strict exam conditions. I wrote both the essays had the timed breaks,etc. However, i had health discomforts due to taking a cetrizine(which is known to create drowziness) the previous night to cure my cold, throat infection plus i also started experiencing raising body temp during my verbal.

4. I spent too much time on the first RC but i never got any right. I had guessed the 4 th RC and i got 2 on 3 right!! But again, its the same amount of incorrect answers in all sections.

Overall, my reading and grasping the data cycle was much slower in all the sections. I wonder now how that can be improved. And i have made 6 very careless errors in maths in concepts which i know thouroughly but i missed reading some specific detail mentioned in the question!!

Oasis, Please suggest me how do i improve my score. I have studied all 7 manhattan guides and 520 is just too sad and i cant believe it!! i cant help but feel if gmat is too hard on me!!I have also thought about postponding my test from May23rd cos this score is noway close to the score which the univs i am looking at will accept.

Thanks for all your help

OasisGC · Answer

Hello,

Sorry for delay in reply.

Looking at the details furnished by you, please find my remarks

1) You need to really work hard on the time management, i would suggest you to go to manahattan website and read blogs of stacey on time management. Please practice the strategy that you learn from the blogs.

From nowonwards, do not practice problems without time constraints and practice problems in the slot of 20/25 ( be it any area)

2) Take help of OG archer at Manhattan, this tool helps you understand where you are giving more time (area wise)

3) Manhattan approach says that write down as much as possible - they actually focus on the point that do not retain anything in just your mind, you do not need to write ALL on your worksheet. You should be able to judge in first 30 seconds if you are comfortable to solve the problem and in next 50 seconds if you think you are not on your way you should guess and move on.

4) For any area that is your weakness, learn basics for the area so you don't loose points on easy questions. dont just quit the question looking at it

5) since you were unwell, i am sure it affects a lot to your scoring, so i would not count this score as a valid score to evaluate your preparation, retake the mock and share your score, so we may revise our strategies if required.

6) if possible, buy mgmat tests , they are good not only in terms of content but these tests are great to understand where you are heading - you get analysis areawise/timewise/wrong right etc etc

Do not loose your patience, take another test and share the output

thanks

gayathriz · Answer

Thanks Oasis. I am taking a re-test again this Sunday. I will be finish the last book of Manhattan i.e Geomtery by then. I ve started working on the time management starting with the geometry questions. I will refer to the manhattan website for more pointers as well.
Since i ve purchased all the 8 books i do have access to the 6 manhattan tests as well. So i am intending to take them on alternate days starting next week.

Will update you my score soon on the retest. Thanks a ton!

gayathriz · Answer

Hello Oasis,

Thought of updating my score on the test I took today. It was the first CAT in the manhattan series. Got 640 total with Quant:43 and verbal:35.

But while i did some basic analysis i did find that I have made the same amount of mistakes in Quant section as my previous test in GMAT Prep. Does this mean the algorithms are so drastically different in both the tests??

I am trying to take tests every alternate day leading up to my test day on May23rd.

I ve seen in the breakdown of Manhattan test that i get most of the 700-800 level questions wrong! Please do share some suggesstions on ways to improve the same

Thanks

OasisGC · Answer

Hello

Ok... good start, this score of Q-43 and V-35 suggests that your main strength is in Quant (take three/four consecutive tests and see how does your Quant score behave)

Now for Quant

1) Did you find the areas where you got questions wrong ( are they same as gmatprep, if yes, you know the area you can work upon)

2) Did you skip Questions ?

3) In how many Qs did you take more than 2.5 mins and in how many Qs did you take more than 3 mins ( what was accuracy with respective ones)

GMAT algorithm is not known to any one, every prep company tries to match its algorithm based on its experience, I can tell you that MGMAT algorithms are probably the closest to real GMAT quant.

I would suggest you not to evaluate your performance on the no of questions you got wrong ( this data can help you to gauge your understanding of topic only )

You may take test every alternate day, but do not take tests in last three days, and analyze your test on above points for at least an hour.

Do not fear about getting Qs wrong (especially 700-800), you are bound to get some Qs wrong. Since the test is adaptive, once you start performing well, the test tries to knock you by throwing tougher question every time and some or the other time you will be knocked, so this does not mean that once you get a couple of Qs wrong your scores will fall like anything.

Analyze your test as much as you can.

After taking four/five tests, you should list out your strengths and weaknesses.

Your strengths : list out the areas, so on gmat day, you know where you can invest your extra 30 to 60 seconds.

Your weaknesses - you can have some educated guessing strategies to tackle such questions. you can utilize the saved time to work on your strengths, and believe me you will have decent difference in your scores with this strategy.

For your verbal , do the same exercise - expect a tougher verbal at real GMAT than MGMAT.

hope this helps

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