Defeated...

I understand. The best way to get strong is to face and overcome the weaknesses. Here are a few things that I would suggest -

Math -
1. Start from the scratch. With your current experience in doing the challenges, you will have a fairly good idea on what your weak area is - among Algebra, Geometry, Probability, Arithmetic, Data Suff. or Number properties...
Identify those areas and take out the basic Math books and strengthen the fundamentals. Any strong tree has strong roots. Strengthen the base or fundamentals, you will see the difference.
2. I know you have too many study materials now. Don't let that be a hindrance, instead use them effectively. Remember you may not have time to get your hand on each of those. Once you are fairly comfortable with the concepts. Take out the OG and start solving problems from the beginning. Keep an error log. As soon as you are done with a set of questions, check the errors, go back to the books or work to correct them and make sure you don't go wrong in the same area again.
3. I believe Kaplan is also good for Math study. I don't know, maybe someone else will be able to provide you with more info.
4. Once you are comfortable in Math, try to be involved in participating in the Math Forum.

Verbal -
1. Again, it is more of getting practice. I found the Kaplan review helpful. Read how to approach the questions (esp. RC) and then start working again each of those sections with OG.
2. Better if you first try stuff like OG and Kaplan that explain the answers before you move on to 1000 SC and others.

Again, GMAT doesn't measure your intelligene. Sure, some are geniuses who score 700+ on any day. But 99% others are normal. All it takes is a thorough introspection, hard work and above all discipline. Decide on the test when you think you will be ready. When you feel confident, you can shake up GMAT!

Solid advice from gsr!

Treat this this experience as what it was- just a bad day. The worst thing to do would be to lose confidence in yourself. As a young applicant you have plenty of time to conquer the test.

Hjort

I've read the previous advices on how to prepare for the test again, do you guys think that I should use the KP math workout to work on my weakness in math and then use the PR verbal workout and Kap800 for my weakness in verbal? along with that, should I do the OG at the same time. Such as the days I am doing Quant questions from OG, I will also go over the math workout book as well....and then vice versa with the Verbal questions? I am hoping to take the test in 6-8 weeks, which I think would give me enough time to prepare once again. What do you all think of this plan?

I have the OG 10th edition, do you think I should purchase the 11th edition just because it's updated or should I keep using the 10th edition? What about the Quantative and Verbal that they sell on MBA.com?

Do you have any recommendation on books that helps with math fundamentals?

Hey, I've been reading your posts for a while, and you are definately deserving of a higher score. Don't get defeated - you'll conquer the beast next time, have faith!

The GMATPrep and PowerPrep softwares have some basic math concept reviews... but I found the better ones through googling keywords of different concepts and finding sites online, often high school teachers who posted class notes or whatnot. Since most of the concepts on GMAT math are high-school level, you might also want to pick up a textbook from that level and review.

Are you approaching any deadline ??? why the next 6 weeks timeframe ...I believe anyone can raise his/her score but one need to put in some good planning and consistent effort.

one thing that I feel missing is the number of full length test that you might have taken(I have assumed this, as you have not mentioned it ), under strict timed condition. Since, you performed below your expectation in exam I would suggest that you take extra care for simulating the Real exam conditions.

I think the 10th edition is good enough. The key is to practice and practice using the OG, and learn and understand your mistakes.

Don't be disheartened. Take a short break before you hit the books again. I think it is a good move to take the next test within the next 2 months or so, so that you can ride on your previous prep. However, don't book the actual test date too early if possible. See how your next prep goes before you confirm the actual date.

Also, do more full-scale prep tests. These are helpful to build your mental stamina and concentration for the 4 hours test.

All the best.

Aside from doing practice problems from the OG, have you thoroughly read the math review at the beginning of the section?

Well I would like to take the exam before jan 2006. But it's also because the previous material is still fresh in my mind. If not 6-8 weeks, do you have any suggestions how much longer should I study before I should retake?

What kind of full-length practice tests would you recommend? I have noticed from previous postings in other forums that the kaplan's verbal sections on its practice tests are not accurate of what the real test is like. Do you think it's good just to do those practice tests or should I do tests that are much similar to the real thing? Aside from the powerprep, which ones are the closest to the gmat?

I only used Kaplan (4 tests) and Powerprep (2 tests) for during my prep. I observe that many people also use the PR prep-tests and GMATprep.

I used these full-scale prep tests solely to build up my mental stamina. I ignored the scores completely. For Kaplan, I find that the questions were not well developed (there were even typos and missings lines in the RC). As many have said, the Kaplan scores generally are not good indications of one's actual GMAT score. Hence you must try to ignore the score, however difficult this may be.

Powerprep is closest to the real thing. However, the score may be biased (towards the high side) if you have used OG intensively during your prep. Hence, you cannot use the PP score as an indication of your actual score too (although it does give a feel-good effect. But you don't want to build up false hope, do you?)

Summary of the long post:
1. Practice on the OG intensively. You should cover it at least once. Note that some people said that the Quant in OG 10th edition is easier that the actual test. I find it quite ok.

2. Use whatever full-scale prep test that you can find. PP, GMATprep, Kaplan, PP are often quoted in this forum. Have to understand that none of these are perfect as an indicator of your actual score. But they are useful to build up the important mental stamina. So schedule these prep-tests into your prep plan - maybe one prep-test a week. (Your last prep-test should be around 3 days from your actual test.)

Hope this helps.

I think 6 to 8 weeks is a good target. Remember, you don't book the actual test date until you feel confident.

As you have said that most of the practice tests should mainly build mental stamina, but try to ignore the score. If I exhaust the OG guide and just take the prep tests as an indication for mental stamina, then how do I know whether I have made improvements in my preparation? Shoudl I still take the scores as it is as a sign of improvement?

From your OG, you will have a sense of how well have you improved in the various section. Try to do the various OG sections (e.g. DS, CR, etc) in sets of 20 questions or so. Are you able to get more and more questions right as you work along?

E.g. when I first started preparing for my DS using the OG, I only get 9/21, 12/21, 15/21, 14/21 correct. Eventually, I get 20/21, 21/21, 19/21 correct.

This is improvement. (However, I started with the last questions first during my prep - that could explain the poor performance. Some said the questions are in ascending level of difficult. Not sure how true this is.)

Once you have attempted the whole OG, go back to those that you have answer wrongly. Redo them. Are you able to get them right this time?

During the last day before my actual test, I reattempted those questions that I have done wrong. I still get many of them wrong.

E.g. I reattempted 43 DS questions that I got wrong during my prep. I still got 13 of them wrong.

I understand how upsetting this is. DO NOT GIVE UP! The tips you are getting from this website are invaluable (alluding to gsr's post). eg. Keep an error log and make sure you understand thoroughly why you answered a question wrong.

I believe this test is difficult because no one can really teach you how to think in a certain way. Although you can recieve many tips on how to study for the GMAT, the content and the understanding have to be developed by yourself from within. For many, this will take extreme effort and dilligence. If this is something that you REALLY want, then you must put everything you can into it. Push and endure!

This kind of situation does sometimes happen. Many years ago when I was preparing for the entry exam for college in China, we had three practise tests. The second test was deliberately made very hard. I was so shocked when I saw something that I didn't know how to do, given that I've always been in the top rank and almost never had the experience of facing something I'm not capable of. I was shaking all over and as a result I missed one entire page (out of three), didn't even see it. Needless to say I got a very low score, not only lower than my own expectation, but also much lower than the class average. I was very ashamed of myself.

Trust me on this, though. That this kind of things normally only happen once in your life. It already happened for you. You can now be more comfortable to know that the next test you will have a much better score. First kill the anxiety, then you can start your crusade again.