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Updated on: 26 Mar 2016, 13:26
Originally posted by gatorguy47 on 26 Mar 2016, 11:17.
Last edited by gatorguy47 on 26 Mar 2016, 13:26, edited 1 time in total.
Last edited by gatorguy47 on 26 Mar 2016, 13:26, edited 1 time in total.
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So I started studying last August, I just took my most recent CAT this morning, and I have only progressed 100 points; I went from a 560 to a 660. Far from my goal of a 750.
Quick background on me...I am a native speaker and I graduated with a degree in business from a moderately well-know school in the US (with a 3.67 gpa).
I really need some help, and I am not sure where/what to do. I would love any help you can throw my way, as what I am currently doing is not working. PLEASE DO NOT hold any punches! I want you to eviscerate my past methods so I can conquer this beast.
That being said, I want to note that I do enjoy studying for the GMAT and learning all of the new material.
I am open to anything. Tutors. Different study methods. Tweaks. Etc.
Initial to Now
First CAT (MBA.com): August 2015 - 560 (37Q, 29V)
MGMAT CAT1: January 2016 - 620 (40Q, 35V)
MGMAT CAT2: February 2016 - 650 (44Q, 35V)
MGMAT CAT3: March 2016 - 650 (44Q, 36V)
A detailed breakdown can be found on the attached PDF. As you can see, my Verbal and Quant scores have flat-lined, and when I break them out into their respective subcategories, my scores are all over the place.
My CAT results really surprise me because I am generally getting 75-95% of the questions correct in all of the OG books (OG 16, OG Quant 16, and OG Verbal 16), and that is me only doing the upper level problems.
Study Plan/Methods/Materials
I generally get into work about 2 hours early each day, and use that time to study. 3 days out of the week I stay after work for 1-2 hours; I'm generally not as fresh during those times, so I try to limit the after-work studying to review/practice problems. I study 5-7 hours each day on the weekend, but I break it up into blocks of no more than 2 hours each, and separate those by a couple of hours.
From August until November I read all of the MGMAT books. I took extensive notes on each (which I keep in a separate notebook to easyily review), and made flash cards for material I didn't know/needed a better handle on. I also did most of the problems in OG 16 that MGMAT recommended.
In November I enrolled in the empowerGMAT course, and completed just about every video/lesson/etc in it. I took MGMAT CAT2 after finishing the course (I got a 650). This really bummed me out as I thought the course was well put together and effectively prepped me for the CAT, but when I put pencil to paper I got little in the way of results.
I have read the Aristotle SC book, as well as the Powerscore CR Bible. (both seemed helpful, though didn't help my score much)
Since February, I have been keeping a detailed error log (on paper) that I try to review bi-weekly. I also create notecards for the problems I have difficulty with.
Things I've Noticed
My retention is non-existent (I used to be able to see/do something once and I was set for a while). All of my MGMAT CATs have taken no less than 6 hours each to review because I take the time to try and understand every part of the problem that I got wrong. This seems to be great idea in theory, but when I look at some of the problems I missed a week later, I have no idea how to do them. Sometimes I recognize the problem, but it is generally like I am seeing it for the first time.
The retention issue is not unique to the GMAT, I experience the same thing at work and at home. I will forget entire conversations, I generally forget that I've seen movies/TV shows (I can watch the first hour of a movie and have no idea that I've already seen it....sometimes I can anticipate that something is going to happen, but it feels more like deja vu), and I can research something at work for a couple of days and then I forget all about it (sometimes I forget that I researched it and sometimes I just forget the details of the data).
Any of you experience this? How did you break through this paper ceiling?
Conclusion
I could go on forever about all of the methods I've tried, but I want to know what you think I should do.
Should I just keep cranking out problem after problem?
How can I boost retention?
What other things do you need to know in order to really critique what I've been doing?
Quick background on me...I am a native speaker and I graduated with a degree in business from a moderately well-know school in the US (with a 3.67 gpa).
I really need some help, and I am not sure where/what to do. I would love any help you can throw my way, as what I am currently doing is not working. PLEASE DO NOT hold any punches! I want you to eviscerate my past methods so I can conquer this beast.
That being said, I want to note that I do enjoy studying for the GMAT and learning all of the new material.
I am open to anything. Tutors. Different study methods. Tweaks. Etc.
Initial to Now
First CAT (MBA.com): August 2015 - 560 (37Q, 29V)
MGMAT CAT1: January 2016 - 620 (40Q, 35V)
MGMAT CAT2: February 2016 - 650 (44Q, 35V)
MGMAT CAT3: March 2016 - 650 (44Q, 36V)
A detailed breakdown can be found on the attached PDF. As you can see, my Verbal and Quant scores have flat-lined, and when I break them out into their respective subcategories, my scores are all over the place.
My CAT results really surprise me because I am generally getting 75-95% of the questions correct in all of the OG books (OG 16, OG Quant 16, and OG Verbal 16), and that is me only doing the upper level problems.
Study Plan/Methods/Materials
I generally get into work about 2 hours early each day, and use that time to study. 3 days out of the week I stay after work for 1-2 hours; I'm generally not as fresh during those times, so I try to limit the after-work studying to review/practice problems. I study 5-7 hours each day on the weekend, but I break it up into blocks of no more than 2 hours each, and separate those by a couple of hours.
From August until November I read all of the MGMAT books. I took extensive notes on each (which I keep in a separate notebook to easyily review), and made flash cards for material I didn't know/needed a better handle on. I also did most of the problems in OG 16 that MGMAT recommended.
In November I enrolled in the empowerGMAT course, and completed just about every video/lesson/etc in it. I took MGMAT CAT2 after finishing the course (I got a 650). This really bummed me out as I thought the course was well put together and effectively prepped me for the CAT, but when I put pencil to paper I got little in the way of results.
I have read the Aristotle SC book, as well as the Powerscore CR Bible. (both seemed helpful, though didn't help my score much)
Since February, I have been keeping a detailed error log (on paper) that I try to review bi-weekly. I also create notecards for the problems I have difficulty with.
Things I've Noticed
My retention is non-existent (I used to be able to see/do something once and I was set for a while). All of my MGMAT CATs have taken no less than 6 hours each to review because I take the time to try and understand every part of the problem that I got wrong. This seems to be great idea in theory, but when I look at some of the problems I missed a week later, I have no idea how to do them. Sometimes I recognize the problem, but it is generally like I am seeing it for the first time.
The retention issue is not unique to the GMAT, I experience the same thing at work and at home. I will forget entire conversations, I generally forget that I've seen movies/TV shows (I can watch the first hour of a movie and have no idea that I've already seen it....sometimes I can anticipate that something is going to happen, but it feels more like deja vu), and I can research something at work for a couple of days and then I forget all about it (sometimes I forget that I researched it and sometimes I just forget the details of the data).
Any of you experience this? How did you break through this paper ceiling?
Conclusion
I could go on forever about all of the methods I've tried, but I want to know what you think I should do.
Should I just keep cranking out problem after problem?
How can I boost retention?
What other things do you need to know in order to really critique what I've been doing?
Attachments
File comment: MGMAT CAT breakdowns
CAT Reviews - Copy.pdf [345.75 KiB]
Downloaded 58 times
26 Mar 2016, 11:40
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Hi gatorguy47,
To start, for anyone else who's interested in the 'backstory', here it is:
just-passed-all-of-the-cfa-exams-now-need-help-w-gmat-starting-point-203403.html#p1559889
You've made some nice improvements so far, but some of the things that we discussed last year appear to have come true. The results from your last few CATs show that you've treated each in the same general ways - you do certain things consistently well, but you also make certain consistent mistakes. With your 'math' background, your Quant Scaled Scores are not surprising - you're likely doing quite well on the 'math' questions that you face on your CATs, but you're missing out on LOTS of 'strategy-based' points. Your next 'jump' in score will happen once you hone those Tactical skills.
Since your last few CATs have been from MGMAT, I suggest that you take a new FULL GMAC CAT (one of the free ones or one of the CATs from Exam Pack 1 or 2) and post back here with your results. That extra data will help to define if your 'issues' are consistent or if you might just be having issues with one brand of CAT.
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
To start, for anyone else who's interested in the 'backstory', here it is:
just-passed-all-of-the-cfa-exams-now-need-help-w-gmat-starting-point-203403.html#p1559889
You've made some nice improvements so far, but some of the things that we discussed last year appear to have come true. The results from your last few CATs show that you've treated each in the same general ways - you do certain things consistently well, but you also make certain consistent mistakes. With your 'math' background, your Quant Scaled Scores are not surprising - you're likely doing quite well on the 'math' questions that you face on your CATs, but you're missing out on LOTS of 'strategy-based' points. Your next 'jump' in score will happen once you hone those Tactical skills.
Since your last few CATs have been from MGMAT, I suggest that you take a new FULL GMAC CAT (one of the free ones or one of the CATs from Exam Pack 1 or 2) and post back here with your results. That extra data will help to define if your 'issues' are consistent or if you might just be having issues with one brand of CAT.
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
26 Mar 2016, 12:10
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hey Rich,
Thanks for the quick reply as well as the stellar empowerGMAT program, I feel like it really helped (although it frustratingly doesn't show on my scores).
I totally agree that I am leaving silly points on the table, and a lot of them are strategy based. The most frustrating piece is that my OG practice problem scores do not seem to correlate with my CAT scores.
In regards to the quant section, I have a lot of math concepts ingrained pretty deep on how I should complete and attempt them, and over-writing them is difficult. Empower is very tactically-intensive, which is a good thing, and the issue I had was not only being able to remember all of the different tactical pieces, but also, and more importantly, being able to use all of those pieces.
Obviously I need to improve both the quant and verbal sections, but how do you suggest I increase my ability to retain and recall all the info I need for a rock-star score?
Agree I need to take another CAT, but is there anything that jumps out at you when you look at my CAT breakdowns?
Thanks for the quick reply as well as the stellar empowerGMAT program, I feel like it really helped (although it frustratingly doesn't show on my scores).
I totally agree that I am leaving silly points on the table, and a lot of them are strategy based. The most frustrating piece is that my OG practice problem scores do not seem to correlate with my CAT scores.
In regards to the quant section, I have a lot of math concepts ingrained pretty deep on how I should complete and attempt them, and over-writing them is difficult. Empower is very tactically-intensive, which is a good thing, and the issue I had was not only being able to remember all of the different tactical pieces, but also, and more importantly, being able to use all of those pieces.
Obviously I need to improve both the quant and verbal sections, but how do you suggest I increase my ability to retain and recall all the info I need for a rock-star score?
Agree I need to take another CAT, but is there anything that jumps out at you when you look at my CAT breakdowns?
