Sonal2410 wrote:
I have been preparing for past 2 months but it has all been in vain, I recently took 1 GMAT official practice test and score 590 (Q43, V28). I have almost finished the
OG and have been doing the online version of it, timing myself, however, I am unable to score well in mocks. When I analyze my test, I can see that some questions were purely due to silly mistakes, and in most cases I am unable to apply logic. In verbal, I panic and am unable to concentrate. I don't know what material to follow or how to proceed from here. Need urgent help.
Hi Sonal2410,
Let me share my thoughts here.
Official guide is a good collection of Questions, so definitely it is a very good book for practising questions, but it shouldn't be your starting point for preparation. Let me explain why
When it comes to scoring well on GMAT, a student has to go through 3 skill levels
Skill Level 1 (the easiest one) - Having a strong grasp over concepts
This is the most fundamental aspect and hence needs to be done first. The
OG won't do a good job at this because it just touches upon the concepts tested on GMAT and hence isn't enough. Remember that this skill level will only take you to a 550-600 kind of a level on GMAT. For a higher score, you need to move to Skill Level 2. Let's see what it is.
Skill Level 2 (the most ignored one) - Learning a methodical approach
Most students jump from concepts to directly solving questions without realizing that GMAT requires them to be methodical and logical. Hence, it is important that you learn the right method to solve various questions. For example, in order to solve 2 linear simultaneous equations, you need to start by equating a set of co-efficient and then eliminating that variable and so on. Now, video lessons alone won't help you to develop a methodical approach. You need to have a structured resource that follows a consistent approach and focuses a lot on teaching it. Sadly, such resources are scarce. If you develop a methodical approach, your score will be in the vicinity of the 650-720 mark.
Skill Level 3 (commonly focused one) - Working on Gaps/weaknesses
Another thing that most students follow but they do so before even working on Skill Level 2. Ideally you need to maintain an
error log to ensure you keep track of your weak areas and work on them as and when needed.
Skill 3 is mostly where the
OG fits perfectly. I hope this post helps and gives you some perspective about effective preparation.
You can check out how Akshay improved his score from 540 to 710 while working full time and got an admit from ESADE to get some success tips from his journey:
Feel free to connect if you have any questions your preparation. I will be happy to help
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28 Apr 2022, 07:27
