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22 Mar 2017, 10:49
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I took the GMAT 2 days back. Got a decent score with Q42 and V38. It's competitive but I want a shot at the top tier universities too. My background is in engineering, and I had been getting way higher scores on the GMATPrep (+50 difference), so I know I can do much better, especially in Quant.
I don't think I need help with the basic concepts of Math - my problem is the DS questions. What resources/strategies/guides can I use to get better at answering those type of questions? (Would prefer something that doesn't cost too much)
It's just that I've never had to answer DS style questions before, and somewhere along the way I make stupid assumptions which leads me to choosing the wrong statements.. I've always been taught to somehow arrive at the answer, and that mentality is screwing me over on the DS questions..
I've just registered to retake the exam in 2 weeks. If nothing else, I can just reinstate my old score back, so no harm in trying..
Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!
I don't think I need help with the basic concepts of Math - my problem is the DS questions. What resources/strategies/guides can I use to get better at answering those type of questions? (Would prefer something that doesn't cost too much)
It's just that I've never had to answer DS style questions before, and somewhere along the way I make stupid assumptions which leads me to choosing the wrong statements.. I've always been taught to somehow arrive at the answer, and that mentality is screwing me over on the DS questions..
I've just registered to retake the exam in 2 weeks. If nothing else, I can just reinstate my old score back, so no harm in trying..
Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!
22 Mar 2017, 18:44
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi dman90,
To start, with a Q42, you would have made some little mistakes throughout the Quant section and likely missed out on lots of 'strategy-based' points (in PS and in DS), so to maximize your Quant Scaled Score, you'll likely need to do more than just get in some extra DS practice. 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:
Studies:
1) How long have you studied?
2) What materials have you used?
3) How have you scored on each of your CATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?
4) Did you take the FULL CAT each time (with the Essay and IR sections)?
Goals:
5) What is your overall goal score?
6) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
7) What Schools are you planning to apply to?
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
To start, with a Q42, you would have made some little mistakes throughout the Quant section and likely missed out on lots of 'strategy-based' points (in PS and in DS), so to maximize your Quant Scaled Score, you'll likely need to do more than just get in some extra DS practice. 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:
Studies:
1) How long have you studied?
2) What materials have you used?
3) How have you scored on each of your CATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?
4) Did you take the FULL CAT each time (with the Essay and IR sections)?
Goals:
5) What is your overall goal score?
6) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
7) What Schools are you planning to apply to?
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
22 Mar 2017, 19:36
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Hi Rich,
Thanks for the reply! Let's see, below are the details you requested:
- On my second practice CAT, I got 720. (49Q/39V/8IR).
- On the actual GMAT I got 650 (42Q/38V). The Quant section I actually did worse than my first practice where I knew nothing. Nervousness probably played a big role in this too. I feel the second attempt would be much better now that I have a 650 in the bag already. Like I said earlier, if nothing else, I can always fall back to this and get this score reinstated.
- Second practice test I did not type the full essay. I did however spend 15-20 minutes jotting down points of how I would approach each paragraph as if that topic was on my actual test. I attempted all other sections properly. Sections and breaks were all timed properly too.
- Competitive: UCBerkeley, Toronto (full-time)
- Likely: IU (not in a rush to start MBA, so keeping this as a backup, not entirely sure about it)
The reason I think DS is the problem is because on both practice tests I scored lower on DS than PS. On the actual exam too I got a solution on almost all of the PS problems. I made an educated guess on only 1 of the PS questions. With DS, I have no idea how many I got wrong.
Let me know if you need any additional details. Thanks for the help!
Thanks for the reply! Let's see, below are the details you requested:
Quote:
1) How long have you studied?
- Frankly, I didn't study much at all. It's hard to make time with a full time job. I had 2 weeks to prepare (I selected a date that was 2 weeks out when I registered). And I only got time to study on Saturday/Sundays. 2 of those 4 days (2 days each weekend) were spent doing a timed practice test from the GMATPrep tool (I did 2 practice tests), and then looking at the mistakes I made. The remaining 2 days I looked at a few videos on Youtube for tips and strategies. And even then, most of this time I focused on the IR section, because I thought it mattered as much as the Q and V. Only now I realize that most universities mainly look at Q and V scores.Quote:
2) What materials have you used?
- 2 official GMATPrep mock exams, and a bunch of YouTube videos (4-5 hours total).Quote:
3) How have you scored on each of your CATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?
- I got a 650 on my first practice CAT. (44Q/35V/5IR). But this was literally a test I took without even looking at the format of the GMAT. I wanted to see what my ultimate worst was, and I didn't even know what the sections were or what the GMAT consisted of. I'm not exaggerating when I say that was literally the first thing I did. - On my second practice CAT, I got 720. (49Q/39V/8IR).
- On the actual GMAT I got 650 (42Q/38V). The Quant section I actually did worse than my first practice where I knew nothing. Nervousness probably played a big role in this too. I feel the second attempt would be much better now that I have a 650 in the bag already. Like I said earlier, if nothing else, I can always fall back to this and get this score reinstated.
Quote:
4) Did you take the FULL CAT each time (with the Essay and IR sections)?
- The first practice CAT I did not do the essay. I attempted the IR, Quant and Verbal sections. Each section was timed, with 20-30 minute breaks.- Second practice test I did not type the full essay. I did however spend 15-20 minutes jotting down points of how I would approach each paragraph as if that topic was on my actual test. I attempted all other sections properly. Sections and breaks were all timed properly too.
Quote:
5) What is your overall goal score?
- Aiming for a 720, I'll be more than happy if I can get 700 or more. Not sure how competitive I'll be though, I am a foreign national with a US undergrad degree, but I don't know what the university quotas are.Quote:
6) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
- Planning to apply for next year, I think I'll be cutting it too close to deadlines this year. Will most likely go for Executive or Weekend MBA.Quote:
7) What Schools are you planning to apply to?
- Goals: One of the top 7-10. One of Booth, Kellogs, UMich, Stanford.- Competitive: UCBerkeley, Toronto (full-time)
- Likely: IU (not in a rush to start MBA, so keeping this as a backup, not entirely sure about it)
The reason I think DS is the problem is because on both practice tests I scored lower on DS than PS. On the actual exam too I got a solution on almost all of the PS problems. I made an educated guess on only 1 of the PS questions. With DS, I have no idea how many I got wrong.
Let me know if you need any additional details. Thanks for the help!
