Disappointing 460 on first GMAT. Starting my new prep now

So today I did my first CAT from GMAT PREP and scored 490 Q32,V26. Not surprising, it is higher than the test I passed last year as I passed the tage-mage, a french exam like the GMAT but way easier: it probably helped me a bit for quant.

One really bad thing that I have to correct as soon as possible: I finish too early (30min in advance for quant and 20 min in advance for verbal). When I was answering I was not looking at the timer and realized at the end that I was way too fast (maybe because of stress?). I probably did a LOT of silly mistakes because of this.

Another thing is that I thought I would be better at verbal. I'm a bit confused now as I was going to start studying quant first but that changed a bit my mind.

Anyway, what do you think about this? My test is scheduled for May 5th and my admission deadlines are on the 15th. They accept unofficial report so everything is fine. I could maybe pass the test twice... first one early april and second early may?

Thank you for your responses !

JR

Hi jrwke31!

Congratulations on your improvement! It's great that you've been able to narrow down some of the possible issues. First, let's talk about how you can avoid minor and careless mistakes. When this happens, first, ask yourself where the error happened. Was it at the end of the problem or at the beginning of a problem? Many times I see students make errors right at the end of the problem. This is a natural human tendency that we have to fight. How many times have we seen a team winning an entire game only to lose in the final minutes or a runner ahead in the race who loses in the final stretch? This all comes from the same tendency: we drop our guard when we see the finish line. We relax. We drop our focus. We rush. All of which does not help us to succeed. So the first rule: when you see the finish line, when you are nearing the end of the problem, focus even more. Don't rush. Don't drop your guard. Know that everyone has the tendency to slack off near the end -- don't be that person!

Second, are you tired when you make these errors? Have you had a power session of studying? If so, taking a short break to stretch, move around, and drink water might be all that you need to refocus. Obviously you won't be able to take a stretch break in the middle of the test, but you should absolutely do so during your study periods. For every hour of study, let your mind drift off to somewhere else for 5 minutes. Then return to answering problems.

As for test day, closing your eyes momentarily can offer a nice break. Keep them closed and count to 10 or 20. Try to push all thoughts out of your mind and just focus on taking long, purposeful breaths. This will help to fight off any exhaustion. I would also recommend reading Mike's article about careless errors on the GMAT math section

The second issue may be the depth of your understanding. You need to be brutally honest with yourself about why you miss questions. Was it a "silly" mistake or did you not really understand the concepts as well as you could have? For all your GMAT practice, analyzing your practice and learning from your mistakes is extremely important!

Basically, studying your mistakes gives you maximum improvement. If it were possible to never make the same mistake twice, you would become an absolute master of the test in a very, very short time. So be sure to watch explanation videos for every question you get wrong (and watching those you get right is also a good idea!), study very carefully the related concepts, research methods, or material you're not comfortable with but are mentioned in the solution, and really analyze the questions.

On that note, see these very useful articles on learning from your practice, memory, and translating your practice to exam performance:

GMAT Strategies: Learning from Practice Problems
“Understanding” the GMAT: Practice vs. Exam Performance
The GMAT, Learning, and Memory

As for studying Quant vs. Verbal, I'd definitely recommend working on both at the same time, rather than just only studying one first then the other. That will keep everything fresh in your mind Here are a few final tips:

• Cultivate the mindset that enhances memory and intuition and decreases stress.
• To improve on the GMAT Verbal section, read every day.
• For the Quantitative section, read this post on how to study for GMAT math.

I hope some of this is helpful! Best of luck with your studies
-Carolyn

Hi jrwke31,

Based on what you describe, you have a little over 3 months of potential study time - which is good. You also finished the Quant and Verbal sections on this CAT so early that you almost certainly made a number of little mistakes. Thus, if you slow down, take more notes, do more work on the pad, etc., then you will likely score higher than this initial CAT Score. That having been said, you will likely still need all of that study time to hit your Score Goal - and you would likely benefit from investing in a GMAT Course of some type (either Guided Self-Study or instructor-led).

Most GMAT Companies offer some type of free materials (practice problems, Trial Accounts, videos, etc.) that you can use to 'test out' a product before you buy it. We have a variety of those resources at our site (www.empowergmat.com). I suggest that you take advantage of all of them then choose the one that best matches your personality, timeline and budget.

If you have any additional question, then you can feel free to contact me directly.

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