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11 Oct 2016, 13:10
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I've been following the Magoosh 3 month Math focused GMAT study plan for the last 7 weeks and I have found that it has indeed been helping my quantitative scores, and the overall study plan is very well structured so kudos to Magoosh.
As the study plan calls for I've recently begun taking MGMAT practice tests in order to simulate the real thing.
My first test was Q 41, V 37 650
Second Q 43, V 36
Third Q 44. V 33
However, before you jump to any conclusions, I have been studying the Verbal sections quite frequently in my spare time, and when I do practice problems on Magoosh or in the OG, I find that in the verbal sections I generally get around 80-95% of the problems correct aside from sentence correction which is around 75%. When reviewing my practice tests and looking through the problems I find that most of the questions I get wrong are because I was "turned around" by answer choices, I initially had the correct answer but then went with a different answer, or they are mistakes that are generally uncharacteristic considering how I do in the practice questions. Perhaps it's a combination of being tired, and second guessing. In addition the latest score of a 33 I had poor time management and felt that I had to rush through the mid portion of the test where I admittedly got most of my incorrect answers.
It is frustrating that I feel there is this disconnect between how I know I can do, given my results on practice questions, and how I've been performing on these practices tests. I'm wondering if any of the experts can perhaps offer some advice on how I can get a more consistent verbal score.
Many thanks
As the study plan calls for I've recently begun taking MGMAT practice tests in order to simulate the real thing.
My first test was Q 41, V 37 650
Second Q 43, V 36
Third Q 44. V 33
However, before you jump to any conclusions, I have been studying the Verbal sections quite frequently in my spare time, and when I do practice problems on Magoosh or in the OG, I find that in the verbal sections I generally get around 80-95% of the problems correct aside from sentence correction which is around 75%. When reviewing my practice tests and looking through the problems I find that most of the questions I get wrong are because I was "turned around" by answer choices, I initially had the correct answer but then went with a different answer, or they are mistakes that are generally uncharacteristic considering how I do in the practice questions. Perhaps it's a combination of being tired, and second guessing. In addition the latest score of a 33 I had poor time management and felt that I had to rush through the mid portion of the test where I admittedly got most of my incorrect answers.
It is frustrating that I feel there is this disconnect between how I know I can do, given my results on practice questions, and how I've been performing on these practices tests. I'm wondering if any of the experts can perhaps offer some advice on how I can get a more consistent verbal score.
Many thanks
11 Oct 2016, 19:20
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Hi vill4geidi0t,
To start, these three CAT results are fairly similar to one another, so you're likely doing certain things consistently well, but also making certain consistent mistakes. Have you taken any of the Official GMAC CATs? If you have, then how did you score? If you haven't taken any of those yet, then you should take one of those CATs next. It would be useful to know how you perform on an Official CAT.
There's a big difference between doing well on a 'block' of Verbal practice questions and performing at that same level during the Verbal section of an adaptive CAT (in the final 75 minutes of a 4-hour Exam). There's also a big difference between doing lots of practice questions and learn/practicing Tactics so that you can take advantage of the patterns that exist in all GMAT questions (and in the answer choices to those questions). It's also worth noting that you have as much of an opportunity to pick up points in the Quant section as you do in the Verbal section, so is there a particular reason why your focus is just on the Verbal right now?
1) What is your goal score?
2) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
To start, these three CAT results are fairly similar to one another, so you're likely doing certain things consistently well, but also making certain consistent mistakes. Have you taken any of the Official GMAC CATs? If you have, then how did you score? If you haven't taken any of those yet, then you should take one of those CATs next. It would be useful to know how you perform on an Official CAT.
There's a big difference between doing well on a 'block' of Verbal practice questions and performing at that same level during the Verbal section of an adaptive CAT (in the final 75 minutes of a 4-hour Exam). There's also a big difference between doing lots of practice questions and learn/practicing Tactics so that you can take advantage of the patterns that exist in all GMAT questions (and in the answer choices to those questions). It's also worth noting that you have as much of an opportunity to pick up points in the Quant section as you do in the Verbal section, so is there a particular reason why your focus is just on the Verbal right now?
1) What is your goal score?
2) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
11 Oct 2016, 19:29
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Bookmarks
EMPOWERgmatRichC
Hi vill4geidi0t,
To start, these three CAT results are fairly similar to one another, so you're likely doing certain things consistently well, but also making certain consistent mistakes. Have you taken any of the Official GMAC CATs? If you have, then how did you score? If you haven't taken any of those yet, then you should take one of those CATs next. It would be useful to know how you perform on an Official CAT.
There's a big difference between doing well on a 'block' of Verbal practice questions and performing at that same level during the Verbal section of an adaptive CAT (in the final 75 minutes of a 4-hour Exam). There's also a big difference between doing lots of practice questions and learn/practicing Tactics so that you can take advantage of the patterns that exist in all GMAT questions (and in the answer choices to those questions). It's also worth noting that you have as much of an opportunity to pick up points in the Quant section as you do in the Verbal section, so is there a particular reason why your focus is just on the Verbal right now?
1) What is your goal score?
2) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
To start, these three CAT results are fairly similar to one another, so you're likely doing certain things consistently well, but also making certain consistent mistakes. Have you taken any of the Official GMAC CATs? If you have, then how did you score? If you haven't taken any of those yet, then you should take one of those CATs next. It would be useful to know how you perform on an Official CAT.
There's a big difference between doing well on a 'block' of Verbal practice questions and performing at that same level during the Verbal section of an adaptive CAT (in the final 75 minutes of a 4-hour Exam). There's also a big difference between doing lots of practice questions and learn/practicing Tactics so that you can take advantage of the patterns that exist in all GMAT questions (and in the answer choices to those questions). It's also worth noting that you have as much of an opportunity to pick up points in the Quant section as you do in the Verbal section, so is there a particular reason why your focus is just on the Verbal right now?
1) What is your goal score?
2) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Hey Thanks for the feedback,
First to answer your questions,
1. my goal score would be a 700 or above
2 & 3. I haven't decided on a date yet but time isn't an issue and I'm taking the GMAT having just graduated from college because the scores are good for 5 years. I'm planning on attending business school in 2-3 years but would like to get a solid GMAT score under my belt.
One thing that I wanted to mention as well is when I go through my test results and reread the questions in the verbal section the mistakes I made seem fairly elementary and I am quickly able to pick out the correct answer. It feels like I have the potential to score much higher but just can't piece it all together during the exam or keep it all together. I'm very confident that I can do much better on verbal, it's just not happening whether because of a mental block or stamina problem. I'd like to focus on the verbal section right now because I feel that it will have the most immediate impact on my score, and I think I'm much more inclined to improve my score there than Quantitative. I've essentially done no math for the past 6 years, but I am slowly picking up the logic behind solving the problems.
As of yet I have not taken a GMAT prep exam if that is what you are referring too, but the next time that I have to take a practice exam in my study schedule I'll do a GMAT prep test and post the results here. I'm also trying to do study blocks of answering questions for at least 2 hours at a time to build more stamina, and there have been slight improvements.
