760 (Q49, V45)

Thanks for the feedback, bepositive. I didn't do any of the LSAT CR's and RC's. They were definitely on my long list of study material that I just didn't have time to cover before my test. From what I've read on these forums, the LSAT CR's are pretty brutal and if you get used to answering those the GMAT CR's will feel like child's play. My final strategy was just to do as many full length CATs that I could get my hands on. Luckily, the 9 CATs that I had access to provided me with enough questions that I was able to make a drastic improvement on my final attempt.

I think what ultimately helped me the most was getting better at taking tests as a whole. While practicing individual parts (SC, CR, DC, etc.) is definitely necessary, people often take for granted the potential gain from putting all your pieces together to solve the puzzle.

u da Man!!

Thanks a bunch for your valuable advise....Good Luck!!

Cheers!
bepositive

Dude hope things going great guns at your end....

could you please advise on the kaplan CAT's...also can you suggest me a study plan.....i have one month exactly before i hit the d-day.....so can you suggest me some study plan that i could focus more on in order to maxmise the score.....please suggest!!

Warm Regards,

bepositive

Great come back brother

good luck for the applications

I have no experience with the Kaplan CATs. From what I've heard/read their scoring is a bit wacky. So, if you just utilize their test solely as practice and pay no attention to the score that pops out, I don't see why they couldn't be a good resource.

As for a study plan, I would suggest that you take the first 1-2 weeks and address your most glaring weaknesses. For example, if you're very weak with SC and DS, then work exclusively on those types of problems. Work on bolstering the basic concepts through practice problem repition and as you get stronger in those areas start to tackle higher level questions. Actively patrticipate on the GMAT Club math and verbal forums. Provide detailed answers to other people's questions and post questions that you cannot figure out. Look carefully at the answers others provide and most importantly understand the reasoning behind how others arrived at the correct answer.

Finally, for the last 2-3 weeks, concentrate on taking a lot of timed full length CATs. Cycle all your Kaplan, GMATPrep, and PowerPrep tests. The key for these few weeks is to improve two things: pacing and concentration. These CATs are designed to simulate the real GMAT. Utilize the real time nature of these softwares to train all the other factors that affect your testing experience. That way when you take the real GMAT, issues like pacing and focusing through the end of the test will seem like second nature. Keep in mind that reviewing and understanding the mistakes you make on these practice CATs is still very important. Also, keep participating in the GMAT Club math and verbal forums. The one thing that really calmed me down on test day was warming up with a few math and verbal questions before driving to the testing center.

Keep us posted on how your studies come along and eventually how you do on the real thing. If you have any questions, feel free to post. I'll try my best to answer them. Good luck!

Thanks buddy for your valuable advise......

Dude you talked about the princeton tests....are these tests the same as what one gets with the princeton book with a CD tests????....or they are different......

will surely update about my preparation for the exam and would be looking out for such valuable advise from all....

Cheers!

bepositive

hi

I have my gmat on 23rd june ..trying for it second time...
i am facing problem in english while taking full length CAT .
when i give sectional's i score good but while i am giving full length tests than i fall short of time and in hurry make questions wrong . could it be that while giving full length CAt , after giving maths i am little lazy and give more time per question in eng...what should i do?
am very much depressed due to my scores....its imp for me to get a good score this time ...

Awesome score! Excellent progress!

Your way of progressing from mid 600s to mid 700s is awesome. I will take maximum tips from your debrief to improve my score in the second attempt ( first is 630 Q47 V30).

When I practice in isolation, I do well in verbal with a success rate of about 85-90% on SC, CR, and RC. However, failing in the practice or actual exam to repeat that % ( I am scoring at the success rate of 50-60% in test). Probably, it has got something to do with pacing in the test. As you suggested, I will try to take as many practice tests as possible and see how I am progressing for each section of 10 questions.

Have you used the defect log? Was it helpful?

3rd time is a charm!

Way to nail it...

I don't think they are the same tests. When I signed up for the PR course I received a CD with additional tests that I somehow lost in my room and never found again. I remember the instructor specifically stating that the tests on the CD were different than those found in the online classroom.


Take more full length timed practice tests. From your assessment it appears that pacing and a breakdown in concentration are negatively impacting your test scores. By simulating practice CATs from start to finish a few times a week you will condition your brain to concentrate for 3+ hours at a time. It will be difficult at first but do whatever you can to finish the test. The more tests you finish the easier it will get. This way when it comes time to take the real GMAT, staying focused for 3-4 hours will not be a problem.


Yes, pacing is often overlooked by many test takers. If you practice enough to make the timing a non-issue it will very likely improve your score. The 10-question landmarks that I used are by no means a standard. It was just the best way I could think of to implement calibration points for my pacing. It's amazing how much a person's performance is affected when there's a clock ticking in the corner.

I did use an error log but moreso during the earlier portions of my preparations than the later. I found that an error log was a good way to pinpoint where my weaker areas were after a few solid days of practice problems. If you're detailed enough in your recording, an error log can also tell you specifically what types of questions within a certain area you are particularly weak with. For example, you may be weaker at SC problems but more specifically idioms within SC.

congrats.


i take this.

Thanks!....

bepositive