just took GMAT monday july 14th - weird experience : Share GMAT Experience

goldsjo · 2003-07-14T16:46:13-07:00

i took the test today and was completely surprised. i had taken probably 10 practice tests and never really had any trouble with the math section. the math on the real test today was definitely much harder than any practice test i had ever seen. it really threw me off because normally on most practice tests i was able to focus more of my efforts on the verbal. there were a few questions on the math section that i couldn't even do if you gave me 3 hours to finish it - i simply had no idea where the problem was coming from. when i had finished the math section and began the verbal, i was kinda surprised to see that questions 2-5 and 6-8 on the verbal were reading comp. the people at kaplan said that reading comp wouldn't kick in until maybe question 7 or 8. although this threw me off, i think (obviously i am not sure) that these passages were not very difficult. there were several times when i felt like throwing in the towel because i assumed that i had blown the math section, and my verbal was always worse than the math, but i just kept with it. when i got my score i was shocked to find that i was able to pull of a 650. normally i would be just satisfied with the results, but considering how hard the math was i was estatic. i really think that no review could have prepared me for some of the questions that were asked on the math. i am wondering if anyone else feels the same. please respond.

JP

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14 Jul 2003, 22:24

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Was the math ever straightforward (e.g., first couple questions) or was it a struggle from the beginning?

Shail

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14 Jul 2003, 23:41

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Hi there,
Did u find the quest in actual test tougher than the toughest ones in Kaplan CD...were the quest after first 10 equally tough?..a post in this forum says that easy quest start coming after first 10-20 quest.whats yr opinion?what were yr Kaplan CD quant scaled scores??

SERGEI

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15 Jul 2003, 01:27

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I had just the same feeling about 3 weeks ago when I finished my GMAT with the score of 640. I had been totally thrown off by math and as a result didn't put enough effort in the verbal. As a result (46,31), I do not think this result fits my desired one but I'm a little bit uncertain about whether I can do it better next time in August.

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15 Jul 2003, 07:47

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Goldsjo,

Congrats on the 650 - that's still a great score. Can you offer more insight into why the math was so hard? Was it a specific category of questions (e.g. perm/combinations, stats), new content or just difficult wording?

I'm taking my GMAT on Saturday and would appreciate any insight you may have!

Thanks
Jess

goldsjo

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16 Jul 2003, 13:36

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does anyone else find that pop up thing to be extremely annoying. i've been on this site for less than 10 minutes now, and i've got almost 30 of those pop up windows. why don't they get rid of that?

Curly05

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16 Jul 2003, 14:34

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Welcome OnBoard! :-D

I do find what you remember from probability not so accurate. If Joe were to sit in a seat, the seats are all different. That is sitting in AB is different from sitting in BA.

Did it feel like the PowerPrep- remember we did see some difficult questions there too. DS should be from what I heard.

VT

Curly05

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17 Jul 2003, 11:17

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Remember, it is similar to your OG problems and the GRE has plenty like that to. It often involves seeing what goes into the number, etc.

Testing some logic here that's all

Hope that helps

arun

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17 Jul 2003, 12:56

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has anyone tried the probability question:

i got 24 ways as answer.

boarderlee

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17 Jul 2003, 20:06

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Goldsjo,

I had a similar experience and same type of questions on the GMAT that I took (7-3). On math #3, I have the same combination problem. I spent too much time on it. I figured it out later after the test what the answer should be-24 (but not sure if that was one of the answers). There were a few long problems that I think have wording problems. It seemed there wasnt' any solution. I ran out of time during Math and did poorly on Verbal. Same sequence on RC for my verbal. I think it started with a SC, and then #3 was RC.

I am taking it again in August. It seems like the test format is similar. We should all share our experience and help each other fight this test! Good job on your 650! Are you taking it again??

boarderlee

Dmitry

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17 Jul 2003, 23:52

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boarderlee

Goldsjo,

I had a similar experience and same type of questions on the GMAT that I took (7-3). On math #3, I have the same combination problem. I spent too much time on it. I figured it out later after the test what the answer should be-24 (but not sure if that was one of the answers). There were a few long problems that I think have wording problems. It seemed there wasnt' any solution. I ran out of time during Math and did poorly on Verbal. Same sequence on RC for my verbal. I think it started with a SC, and then #3 was RC.

I am taking it again in August. It seems like the test format is similar. We should all share our experience and help each other fight this test! Good job on your 650! Are you taking it again??

boarderlee

Do not agree that the answer is 24.
Answer is 60 = 3! x (1+2+3+4)

Dmitry

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17 Jul 2003, 23:56

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pmarkgabe

That probability problem is how ETS feeds off your nervousness. It is actually an easy probability question if you do not panic and read it carefully and work through the answer.

Put Joe in the first spot followed by Marry.

How many different ways can you fill three spot with three people.
3x2x1 or 6

Now move Joe and Mary down on spot to the second and third spots.
You still have three open spots with three people to fill them.
3x2x1 or 6

Joe can only be in front of Mary four ways. Therefore, there are 4x6 different combinations for Joe to be in front of Mary.

You must relax and work through the problems logically.

Anyway, congrats on the 650. It sounds like you might have learned a lesson and will do even better if you take the test again.

see my previous post

Joe have to be in front of Mary doesn't mean that they have to be close to each other it is ok if:

x J x M x or J X X X M

Agree?

mciatto

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18 Jul 2003, 10:29

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I agree with Dmitry above.

The way I thought about it was there are 3! possible arrangements for every acceptable arrangement of J and M. There are 10 (4+3+2+1) acceptable arrangements of J and M, so 3! x 10 = 60

AkamaiBrah

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18 Jul 2003, 11:14

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Dmitry

boarderlee

Goldsjo,

I had a similar experience and same type of questions on the GMAT that I took (7-3). On math #3, I have the same combination problem. I spent too much time on it. I figured it out later after the test what the answer should be-24 (but not sure if that was one of the answers). There were a few long problems that I think have wording problems. It seemed there wasnt' any solution. I ran out of time during Math and did poorly on Verbal. Same sequence on RC for my verbal. I think it started with a SC, and then #3 was RC.

I am taking it again in August. It seems like the test format is similar. We should all share our experience and help each other fight this test! Good job on your 650! Are you taking it again??

boarderlee

Do not agree that the answer is 24.
Answer is 60 = 3! x (1+2+3+4)

Yes, the answer is 60, but there is a much faster way to solve this problem if you think logically.

There are 5! = 120 ways to arrange 5 people.
Since there is no difference between Joe and Mary, by symmetry, each must be in front of the other the same amount of times. So, just divide it in half and you get 60.

pmarkgabe

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18 Jul 2003, 13:17

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Yes you guys are correct. I did not take into account that there are 10 ways not four ways for Joe to be in front of Mary. You see, not only will nervousness get you on the GMAT but carelessness will also.

s007r

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18 Jul 2003, 19:59

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I agree that the correct answer is 60

boarderlee

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20 Jul 2003, 23:40

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If I recall correctly, 60 was one of the answers. I think the choices were like:120, 90, 60, 30, (15)

No wonder I don't remember 24 being one of them. Man, I am still careless after the test but I think I guessed 60 on the test!

Lucky

Curly05

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21 Jul 2003, 20:35

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Where the god hell did you go godsjo, everyone is relying on your face.

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just took GMAT monday july 14th - weird experience

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