How to use Error Logs during your preparation? https://gmatclub.com/forum/download/file.php?id=41755 Background I hear a lot many people struggling with the preparation. I was one of you few months ago. One common problem that I found in almost 90% of us is that we don't really know the importance of Error Logs during our preparation. Even if some of us know Error Logs are important, we don't really know how to use really use them. Today, I want to share my views on how important Error Logs are and how you should use them efficiently. Error Logs are critical and that's why we built an Error Log on GMAT Club . What is an Error Log? Simple definition - An error log is a tool that we use to track all our mistakes during our preparation and revisit them to learn and improve. If this tool is used effectively, it can do wonders, especially for those who are struggling and don't know how to improve. Few days ago, we (GMAT Club Team) implemented an inbuilt error log functionality, which can be fully utilized to follow all the strategies I am going to mention below. More details are here . How should I use it during my preparation? Tips from abhimahna ! Okay, enough of theory. Let's come to its practical use. I am going to share some key Error Log Strategies along with study plan that I used and some strategies that I suggested alot many people in the past one year. I have seen people improving their scores from 650s to 700s within just 2-3 weeks and yes, error logs played a very important role in their success. You need to understand that Error Logs are very very important than doing tons of questions. 1. Learn all the basic theoretical stuff either online on GMATClub or by joining any good course or maybe buying some books. 2. In addition, learn all the strategies of how to attack each type of question on GMAT, especially verbal questions. 3. Make sure you do some practice questions whenever you are learning any strategies. For example, if I learn how to attach a Bold Face question, I will do 5-10-15 boldfaced questions until I get comfortable applying the strategy I learned. 4. This way cover all the topics along with some practice questions within a month or so. Don't extend the timelines as this may lead to frustration. 5. Make sure you are tracking all the mistakes you were doing. All you have to do is to "Add Notes" against the questions that you got wrong or maybe got it right but took alot of time or maybe you got it right but not sure why the wrong answers were wrong. 6. Step 1-5 should be followed every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. 7. Now, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday should be utilized to revisit the error logs. 8. All you need to do is first attempt the questions that you did the entire week(only the ones where you added notes as per suggestion at Step 5) and then see which all mistakes did you repeat. 9. It may happen that this time you made a new mistake, keep a note of such questions. 10. Prepare flashcards to highlight the mistakes that you repeated the 2nd time and start revisiting those flashcards every morning such that those things should move from your conscious to unconscious. 11. Make sure while revisiting/doing any question you are following the strategies I mentioned at Step 3 here . 12. Focus on getting the accuracy first and then worry about timings. I have seen alot many people worry about timings but don't bother about accuracy. Rule is simple: You didn't start driving the car with the speed of 100 miles per hour, right? You must have increased your speed once you got comfortable driving it. 13. Sunday should be taken as a complete day off. No Study- Just relax and chill. 14. Once you feel you know every theoretical concept, start following the time based strategies - meaning make sets of questions and do everything in a single sitting. Very similar to a individual section Mock test. 15. Once timed sets are done, revisit all your mistakes, make notes and understand what went wrong. 16. Again start revisiting the error logs as I mentioned above and drill down what made you go wrong. 17. Enjoy the success! Tip: Go for Quality of study rather than Quantity. For example, If you do 100 SC questions, you MUST know 400 reasons of why those 400 answer choices were wrong rather than just understanding why those 100 answer choices were correct. If you do that, trust me you will see huge improvement in your score. Other resources While the error log format I used to improve from V21 to V40 was exactly the same we implemented on GMATClub, there are a large number of other formats available on the forum. But my point is whichever format you use during your preparation, use it as the MOST important component of your preparation. Analyse it, drill it and just eat it. Some of the resources are listed below: 1. Error Logs made by members - Format 1 with timer , Format 2 with timer and other collection . 2. Magoosh Suggested GMAT Companion . 3. GMAT Toolkit for Mobile Apps . Errors.png

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Importance of an Error Log

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jasonhammett

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I'm struggling with the preparation. Thanks for this useful post. Error log is a useful tool to track all our mistakes during our preparation and revisit them to learn and improve

Ari7

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Hello abhimahna,

Is there a way to add RC to my error log stats?

My error log stats wont show me my RC improvement charts. I could really use this tool. I cant find anything on the settings section either. Am I mission out on some info?

icebox612

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Thank you for this post. It is super helpful!

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It was very important. Especially to identify the weak areas.

Always marked them into 3 categories.

Content error
Silly mistake error
Too hard/guess

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Great Post am not using this before but now i will use it.

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Thank you for sharing.

I find it especially helpful that you partitioned your sessions into two parts. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to work and "collect" error log. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to review error log.

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I started the error log in google sheets about 2 weeks ago, and decided to re-try some questions. Unfortunately, I ended up not solving most of the questions that I did not solve in the first place... I do analyze questions in very detail and then try to solve at least few similar problems (thanks to gmatclub's search option).

Do you have any advice how to proceed?

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21 Apr 2019, 02:07

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Hi abhimahna

Thanks for your detailed, yet simple to follow post.

I'm in the phase in which I'm curtailing my inefficiencies/ weak points. So I've been through all the content, sat the GMAT before, etc.

Note, I have used gmatclub's in-built error log.

I have a few things I wanted to validate:
1. If I understand this correctly, I re-do questions I got incorrect. If I solve them correctly then cool, if not then I review that question and use an active learning technique e.g. flashcards/ feynman technique to master the content. This correct?
2. If i've exhausted the OG for a particular GMAT domain, for example Sentence Correction, then should I use GMATPrep questions on the forum or should i exhaust another question bank such as Magoosh (i have access)/ Manhattan / download more OG problems?
3. How frequently would you recommend practice exams during this phase?

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Thanks for sharing the thread with us.
An error log is a great tool for analyzing mistakes.

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02 Jul 2019, 11:53

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abhimahna

Tip: Go for Quality of study rather than Quantity.

So much yes to this! Very good job elaborating on how critical it is to keep and analyze an error log, abhimahna!

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29 Jul 2019, 10:44

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One thing that I'd want to emphasize is the importance of learning from your error log. Just having an error log in existence or looking at it once in a blue moon isn't sufficient. You need to make sure that you're regularly reviewing the information from your error log...

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Hey folks -

I've just started using the super helpful Error Log function/spreadsheet within GMATclub - does anyone know if say once you get a question wrong, then re-do it at a later date and get it right, does the error log update itself (as in, upon re-running it, would the question be classified as correct or incorrect)?

Thanks!

abhimahna

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Rony26

Hey Rony26 ,

Thank you! I tried testing your use case and found that Yes!! it will update the error log - meaning answer stats will change BUT the notes if you have added before won't be removed unless you manually remove them, which I think is good.

All the best

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This was a really helpful post. Thank you! I am going to be starting studying this month and will definitely be making use of an error log.

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expialadocious

Do we have to do something to activate the functions of the error log? my link leads to a blank error log without a function to begin adding items into my log.

The site automatically creates an error log when you answer questions.

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Thanks for sharing this -- it is immensely helpful during my preparations!

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What should be done even if you note it to your error log and still make the mistake?

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Thanks for this post. Will be adding to my prep strategy from here on!

abhimahna

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Muammer

What should be done even if you note it to your error log and still make the mistake?

Hey Muammer ,

Read line 6 in the 1st post of this thread!

"6. Step 1-5 should be followed every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday."

This will help you improve and understand why you did that kind of mistake.

Good luck

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I also suggest recording what happens the next time you see the concept repeated: if you are repeating this mistake or were able to successfully use a tool. this will help you see your progress and remind you of what needs to be learned.

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