How to improve Verbal test taking mental endurance?

Question

Hi all,

I have taken 2 CATs so far and got 640,620.

In the first case I got Q48; V30 and in the second Q45;V31

I didn’t necessarily have a timing problem nor did I feel bad / fret over missing tough questions but realised (much later after the CATs) that my brain is completely fried by the time I reach Question 18-20 in the Verbal section

I noticed that I start very strong and then just fall off a cliff in the middle/end. Because when I analysed my mistakes, I noticed that I missed questions cuz of careless mistakes / misreading / falling for answer traps

Any tips to build mental endurance for the GMAT Verbal section? Or should I just start with Verbal section first?

Definitely agree with suggestions out there on snacking during breaks, getting exercise, etc.

But any other specific pointers will be highly appreciated !

Thanks a ton!

Posted from my mobile device

AndrewN · Answer

Hello,  theirrationalmind . I would first recommend trying out a different section order. If your attention seems to flag toward the end of the exam, then such inattentiveness ought to strike regardless of which section you are working on; if it is a Verbal-specific tendency, then once again, the order of sections should not matter, and you will expose the real issue—maintaining engagement during the Verbal section. Increasing the bulk of Verbal questions in practice can help you build mental stamina. For example, I might see how many CR, SC, and RC questions I can get in a row up to preset limits, say 10, 20, and 20, respectively, so that I know I can go beyond what the test would even throw at me, or I might simply comb through the questions without knowing the answers. (The answers will not change whether I know them upfront or not, but my mental state as I am practicing may very well change based on performance feedback.)

I am also reminded of  an excellent debrief  by a peer of mine,  GMATCoachBen . In that debrief, he outlines a huge list of resources and discusses at length the mental fortitude that it takes to succeed at the highest of performance levels. I do not think I have read another debrief that delves as much into the psychological aspects of performance.

For my part, sometimes it helps to take my mind off the GMAT™. I know from tracking each of my practice sessions that I perform much better in the morning, when my head is clear. I also exercise regularly and tend to essential daily tasks to keep my mind in the moment. When I practice, I want to treat each question as a gift, not as a chore. I have an opportunity to learn something, or to learn to do something better, regardless of performance.

Perhaps this post will provide a few ideas to get you started. Perhaps Ben himself will respond and provide further insights. However you choose to go about your studies, good luck. Stop when the job is finished.

- Andrew

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi theirrationalmind,

Both a 640 and a 620 are solid performances - and your overall results are fairly similar to one another (meaning that the differences in your Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores likely come down to lucky/unlucky guesses and little mistakes - that you either made or did not make on individual sections). There are a variety of factors that can impact your performance, including the type of Exam that you're using, the time of day that you start the Exam, the testing conditions, how well-rested you are, the section-order, etc. Thus, the broader question of how to 'build endurance' might actually be more about putting yourself in the best overall testing conditions to perform at a high level throughout the Exam.

Before I can offer you any additional advice for your studies, 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? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used?
3) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks?

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score?
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

760+: What GMAT Assassins Do To Score at the Highest Levels

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

Contact Rich at: [email protected]

KarishmaB · Answer

It may not have much to do with the Verbal section. After a couple of hours of intense effort, the mind gets tired. It will be worse if you are at the 18th question of Quant when that happens. You can try switching the sections in a practice test but I suspect it will only worsen the situation. 
The need is to build mental stamina. Study, not in short bursts, but in long stretches of 2-3 hrs. Keep your phone aside for that time. It's ok if your mind gets tired. Train it slowly to pay attention for an elongated stretch. Yes, the common wisdom says that one should take a break every now and then but the test format is what it is for now. 
Also, regular wholesome diet and daily exercise will help.

theirrationalmind · Answer

All, thank you so much for your encouraging replies

Without further ado - I have enrolled myself on Calm meditation app to improve daily mindfulness and meditation (I think I definitely need this)

As a sports person myself (sort of), I have always been fascinated by the inferences from sports psychologists and performance coaches.

Having researched for countless hours on the GMAT and taken 2 CATs, I have concluded that the GMAT is actually a test of good behaviours and skills - patience, resilience, due diligence, care, focus, concentration among other things

While a lot of attention goes to “critical thinking / problem solving” skills , those skills are useless on the GMAT if you don’t read the question carefully or answer the wrong question after working out the problem (I’m guilty of this - on both my CATs towards the end of Quant sections - I worked out the overlapping set and algebra problem perfectly but answered the wrong question - still not over it lol)

Andrew - You’re right. The mental endurance problem extends beyond Verbal

Rich - let me answer your questions in a follow-on reply

Karishma - Yes, I definitely need to train myself sitting for 2 hours at a stretch.. but even then the GMAT verbal material is brutal!

Posted from my mobile device

theirrationalmind · Answer

Let me start with my goals so it's a bit easier that way

Goals: 4) What is your overall goal score? Definitely want that elite score.. 720 - 750 5) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to? I plan to apply in the year 2024. So, I want to make use of 2022 as much as possible to boost my GMAT score.. Target is Top 20 US Schools Studies: 1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week? I started studying from Aug / Sep 21. Initially I was averaging about 6-8 hours per week just going through initial materials on Quant and Verbal. I finished all study materials by Nov21 and started a round of revisions in Dec21. My work has also been pretty hectic. I thought my study sessions were good, but when I was revising concepts, I realized I fell short and that my study sessions (in hindsight) could have been much better (especially Verbal SC) 2) What study materials have you used so far? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used? Official guide materials only (2022); CAT 1 = OG Free Practice Exam 1; CAT 2 - Free Manhattan Prep Exam Study materials: Quant - Manhattan Prep "All the Quant" Strategy guide Verbal - Manhattan Prep "All the Verbal" CR - Realized that MPrep CR wasn't great so had to switch gears mid-way and went through the Powerscore CR bible - can honestly say it was superb - gave me a sound and logical process for thinking through each question type instead of just reasoning through brute force. SC - Again, realized later that my initial study sessions were not that great; So have been pouring through GMAT Ninja SC videos on Youtube.. they are superb and genuinely the best out there! Compared from CAT1 to CAT2 - my SC accuracy jumped from 50% to 71% RC - Realized that I was skimming through stuff in my first CAT (Got a 50% accuracy); Managed to practice active reading in CAT2 but my mind just couldn't process that RC passage which comes at the end - it was brutal lol As a habit / skill, I have started reading the New York Times for about 3-4 weeks now and it has made a remarkable difference to the way I read in general 3) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks? CAT1 - 19Dec2021 CAT2 - 8Jan2022 In terms of CAT performance (CAT1): I definitely had a timing problem in my first CAT - got stuck over some questions, didn't bail them soon enough; skimmed through questions on Verbal CAT2: Performance wise, it did "feel" better - took the decision early enough to bail the difficult Qs but made careless errors on Math. In Verbal, I felt really good on Sentence correction (all credit to GMAT Ninja YT videos). I completely bombed on CR questions - just couldn't handle the material after sometime (although I did feel like some of the Manhattan Prep CR questions could have had 2 answers)

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi theirrationalmind,

In addition to what has already been said above, I would suggest you to find a study time that suits you. Some students feel focused and concentrated during the morning. While others find themselves very sleepy in the morning and energised at night. It all comes down to concentration. Whenever you can concentrate better, is the right time for you. And try to take the mocks as well as the exam in the best suited time slot as you mind will be trained to work in order at that particular time slot. Another suggestion would be to walk in with a plan – When you have a plan in mind about how to tackle the exam, you will see an instant rise in your concentration. Following a plan will make you a lot more focused. Choosing the right section order forms part of such plan. You may find this video helpful:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y91wP81hYF0

Coming to your Verbal score, it clearly indicates there are many conceptual gaps and you may need to start from scratch, revisit the concepts and get a clear understanding of them before you solve the questions. Verbal questions on GMAT are very tricky. Let me help you with the right way to approach your Verbal Prep.

How to Ace your Verbal Prep?  
For GMAT Verbal, it is very important that you follow the  right methodology  and the  logical approach . Your focus has to be on eliminating four incorrect choices rather than choosing the right one. The key is to develop a solid understanding of the concepts that are typically tested on the GMAT and master the process skills that are required to solve GMAT questions. Only then, you will be able to smartly avoid the traps set by the test makers.
Before you start learning, it's important to understand what is actually tested using the questions. Each module in Verbal (SC, CR and RC) has to be approached in a different way. For example, before you start learning the concepts of SC, you need to understand that SC questions on GMAT test your ability to convey the right meaning without any ambiguity. So, it's important to approach them from a meaning stand-point. You might have often come across answer choices which are both grammatically correct and convey a logical meaning but are indeed incorrect because they do not convey the intended meaning. So, the process to approach SC questions is to:
• Comprehend the original meaning of the sentence
• Identify errors if any (both grammatical and meaning wise)
• Eliminate answer choices which either are grammatically incorrect or do not convey the intended meaning

You can go through the link below to understand the process in a better way:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SGA8bwFNJM

Also, improving in SC alone won’t fetch you the desired score. You need to prepare for RC and CR as well in a structured and efficient manner. You have to follow a methodical and systematic approach while solving the questions in order to work on your accuracy and increase your score. For example,
• In CR, you have to understand the argument, identify the premise and the conclusion and then pre-think the answer before looking at the solutions.
• In RC, you need to have the right reading strategies to understand the inferences which are not directly stated in the passage.

I’d recommend you to  follow this order for the verbal part - SC->CR->RC . The reason for this is very specific. Each question type on the GMAT is testing a specific skill. SC tests your comprehension skills. CR tests comprehension & analytical skills. Finally, RC builds on the previous two skills and also tests your ability to be able to grasp the central point of the passage i.e. Your inferential skills. Thus, when you learn in this order, it's much more effective.

Hope it helps!

Feel free to reach out in case of any queries.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi theirrationalmind,

So we could start to rule out your exact issues here, would you be able to take a practice exam right away when completing the verbal section first? If your verbal score improves, and your quant score stays relatively the same, then I think we have our answer regarding what is happening with you.

vv65 · Answer

You're very right Therationalmind.
The GMAT is also a test of the type of rational thinking and problem solving that you seem to be applying.

The advice you have already received is all very good.
Here's another suggestion that you could consider: take a small break every now and then.
Take a Small Break means that you switch off for perhaps 10-15 seconds. Close your eyes, put your head down on the desk or cover your eyes with your hand, and clear your mind. It can work very well.

The other point is that regular mental workouts will help increase mental stamina. As a sportsman, you probably know this. The only effort needed is to be regular and to stick to good habits (Speaking from experience, as someone who did the Couch-to-5k program at the advanced age of 50+)

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EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi theirrationalmind, I've sent you a PM with some notes and additional questions. GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made, Rich Contact Rich at: Rich.C@empowergmat.com

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