How to go from 79 to 84+ in VERBAL? What resources should I use?

Question

How to go from 79 to 84+ in VERBAL?
I recently took the GMAT and scored a 79 on the verbal section. I felt like I missed more questions than I expected, especially in Reading Comprehension. I struggled with RC because I didn’t have a clear process and panicked. I watched GMAT Ninja's videos for both RC and CR, and while they were helpful, I still found myself getting lost in some of the passages and having trouble getting to the answer. I also think I'm wasting my time writing notes for the passage since i never refer back o them.(any inputs regarding note taking?)

I'm planning to retake the exam in about a month and really want to bump my verbal score above 84+. Do you think Manhattan Prep's RC and CR resources might help? Also, how many RC and CR questions should I aim to practice each day to build consistency and accuracy within this one-month timeframe?

I'd really appreciate any advice on strategies, resources, or practice routines that worked for you if you've been in a similar situation.

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bb · Answer

Hi  BelronMajes . This is a great question but will require a bit of time to answer. 
Let me put a post together (will take a few days but I will get back with you on Wednesday)

-BB

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi BelronMajes,

Notes can be helpful, especially at the beginning of your prep, but  most  test takers won't be using that strategy by the time they take the actual GMAT. If you're facing time pressure, maybe you can take notes for long/difficult passages, but not for all passages?

You can also try some practice passages or tests with/without notes to check the impact on your accuracy and timing before taking a decision.

bb · Answer

Oh. I missed this point. Thank you Ajitesh for point it out. Let me think if I can read your mind - it probably went something like this: "Wait... I got a smart idea - I have this extra step that in my wisdom I think is useless and I can totally skip it...." In which case your mind should immediately wonder that if you were able to think of this idea in 5 minutes, why did the experts who wrote those strategy did not think of it. Were they really so bad? This should raise a big red flag in your mind

The biggest mistake I see among test-takers is when they assume these things are dumb and start value-engineering strategies. My comment to you would be - unless you are getting 705 on your practice tests, you should follow the strategies like a robot 🤖. Because the point of the notes is not to refer to them - it is a lot deeper than that and so I strongly argue against deviating from strategies (even if they sound not the way you would have done things) and that's because they were written by really smart people who have gotten really high scores and taught thousands of students. They work; they are tested and if you want one of those high scores, you will have to follow them. On the flip side, you are always welcome to develop your own methodology for 705 or 695 - that's always an option to blaze your own trail and always encouraged but few have been able to.

SarfrazAP · Answer

Is making notes a must for RC? Hardly. In my experience, it works for some and doesn’t work for others. So don’t feel compelled to do so.

I do suggest that students make a passage map (mentally). Basically, after every paragraph just summarize in one sentence what was the crux of that para. And pay attention to the connection between paragraphs because that’s where a lot of questions come from.

You haven’t mentioned anything about how you prepped for the test, especially for RC. I have often seen RC cop the blame unfairly when the problem lay elsewhere. For example, are you rushing through RC and spending too much time on CR? A quick glance at your performance analysis tells me that could be the case. A good way to figure out would be to try some passages untimed and check your accuracy on those.

And how many RC passages did you do as part of your prep? Most students don’t do enough RC practice because it’s "boring", but the only way to improve RC is through practice, practice and more practice. You want to do at least 100 passages – around 40 from the two OGs and another 60 from resources like GMATclub (or just PM me and I’ll send you an excellent resource).

Considering your score more broadly, I think you need to put in work in your Quant and DI sections as well. Why do you want to retake in a month? Don’t rush through the prep, unless you want to apply R3, which is in any case not a great idea.

You want to focus on quality and not on quantity. Do 3-4 passages on Day 1 and about 15 CR questions on Day 2 and keep alternating in this manner. You need to devote time to DI and Quant as well, remember.

Coming back to RC, once you are halfway through those 100 passages and if you still don’t see your performance improving, then you need to sit with a Private Tutor. And a good one. You need to do passages together, so the tutor can identify and fix things that you may be missing. You’ll find some good ones on GMATClub itself.

Good Luck!

bb · Answer

Hi BelronMajes . I got the post here: https://gmatclub.com/forum/how-to-impro ... 42361.html

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

I suggest that you thoroughly review your practice tests and practice sessions to identify the specific Verbal topics that are still giving you trouble (e.g., Inference CR questions and Main Idea RC questions). Then immerse yourself in all aspects of one topic at a time by answering a ton of questions related to that topic. For instance, let’s say you struggle with Assumption questions in CR. First, immerse yourself in all aspects (e.g., definitions, techniques, strategies, etc) of this topic, and then focus solely on answering Assumption questions. After each problem set, take the time to delve into your incorrect answers and what caused them. Did you fail to consider a key aspect of the argument? Did you fall for a trap answer? Did you misinterpret the given information or aspects of an answer choice? This kind of self-reflection is a powerful tool that allows you to understand your learning process and make significant improvements. By meticulously analyzing your mistakes, you will efficiently address your weaknesses and, consequently, enhance your GMAT CR skills. This process has been unequivocally proven to be effective. Assumption questions is just one example; be sure to follow this process for all Quant, Verbal, and DI topics. Also, check out these articles: How to Score High on GMAT Verbal on the Focus Edition GMAT Verbal Tips and Tricks for the Focus Edition: Top 10 GMAT-Club-Forum-44w0x9um.png

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