Critical reasoning: from strength to weakness

Question

I'm sure this problem isn't unique to me so I'm hoping that one of the experts could tell me what might be happening here.

I've always enjoyed CR and have invariably averaged 80% to 90% accuracy on CR over the past six months of prep. I sat an official exam last December, and when I ordered my ESR, I was horrified to see that it was one of my worst sections after RC. I quickly chalked it up to anxiety and decided to focus my efforts on RC, which was the one section I hadn't really prepared for.

Since then, my RC accuracy and timing have improved tremendously: I hit 92% accuracy on the official practice test today, averaging 4 mins per passage. On the other hand, CR went terribly - eked out a crappy 45% with timing spilling well over 3 mins per question.

I can't fathom how something that was always a strength could become a weakness.

In any case, I have an exam booked for two weeks from today, but I don't know how to improve on CR at this stage of my prep. Do I go back to untimed practice? Or do I carry on with timed, section-wise practice? Or do I ignore CR altogether to focus on other areas?

If it helps, I've been averaging 39 on verbal and 44 on quant. I got a 680 in today's practice test - aiming for 700.

Any expert advice is super appreciated!

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Consider checking out Manhattan-Prep's 6th Edition for CR. Some CR video tips on the GMAT Knight website you may find helpful too.

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi achloes.

It's likely that your approach to answering CR questions was always a little shaky, but you were getting by somehow. I've seen a student answering Verbal questions like Mr. Magoo driving. He was getting them correct without realizing that he was just missing crashing (metaphorically) into trees, fences, etc.

So, you have to tighten up your approach to answering CR questions to make it more reliable.

To do so, you should go back to doing topic-focused untimed practice and shooting for very high accuracy, 90%+, and long streaks of correct answers.

For some insights into how to practice for best results, see this post.  The Best GMAT Practice Methods

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi achloes,

Assuming that you've been taking your CATs/mocks in a realistic fashion that matches-up with how you will take your Official GMAT, you are probably closer to a 700+ than you realize. The Verbal section is as consistent and predictable as the Quant section is, but Verbal questions have no 'safety net' - meaning that if you make a little mistake or miss a vital piece of information, then you will convince yourself that one of the wrong answers is correct (and not realize it). Depending on the 'steps' that you work through (and your note-taking), your way of approaching CR might be leaving you open to making certain types of mistakes. All of that having been said, based on the CAT results that you have reported, your remaining time before Test Day might actually be better spent honing your Quant skills

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:

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)?
4) 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

Contact Rich at: [email protected]

achloes · Answer

Thanks for your input,  MartyTargetTestPrep ! I do tend to hang on to answer choices often on CR so it's certainly possible that my approach has been shaky all along.

I'll be using the streak method over the next two weeks. Do you reckon LSAT material is good to practice with? I'm nearly out of the official stuff.

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

LSAT questions are often somewhat different from GMAT CR questions. At the same time, to work on the main thing you need to improve, execution, you can use LSAT questions, since CR execution is basically the same regardless of the exact format of the question.

Critical reasoning: from strength to weakness

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards