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franticinnewyork
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Panicking in NYC 23 Jun 2007, 19:33
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how do I relax myself and learn to have faith in my abilities when taking the GMATs? When I take practice tests, I freak out and then reviewing things, I cannot believe I got certain questions wrong.

Also, I am scoring REALLY low on the KAPLAN practice tests. I hear they are harder than the real thing. Which practice tests (websites/books) are closer to the REAL GMAT?

Thanks!
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bsd_lover
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Panicking in NYC 24 Jun 2007, 04:00
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Throw those Kaplan CATs in a rubbish bin. They are nowhere near ur real ability. The forums are full of people who got under 600 in Kaplan CAT , but ended up getting a 700+ score (including me).

Just look around for GMAT stories on the "share your gmat experience" board. There are several success stories and several examples of preparation methods there.

Good luck.

franticinnewyork
how do I relax myself and learn to have faith in my abilities when taking the GMATs? When I take practice tests, I freak out and then reviewing things, I cannot believe I got certain questions wrong.

Also, I am scoring REALLY low on the KAPLAN practice tests. I hear they are harder than the real thing. Which practice tests (websites/books) are closer to the REAL GMAT?

Thanks!
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CrazyHorse
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Panicking in NYC 24 Jun 2007, 09:42
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I agree, do different tests. I found GMATPrep and Princeton Review to be most accurate in terms of difficulty and scoring.

I think if you're well prepared, know your fundamentals, and take better tests, you won't panic as much. Do more practice questions, out of the Official Guide, and get really comfortable with the nature of the questions before you take more timed tests.
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baer
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Panicking in NYC 24 Jun 2007, 10:56
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bsd_lover
Throw those Kaplan CATs in a rubbish bin. They are nowhere near ur real ability.
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Seriously... the only two pieces of prep material you really need is the OG and GMAT Prep practice tests. Everything else you can learn on this website if you are having difficulty in one subject area.
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helpmeongmat
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Panicking in NYC 24 Jun 2007, 12:08
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Have faith dude, you'll be fine. When are you taking the test again?
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franticinnewyork
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Panicking in NYC 24 Jun 2007, 14:53
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Thank you all for your posts! I appreciate them!

I'm taking the test on Tuesday the 26th. I have only been practicing Kaplan.

Where are the other resources mentioned? Should I go to Barnes & Nobles or are they online? Thanks!
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franticinnewyork
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Panicking in NYC 05 Jul 2007, 18:29
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My score was horrible! I don't know why I cannot take this test! I know math, I know English, and I just cannot do it! It is SO sad.

The most interesting thing about everything:

I scored in the 37%-tile on the Analytical Writing section when I first took the GMAT a few years ago. I never studied for this section EXCEPT the night before I took it this time; and I did that by READING 3 sample Kaplan essays. So, I score a 5.5 out of 6 on my essay this time - 87%!!!

QUESTION: How can I score in the 87% on my essay and score in the 36%-tile on the verbal (multiple choice) questions? Obviously, I know ENGLISH!

Can anyone shed light or ease my mind.....

PS - thank you helpmeongmat for your kind post - MUCH APPRECIATED! I took the test on the 26th and was sad for the past week (and not spending any time on anything but tv and family!)
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CrazyHorse
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Panicking in NYC 05 Jul 2007, 18:59
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Well, if you only used Kaplan, then you weren't exposed to realistic verbal questions. Kaplan's good for math, but I wouldn't recommend it for verbal. Are you going to retake? I would retake if you can, and try Princeton Review. PR was the best for verbal among the materials I used.

Or you could try getting a tutor just for verbal, but I'd start with other materials first.

Sorry it didn't go well. My first attempt was a nightmare, and I went home severely depressed! You just gotta pick yourself up again and try again!
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Panicking in NYC 05 Jul 2007, 21:24
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franticinnewyork
My score was horrible! I don't know why I cannot take this test! I know math, I know English, and I just cannot do it! It is SO sad.

The most interesting thing about everything:

I scored in the 37%-tile on the Analytical Writing section when I first took the GMAT a few years ago. I never studied for this section EXCEPT the night before I took it this time; and I did that by READING 3 sample Kaplan essays. So, I score a 5.5 out of 6 on my essay this time - 87%!!!

QUESTION: How can I score in the 87% on my essay and score in the 36%-tile on the verbal (multiple choice) questions? Obviously, I know ENGLISH!

Can anyone shed light or ease my mind.....

PS - thank you helpmeongmat for your kind post - MUCH APPRECIATED! I took the test on the 26th and was sad for the past week (and not spending any time on anything but tv and family!)
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Hey Frantic,

I'm really sorry to hear about the score. The GMAT can be a heartbreaker for even the most confident and self-assured people. First step is just to recognize that your score on the test does not reflect you at all.

If you write out what you did to study, we can try to figure out what was missing and what holes you need to fill.

I'll echo what some others said. If you're just reading the Kaplan book, you may as well be taking it cold turkey.
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franticinnewyork
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Panicking in NYC 06 Jul 2007, 06:01
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Thank you all! I used the Kaplan books for most of my studying and 2 days before the exam used Barron's and another company's book (can't remember off the top of my head). I have now taken the exam twice and scored a 10 point difference. Shame :(

Does anyone have any insight on the analytical writing sample? Does scoring a 5.5 out of 6 (87%) actually say anything to schools - especially compared with the verbal score?
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