Need urgent help with GMAT Strategy

Question

Hi,

I have my GMAT scheduled for next week and I am having problems concentrating after an hour. My brain gets tired and I get zoned out while taking practice tests. This might lead to making silly errors during the test. Can you please guide me on what I can do best to avoid this? Since I don't have much time so, I need to improve on it asap.

Thanks

KarishmaB   GMATNinja   BillyZ   egmat   bb   ScottTargetTestPrep

KarishmaB · Answer

It's true for most people - they get tired after the first hour or so. 
Use your break between sections effectively. Wipe your face, drink a few sips of water (you don't want to rush to the loo in between the exam) and eat a quick light snack - a piece of fruit or a small sandwich. This will keep your energy up. 
In the middle of your section, if you are feeling very anxious such that the words on the screen are not making sense, stop and take a minute. Close your eyes, breathe deeply a few times and calm yourself. Then get back to the test. Even if you waste a minute doing this, you will save many mins subsequently by eliminating the need to re-read.

At the end of day, keep in mind that worst case, you can cancel the score if it is not up to the mark and re-take the test so take heart from that. Not everything depends on that one shot so no point tying yourself up in a knot. Your performance will be far better if you keep your cool.

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Figuring out when you're at your peak could be helpful. Perhaps you perform best in the afternoon, for example. Making sure you get enough sleep and, for the break during the test, already preparing what you'll eat/drink to refresh yourself could be helpful as well.

-contact: gmatknight site | gmatclub dm

-contact: gmatknight site | gmatclub dm

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ankitapugalia,

The process of taking (and reviewing) a CAT requires a significant amount of energy and effort - and takes time to 'recover' from. This is one of the reasons why you typically should not take more than 1 CAT per week - and your last CAT should be taken about 1 week before Test Day. If you've been taking lots of CATs/mocks recently, then you might inadvertently be 'burning out' - and if you've already taken the Official GMAT at least twice already, then you may simply be dealing with fatigue at this point. In these last few days, you should limit your studies to general practice and light review (NO CATs and NO 'cramming') - you would be better served by getting some extra rest so that you can go into Test Day calm, clear-headed and ready to work.

Before I can offer you any additional advice for your studies, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) On what dates did you take your 2 Official GMATs and how did you score on each (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?
2) How long have you studied in total? How many hours do you typically study each week?
3) What study materials have you used so far? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used?
4) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
5) What is your overall goal score?
6) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what went wrong on Test Day (and what you should work on to score higher). Since you purchased the ESR for at least one of your attempts, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Contact Rich at: [email protected]
www.empowergmat.com

SlimBees · Answer

Get adequate sleep to get your energy levels restored. All the best next week.

Posted from my mobile device

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi ankitapugalia,

I have a few helpful articles you can check out:

How to Eliminate GMAT Test-Day Anxiety

Improving Your Accuracy on the GMAT

Feel free to reach out with any questions.

bb · Answer

Well… I think it’s not uncommon to lose concentration and performance after about an hour so don’t freak out too much.

Is this something new that has started just recently? Have you run into this during your practice tests?

Posted from my mobile device

Krishnahelps · Answer

Yes  bb , I have run into it during practice tests. I gave official mock 1 and 5 and scored a 750(Q50 V41) and a 720(Q49 V38) respectively. Found RC passages quite tough in mock 5 and hence, my score dipped. I see that most of the SC questions were of medium difficulty in Mock 5 so, I am actually doubting the score.

Thanks

Krishnahelps · Answer

Hi, I ended up scoring a 640(Q48 V28) in the exam even though I was scoring a 720+ in GMAT prep mocks. I got dazzled in the first few questions in Verbal and I wasn't sure what to do. I was finding the first few questions tough. I have done everything well and I was scoring well on tests also. I am not sure what to do now. Its been 15 days and I do not feel like giving up yet but I am exhausted studying because I have been preparing for almost 3 years now. This was my 3rd attempt and still I have not been able to score a 700+. I really want to get into my dream B-school this year but how do I improve? I might have performed bad because of test anxiety. Please guide me  bb   KarishmaB   ScottTargetTestPrep   GMATNinja

KarishmaB · Answer

Sorry to hear about the unexpected score. Do you have your ESR? Please share if you do. Since you were scoring quite well during the practice tests, you may find it hard to figure out why Verbal did not go well. If your ESR shows weakness in a particular question type, then you know what to focus on.

Your ESR may show you a lower performance across the board. That may be a case of stress and anxiety taking your score down. I have known people (who were scoring very well in practice tests but failed to perform in the actual test) to improve their score by 80 - 100 points within a month by channeling their inner strength and optimism. GMAT is a test of not only your aptitude but your mental strength too. When you know that you know it all, then you do not get bogged down by temporary adversity. So, a question seems too hard or doesn't make sense - skip it and move on. Do not waste too much time on it. It may just be an experimental question for all you know. It may be too hard. It may not be perfect yet. Many things are possible. Put it out of your mind and focus on the next one. Do not obsess over it. Know that you know it all and just keep swimming!

Krishnahelps · Answer

Thank you  KarishmaB  .You are the best. I have exhausted all the OG questions and mocks. How do I go about it now?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ankitapugalia,

I'm sorry to hear that Test Day didn't go as well as planned. When these types of score drops occur, the two likely "causes" involve either something that was unrealistic during practice or something that was surprising (or not accounted for) on Test Day. Before we discuss any of those potential issues though, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) On what dates did you take your 3 Official GMATs and how did you score on each (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?
2) What type of study routine did you follow over the last 3 months? How many hours did you typically study each week?
3) What study materials have you used over the course of ALL of your studies? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used?
4) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
5) What is your overall goal score?
6) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

If you took your Official GMAT at a Test Center, then you might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what went wrong on Test Day (and what you should work on to score higher). If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Contact Rich at: [email protected]
www.empowergmat.com

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Have you checked out course reviews here on GMAT club to see what other materials to use?

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

If you purchased an Official-Guide (there are e-versions available of different guides on the MBA website), see whether it came with an online exclusive question bank you can activate/use. Might also be worth retaking Official-Mock 1 if it's been a while since you took it.

-contact: gmatknight site | gmatclub dm

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