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GMAT in two weeks and MOCK CATs results are variable !! Please guide

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MedhaAcharya
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GMAT in two weeks and MOCK CATs results are variable !! Please guide [#permalink] New post   08 Mar 2021, 23:43
Hello all,
I am planning to take my GMAT on 25th March 2021. I have been studying on and off for the last year and seriously started preparation in January. Following are my CAT result:
GMAT PREP 1 (31 JAN) : 710 ->Q49, V in 30s
Veritas free test (7 FEB ) : 640 -> don't remember
MGMAT 1 (14 FEB) : 680 ->Q47, V36
MGMAT 2 (6 MAR) : 660 ->Q44, V36
MGMAT 3 (7 MAR) : 620 ->Q40, V35

I gave last two CATs simultaneously as I wanted to cover up for the missed one in last feb week. I have 3 more MGMAT and 1 Free GMATPREP left to give before 25th. I am concerned about why my scores are dipping. How should I assess my preparation level and how to check whether the scores will align with my actual test score. Also, I feel if Quant is getting tougher and tougher as I proceed in MGMAT CATs. In last test, I was at Q45 till 21st question and I was short on time with 7~8 minutes left for remaining questions. Any timing strategy regarding Quant section will help. Thank you guys in advance. I will really appreciate any help
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Re: GMAT in two weeks and MOCK CATs results are variable !! Please guide [#permalink] New post   09 Mar 2021, 02:34
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MedhaAcharya wrote:
Hello all,
I am planning to take my GMAT on 25th March 2021. I have been studying on and off for the last year and seriously started preparation in January. Following are my CAT result:
GMAT PREP 1 (31 JAN) : 710 ->Q49, V in 30s
Veritas free test (7 FEB ) : 640 -> don't remember
MGMAT 1 (14 FEB) : 680 ->Q47, V36
MGMAT 2 (6 MAR) : 660 ->Q44, V36
MGMAT 3 (7 MAR) : 620 ->Q40, V35

I gave last two CATs simultaneously as I wanted to cover up for the missed one in last feb week. I have 3 more MGMAT and 1 Free GMATPREP left to give before 25th. I am concerned about why my scores are dipping. How should I assess my preparation level and how to check whether the scores will align with my actual test score. Also, I feel if Quant is getting tougher and tougher as I proceed in MGMAT CATs. In last test, I was at Q45 till 21st question and I was short on time with 7~8 minutes left for remaining questions. Any timing strategy regarding Quant section will help. Thank you guys in advance. I will really appreciate any help


Hi MedhaAcharya,

I think the official mocks will give the best predictability of your score. The Quant section of Manhattan mocks is on a bit tougher side. So, why don't you take another official mock and check your score? That will give you a realistic idea and based on that you can plan your studies for the next two weeks.
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Re: GMAT in two weeks and MOCK CATs results are variable !! Please guide [#permalink] New post   09 Mar 2021, 04:21
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Hello MedhaAcharya,

GMAT club is one of the great platforms to get information about the GMAT official test, Study plan, Section wise instructions, and many more.

You are recommended to visit various posts and utilize this forum in the best efficient way.

A score of 600-620 in the diagnostic test tells the entire story about how well prepared you are for the GMAT official test and how to change the gear now to meet the target score in reality.

With my GMAT tutoring, guidance, and counseling experience, we have to accept the fact with a pinch of salt that diagnostic/ mock test scores are above then what one should expect in a real test. There is often a dropping in the score. Some students have even experienced a drop of 100 pointers. It is one of the realities, and your preparation should not sideline this fact.

A couple of things that can be a noticeable barrier to your scores would be some or all of the below.

• Inefficiency by using time-consuming Conventional method to tackle DS and PS questions still
• No expert support (maybe) who can tutor, analyze, and guide you during your learning especially on hard level questions while stably hitting middle-level questions.
• Lack of many updated questions and practice in the recent exam trend
• Not well aligned with time to solve questions.

Time is precious and unstoppable at the same time. To increase the current score by 100 pointers in less than 2 weeks, follow the following steps:

1. Below are the two useful links we will recommend you to visit on GMAT club to experience the power of DS and IVY approaches:

Ultimate Q51 guide: https://gmatclub.com/forum/the-ultimate ... l#p1613600
Breakdown of GMAT math questions and types: https://gmatclub.com/forum/overview-of- ... l#p1641411

2. Take our free diagnostic test https://www.mathrevolution.com/diagnostic/dtExamMember and receive a comprehensive study guide by topic. This test will clearly help you understand your weak areas. You can also connect with our expert one-to-one for a comprehensive counseling session https://calendly.com/mathrevolution/1-on-1-session to understand the score better. There are also many free materials available in GMAT Club.

3. Forget the conventional way to solve DS and PS questions and learn the Variable Approach for DS and the IVY approach for PS questions.

4. Register with Math Revolution to get access to our 7-day full on-demand course (27 topics, 490 subtopics, and 1,500 questions) for free trial lessons. 700+ level questions are separately available, too. Start with the learning of the concepts. Make a habit of taking notes during initial learning of the concepts.

5. Also, make a note of various possible combinations to achieve your target score. The possible scores will help you track your performance after taking the mock or practice test. It will also help you maintain balance in both the sections, and you will always be in a great position to allot the study hours to a specific area accordingly.

6. Take Regular tests as it will reflect the positive change in the score, and hence, your confidence will boost up. Gradually, with the help of mock tests, you will be able to compete with time and therefore, will be able to learn time-management.

We appreciate your time and patience in reading this reply.

Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@mathrevolution.com

Success is within your reach.
Good luck!

Punit Joshi
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Re: GMAT in two weeks and MOCK CATs results are variable !! Please guide [#permalink] New post   09 Mar 2021, 04:49
Hello, I appreciate you guys taking time to answer my queries. However, I am more concerned about not being able to finish test even if I am answering most answers correctly initially. In GMAT PREP free test, I didn't face this kind of rush as I feel during MGMAT CATs. Also, I am skeptical that if I take another GMAT PREP mock, scores may be inflated as some of the questions are here on the forum and I have encountered such situations during all my CATs where 2-3 familiar questions were present.
I came across GMAT advanced questions for verbal now and I am taking more time in them around 20 sec more for 3/4 questions but accuracy level is good so I am not that worried. Still, I have heard that Verbal tends to be tougher than any of the CATs and quant is also getting tougher although not like MGMAT but still tougher than GMAT PREP mocks, which kind of places me in a pickle again. Any thoughts on this?
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Re: GMAT in two weeks and MOCK CATs results are variable !! Please guide [#permalink] New post   09 Mar 2021, 22:04
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Hi MedhaAcharya,

The MGMAT CATs/mocks are generally regarded as being a little tougher than the Official GMAT, so seeing slightly lower Scores on those CATs isn't necessarily a 'bad' thing. That having been said, there are a variety of factors that can impact your performance during a practice CAT, so we'll eventually need to discuss those details.

In addition, 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 shouldn't take more than 1 CAT per week - and your last CAT should be taken about 1 week before Test Day. By taking two CATs on back-to-back days, there's a reasonable chance that you were too tired on March 7th to perform at your best. By extension, with a March 25th Test Date, you shouldn't plan on taking more than 2 or 3 additional CATs before then.

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) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) Over the last year, did you take any other CATs/mocks? 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:
4) What is your overall goal score?
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

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Re: GMAT in two weeks and MOCK CATs results are variable !! Please guide [#permalink] New post   09 Mar 2021, 22:35
Thank you for taking time to answer my query EMPOWERgmatRichC :)

Below are the answers for your questions:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week? --> since January, I am studying at an average of 4 hours on a weekday and around 6~7 hours on weekend, if I am not giving any CAT. I missed out my prep on the last week of February due to unavoidable reasons .

2) What study materials have you used so far? --> I have completed official guides, Manhattan SC and I use GMAT club resources for practice.

3) Over the last year, did you take any other CATs/mocks? 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)? ---> I have mentioned my MOCK CAT details in my original post.

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score? --> I want to score 700+
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to? --> I have not decided anything about this phase yet.
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Re: GMAT in two weeks and MOCK CATs results are variable !! Please guide [#permalink] New post   09 Mar 2021, 23:35
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Hi MedhaAcharya,

To start, you have to be careful about confusing "quantity" of study with "quality" of study. I've never asked anyone to study 30+ hours a week - and while it's great that you might have the available time to study that much, with that number of study hours, you would run the risk of 'burning out' before Test Day (and that is something that we want to avoid). If you are going to try to study that much, then I suggest that you take one hour "off" for every two hours of study. For example, you could study for 2 hours, then stop for an hour, then study for another 2 hours, then take an hour off, etc.

GMAC has publicly stated that the Official Score that you earn on Test Day is within +/- 30 points of actual ability. Assuming a similar 'swing' in how your CATs function, most of your CAT score results show that you essentially performed the same each time (about 650 +/- a few points). You handle certain aspects of the GMAT consistently well, but you also make certain consistent mistakes. The reason I asked if you had taken any additional CATs earlier-on in your studies is because if you took the free GMAT CAT1 before taking it this past January (and/or saw any of the questions before - for example, in the forums at GMATClub), then that 710 could be an 'inflated' result.

At this point, you likely know the 'content' of the GMAT well-enough, but the GMAT is not a 'memory test' - it's a 'critical thinking test' that measures you on a variety of different skills besides your knowledge. If you haven't honed all of those skills, then you might need more than another 2 weeks before you will be able to consistently score 700+. Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam, so you CAN train to score at a higher level. In addition, you don't appear to be facing any immediate application deadlines, so if you wanted to push back this Test Date, then that wouldn't be an issue (and you could potentially save some time, money and frustration by doing so).

"Review" is an exceptionally important part of the GMAT training process; your ability to define WHY you're getting questions wrong is essential to defining the areas that you need to work on (and the specific things that you need to 'fix'). As such, I'd like to know a bit more about your last CAT. While a full Mistake Tracker would provide a lot more information, there are some basic questions that you should be able to answer (and the more EXACT you can be with your answers, the better):

After reviewing each section of this recent CAT, how many questions did you get wrong....
1) Because of a silly/little mistake?
2) Because there was some math/verbal that you just could not remember how to do?
3) Because the question was too hard?
4) Because you were low on time and had to guess?
5) How many Verbal questions did you 'narrow down to 2 choices' but still get wrong?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
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Re: GMAT in two weeks and MOCK CATs results are variable !! Please guide [#permalink] New post   10 Mar 2021, 22:59
MedhaAcharya wrote:
Hello, I appreciate you guys taking time to answer my queries. However, I am more concerned about not being able to finish test even if I am answering most answers correctly initially. In GMAT PREP free test, I didn't face this kind of rush as I feel during MGMAT CATs. Also, I am skeptical that if I take another GMAT PREP mock, scores may be inflated as some of the questions are here on the forum and I have encountered such situations during all my CATs where 2-3 familiar questions were present.
I came across GMAT advanced questions for verbal now and I am taking more time in them around 20 sec more for 3/4 questions but accuracy level is good so I am not that worried. Still, I have heard that Verbal tends to be tougher than any of the CATs and quant is also getting tougher although not like MGMAT but still tougher than GMAT PREP mocks, which kind of places me in a pickle again. Any thoughts on this?



Hi MedhaAcharya,

If you use the right methods to solve questions, you won't be facing time crunch during the end of the test. If you are not able to finish the test, it probably means that you are spending more than the average time for a few questions. Even though you are getting them right, the methods you are using might not be the best ones as they are not helping you get the answer under optimum time.

And do not worry about the difficulty level of the actual test. Instead, focus on the process of solving questions. Once you get better at that, your performance will automatically improve. You can reach out to me if you need any help with the GMAT prep. All the best!
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Re: GMAT in two weeks and MOCK CATs results are variable !! Please guide [#permalink] New post   10 Mar 2021, 23:41
Hello, I took my second GMATPREP CAT today, and results are as follows:
740(Q50, V40)
I was able to finish both sections on time with 2 mins in quant and 1 min in verbal to spare. For quant, the questions seemed very straight forward as compared to MGMAT quant. Also, I got some pre seen questions in quant after 21 questions. I encountered 4~5 questions in quant that were done by me and I remembered the solution but I anyways did them for timer count. In verbal, I did encountered some pre seen question around 2~3 but I didn't remembered anything hence did them from scratch.Please guide how should I steer my practice sessions now.

Hello EMPOWERGmatRichC, the answer to questions you had asked about detailed assessment report are as follows:

After reviewing each section of this recent CAT, how many questions did you get wrong....

1) Because of a silly/little mistake?----> I mistakenly assumed some things in quant like a variable is an integer or positive, stuff like that.

2) Because there was some math/verbal that you just could not remember how to do?--> yes, I have identified those areas.

3) Because the question was too hard?---> Some questions were too hard to be solved within time limit

4) Because you were low on time and had to guess?----> Last 10 questions, I solved halfway and then guessed, resulting in almost all wrong. How to address this dilemma which questions to solve and which to completely skip?

5) How many Verbal questions did you 'narrow down to 2 choices' but still get wrong?---> around half of the wrong ones.

Hello vamshikaithi, thanks for your valuable feedback. "If you are not able to finish the test, it probably means that you are spending more than the average time for a few questions. Even though you are getting them right, the methods you are using might not be the best ones as they are not helping you get the answer under optimum time" ---> yes!!!! I also feel while reviewing that this question might have been solved by another method in a much less time. Problem is when I see a question and I don't figure out a way to solve it within say 20~30 sec, the mind runs towards brute force which is hogging all my time. How to address the questions smartly in such a situation when you don't see a way to proceed within 1 min?
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Re: GMAT in two weeks and MOCK CATs results are variable !! Please guide [#permalink] New post   11 Mar 2021, 03:22
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I also feel while reviewing that this question might have been solved by another method in a much less time. Problem is when I see a question and I don't figure out a way to solve it within say 20~30 sec, the mind runs towards brute force which is hogging all my time. How to address the questions smartly in such a situation when you don't see a way to proceed within 1 min?


If that's the case, then there are certain gaps with respect to application skills. Generally, you should be able to come up with a decision on seeing a question whether you will be able to solve it under 2 minutes or not. If you wish to take more than 2 minutes for any question, you have to be confident enough that you can get the right answer at the end of it. This decision making skill is very important and you will become better at this only when you are good with the methodology part.

I'm not sure if you have focused on methodology till now. But if you haven't, make sure to include it in your prep. Analyze the solutions of the questions you solve. Understand where you are making the mistake and nullify the gaps.
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Re: GMAT in two weeks and MOCK CATs results are variable !! Please guide [#permalink] New post   11 Mar 2021, 20:58
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Hi MedhaAcharya,

I've sent you a PM with some additional notes.

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Re: GMAT in two weeks and MOCK CATs results are variable !! Please guide [#permalink] New post   11 Mar 2021, 22:38
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Quote:
Problem is when I see a question and I don't figure out a way to solve it within say 20~30 sec, the mind runs towards brute force which is hogging all my time. How to address the questions smartly in such a situation when you don't see a way to proceed within 1 min?


If you are struggling to pace yourself on the test, then it might be due to the lack of consistent methodology or the wrong test taking strategy. If it's the test taking strategy, then please go through the below recording to understand a few test taking strategies that will help you pace yourself better.



But if you are not able to come up with the right method on seeing a question, then it's most probably because of gaps in your application skills. I would suggest you to focus on nullifying them in the first place and then practice questions. Spend ample time on analyzing solutions. I can only suggest you so much based on the information you have given here. I can help you in a better way if you can provide me a little more information about your GMAT prep and your weak areas.

You can use the below link to get in touch with me.

Click here to schedule a call
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Re: GMAT in two weeks and MOCK CATs results are variable !! Please guide [#permalink]
11 Mar 2021, 22:38

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