I suck at math! :(

I am kind of in the same boat -_- The thing is I think I am pretty decent at math and also work in a quant field. Any advice would be appreciated.

The strategy you are following is fine but the mock scores show a clear lack of understanding of fundamentals and also not knowing some of the concepts tested on the GMAT.

I would recommend you to not give the mock CATs not until you have completed all the fundamentals.

When you solve questions from OG, what is your correct percentage.
Also, is there any other material from which you are practising quants?

To move ahead, i would recommend you to revisit the lessons. Once you have done so, solve all the problems that you have got wrong.
Going forward, make an error log and keep a track of all the questions that you have got wrong.

Hio Silviax

we all suck at math till we don't get a small command over it.

Math's is a subject that can give us an instant confidence and take away the confidence equally instantly and the Only thing on which this depends is the accuracy in the practice drill or may be a test.

To gain the confidence at Maths, Step 1 is to FACE THE FEAR (if any) i.e. try solving some questions

If sitting alone with Maths looks boring or disheartening then find a company who can help you can either help you or who can walk the road with you.

Or get the help of some expert who can be your friend and partner during the learning process.

Being a Trainer for longer than a decade and having faced the FEAR once myself I know how difficult this journey can be and how much easy can a company make.

Start with the easiest thing, Make some targets to attain, Start from easy topics and proceed with discipline.

Math's is really interesting if you can relate it with the real life experiences in which you can apply them or see it getting applied (subconsciously).

Try out a few toturs who can help you with this before you totally give up.

All the best!!!

Here's one thing to think about: saying that you suck at math is counterproductive, both to the goal of getting better at math, and to the goal of acing the GMAT. There's been some research lately in learning science that describes the difference between a 'fixed' mindset and a 'growth' mindset. 'Fixed' refers to thinking that math is an inherent skill that you can be good at or bad at, and that relies mostly on innate talent; 'growth' refers to thinking that math skills are learned via hard work and reflection, exactly like any other skill. Some reading material: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/ar ... th/280914/

Of course, mindset alone isn't enough to improve - for that I recommend getting a copy of MPrep's Foundations of Math book. (Obviously I'm going to recommend our products, but I honestly think that FoM is a spectacular book and I recommend it specifically to about 80% of my own students.) But mindset is necessary; without it, you're unlikely to get anywhere. Start telling yourself that you aren't good at math 'yet'

Great thread! I have the same problem. However, I have begun to do Khans Academy and it has been very helpful. As others have mentioned, it would help to begin from the beginning (Pre-Algebra) if you have to. I would love a study partner. Anyone interested? Email me - LeonBasin@gmail.com.

Seems like you are starting on your GMAT prep. Looking for a partner is a good way to keep yourself motivated.
You might get a better response if you post your query here: gmat-study-groups-4/
Keep the following things in mind during you preparation:

1. Understand the concepts and fundamentals before jumping into problem solving
2. Solve full length CATs including AWA and IR. You can get two free GMAT Prep mock CATs and can purchase two more from mba.com
3. Make sure you solve the official questions from the Official Guide
4. Make sure you follow a preparatory course. It may be a book, online course or tutoring. But make sure that you go through the concepts first
5. You need 3 - 4 months to prepare for the GMAT.

I have the "foundation of math" book and I think it's an excellent book, very well explained. That's why I am just baffled by my situation. I really understand the basic concepts, but once I get to taking a series of questions or an entire CATS I somehow can't apply my knowledge.
The problem is that the GMAT doesn't ask to factor an expression or something with simple instructions. It's all tied into a much bigger problem that has to be solved and I am having a hard time identifying what I need to do for these problems.

I have looked at Kahns academy and will probably start watching their videos on all the OG problems. I have also watched a few "Thursday with Ron" videos and think he does a good job at explaining things as well. I actually think I learned a thing or two from Ron that I was able to apply later on during problem solving.

The key to learning Math is understanding all formulas, theorems, etc..without it you won't be able to pull it off..and you can practice Math by solving online tests for example here https://iim-cat-questions-answers.2iim.com/ or https://yourhomeworkhelp.org/math-tests/ probably these may be too easy but these are a good start for a person who isn't good at Math..also you can upload some cool Math apps..take a look at this thread https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best ... ath-skills I think you'll find something interesting there..good luck

Linda

Hi Silviax,

It seems like your basic maths skills are weak, apart from some parts that you are confident with.
​Even if you study basic maths and there is no improvement, please study based on the principles of Slow, Hand, Detail.
That is, solve questions slowly, writing down with hand all the process of solutions in detail.
When you watch a course video, you might think you would understand everything. However, once you actually try solving questions on your own, you could easily forget.

Also, in order to strengthen your basic math skills, we would like to let you know about free sources you can utilise.
we highly recommend for you to follow the instructions below:
​ - study 30 pages of Math Review of Official Guide
​ - under Free Video Lesson on our website​ (www.mathrevolution.com), ​you can also watch "Must-Know Basics of Math" and "Must-Know Math Formulas" to build ​ - the basic knowledge of math. If you want to refresh your memory or if you think you have not been exposed to math for many years, please study them first ​ before beginning our paid courses.
​ - Then, please study GMAT Prep Free Software on www.MBA.com.

After studying basics, you would feel more confident in dealing with math study. In addition, we would like to recommend for you to try our online course, which is for especially non-engineers. You try Trial Pack (4 hour lesson) that reveal our secret approaches of DS+PS core theory that you have never seen. You can test whether you like them.
​In our paid course, we also provide an additional workbook to build your basic math. ​

From our course, you will learn our unique approaches of Variable approach for DS and IVY approach for PS, you can significantly save time, and will have 10 minutes to spare on exam. For instance, with our approaches, you can solve questions that normally take 4 minutes in 1 minutes and 30 seconds, and 2-minute question in 30 seconds.
You can solve DS questions 100% with Variable approach and 30-40% of PS questions with IVY approach.

Lastly, geometry is not that important for MBA, not only geometry, but also other chapters either.
However, the reason these types of questions are given is that MBA requires mathematical knowledge and also to differentiate score ranges.
In general, a geometry question is given in one question, and sometimes two. Since this type of geometry questions are given in advanced questions, we would like to highly recommend for you to study it if you aim at hitting 49 or above. If your target score is 45, we recommend for you to just focus on the KEY questions(Integer, statistics, probability, inequality, absolute value), rather than geometry.

Come visit our website for further information!
www.mathrevolution.com

Happy Studying!

Jin
Math Revolution