How to study for resit / attempt #2

Question

I have been studying for the GMAT for the last 3 months and I bombed my first attempt at the GMAT exam (510). All my mock exams gave me a score between 575-600 but I was so nervous and stressed on the day of the exam itself. Does anyone have any recommendations for how to study for the next few weeks? I am reattempting the exam in mid/late Feb. I don't struggle with the content but I struggle with my timing (I can spend up to 4 minutes on one question which I still get right but it drags down my overall score) and I get so nervous during the exam.

Archit3110 · Answer

Review the error log and question performance chart work on weakness accordingly

flippedeclipse · Answer

Timing strategy is part of the GMAT, don’t stress it! You won’t be able to solve every question and that’s okay. First, make sure your fundamentals are solid. Then do timed practice and get comfortable skipping questions that are going to take too long.

My suggestion for breaking the habit of over-investing: during practice, once you hit the 3 minute mark, force yourself to skip. Even if you’re two steps away from solving, just skip it. Bring that time down to 2 minutes.

Your final form: train yourself to read the stem, see if you can figure out the path to solve the question in 30 sec - if not, bookmark, skip, and come back if you have time.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Understanding and addressing your weaker areas is crucial to improving your timing on test day. The more comfortable you become with the material, the faster you'll be able to navigate questions. Given this, be sure to always take the time to review your practice tests and practice sessions thoroughly. Understanding where you lost time and why will prevent you from repeating the same mistakes and help you become more efficient. With patience and persistence, you'll see your timing improve.

Quant: When it comes to time management in the Quant section, it's important to know when to give up on a question. Remember, your goal is to strive for excellence, not perfection. Some additional tips include:

- Don’t overinvest time on the first few questions 
 - Don’t randomly guess on questions to catch up on time 
 - Leave enough time to answer every question on GMAT Quant 
 - Develop an internal clock to help with pacing

You can find additional tips here:   Timing Strategies For a Higher GMAT Quant Score  
 Verbal: Here are some tips to help you get faster at answering GMAT Verbal questions:

- Develop strong GMAT verbal skills by *practicing untimed.* 
 - Eliminate inefficiencies in how you handle questions 
 - Read more carefully 
 - Reduce note-taking 
 - Avoid pre-thinking with critical reasoning questions 
 - Don’t get bogged down in the details of reading comprehension passages

More here:  
 -  How to Get Faster at GMAT Focus Verbal: Top 6 Tips  
 -  GMAT Verbal Tips and Tricks for the Focus Edition: Top 10

Data Insights: Also, while answering DI questions, here are some general time-saving strategies to keep in mind:

- Skim the given information to understand the type of information provided. Don’t get bogged down in the details. Just get a sense of what the data is conveying.  
 - Use the answer choices to your advantage. In many cases, the answer choices will be so spread apart that you can quickly answer the question through approximation rather than precise calculations. 
 - Use process of elimination when possible. Narrow down choices by identifying clear inconsistencies or irrelevant options in the data. 
 - Stay organized. Jot down quick notes or calculations to keep track of information to avoid rereading the same data multiple times. 
 - Prioritize quick decision-making. If a question seems too time-consuming, it’s better to make an educated guess and move on rather than get stuck. Developing this type of decision-making mindset will help you better navigate the section.

For more information, check out these articles:  
 -  How to Prepare for GMAT Data Insights  
 -  Data Insights Timing Strategy

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi optiopossimus,

Did you get a 515 on your first attempt? As you pointed out, spending 4 minutes on a single question can be risky (unless it involves reading something like an RC passage). You could look into setting up time markers to help you get back on track.

optiopossimus · Answer

Yes, I got 515 in my first attempt. I was so nervous during the exam and for some questions, I didn't realise I spent 4 minutes.

AjiteshArun · Answer

Yes, that can happen. That's why time markers can help. Just make sure you take a few practice tests to get a feel for this. The more you practice, the easier it'll be for you to implement during the actual test.

RetaketheGMAT · Answer

Time management on the GMAT requires a combination of test taking skills that all play together to improve your timing:

1) Following consistent processes
Like fully processing the prompt information and looking for patterns in the answer choices in quant BEFORE trying to answer the question. Or narrowing the argument down to approx 10 works in critical reasoning again BEFORE answering the question. Those are just examples. The reason why consistent process is critical is because the correct process aligns your approach to the WAY the GMAT tests you. If you answer like you would on a normal test, you'll fall into the reasoning traps the GMAT sets, and then waste huge amounts of time on a single question.

2) Always having an educated guessing strategy. 
This one often surprises clients when I share it with them. Here's an example to show why it's important. If, while you're doing your initial analysis of the information in the prompt of a quant question, you find something that rules out 3 of the answer choices right away, then you should immediately note that and cross of those answers. It's because you never know when you're going to suddenly hit a wall on a question. By using the narrowing of choices approach, you set yourself up to guess if you have to within the timeframe of the questions (2-2.5 minutes) and still have a 50/50 shot of getting it right.

During testing simulation, where we coach you live while you're taking a practice exams, we've noticed that lots of test takers have trouble letting go and going back to answer choice elimination when they feel they should be getting the answer. That psychological battle if often what blows timing for a lot of test takers. By eliminating as you go, you setup the guess if it suddenly becomes the only option.

3) Letting go of questions
We spend a lot of time changing test takers mindset about how to get a great GMAT score. Unless you are trying to get to the 99th percentile (which is unnecessary for most programs), you can get a few questions wrong in each section. What's important is which questions you get wrong and in what sequence. The first couple of questions are important to tell the algorithm you're capable of a solid score, but after that, the key is not getting easy/medium questions wrong and then avoiding getting multiple questions wrong in a row. So you can let go of a question (using the smart guessing / elimination approach above) and still get a great score in each section.

Hope this helps.

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How to study for resit / attempt #2

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