Stagnant Verbal HELP

Question

Hello,

I have been studying for 8 months and recently received a Q48 and V28 (630). Despite relentlessly studying, creating notes, making flash cards, and finishing the TTP course (18 hours per week for 8 months) I have had no increase in my verbal score. I have now shifted away from TTP and have focused on the OG but still clearly need verbal guidance as i can only get about 65% of medium verbal questions correct and 30% of Hard verbal questions correct. I am starting to fall apart mentally and don't know what to do. I'm starting to feel as if every evening when i dedicate hours to studying I am not improving, and very likely going backwards due to forgetting my quant.

Any guidance would help
Chris

Saransh123 · Answer

In short you are saying that you scored 630 with only preparing from TTP?

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Chris3 · Answer

TTP and OG. But yes, 7 month dedication to a deep dive into TTP, going above and beyond simply reading the lessons and answering questions. I was reading lessons, Rereading lessons, taking notes, reviewing notes, making flash cards, reviewing flash cards, ect...

Posted from my mobile device

Posted from my mobile device

Hatakekakashi · Answer

Have you tried creating a study plan? ever analysed your mistakes?

EducationAisle · Answer

How much were you getting in official mocks? Is it possible that exam day was just one bad day?

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi Chris,

The key to scoring well on GMAT is to do your prep in the right way. If your score has been stagnant, it probably means that you are not doing the prep in the right way. GMAT is not a typical test in which just the conceptual knowledge is tested. It tests your application skills along with the conceptual knowledge. So, without learning the right methodology to solve questions, no matter how many questions you practice, your score will most likely remain stagnant. Make sure to focus more on the methodology during your preparation.

The right way to prepare for GMAT: 
You can go through the articles below to understand the right way to prepare for GMAT.

How to start your GMAT Preparation?

How to effectively plan your studies for GMAT?

The 3 key skills you need to develop to score well on GMAT

I would suggest you to choose a resource which can help you with:

Concepts 
 Methodology (Most important) 
 Standard questions 
 Their detailed solutions 
 Study plan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sD35ZuGgD4

The best thing to do would be to check out the free trials of the online courses out there and choose the one which suits you the most. But make sure you choose the one which can help you with the above factors. You can check out the below article to know more about the factors to consider while evaluating an online course.

Key factors to consider while evaluating an online course

And I would suggest you to check out the free trial of GMATWhiz before taking a decision.  You can attend our free webinar series that we are currently running to learn a few strategies that will help you solve questions in a methodical way . You can register for the webinar series using the below link.

Registration Link:   Click here

If you have any more queries regarding the study strategy, you can get in touch with me using the below link.

Click here to schedule a call

egmat · Answer

Hi Chris3 , I understand that it can be difficult to not get the expected results despite putting in a lot of effort. GMAT is not an easy test. From your post it seems to me that you did spend quite some time on conceptual understanding of the topics, did you spend any time solving questions and reviewing where you falter? Your scores in OG quizzes clearly indicate gaps in application process. Your 60%+ score in Medium questions tells me that you know the concepts in general but are struggling with applying a consistent process on questions. You also lack clear understanding of deeper nuances. If I were you, I would review the questions I have solved so far to identify where and why am I making the mistakes and then work on those. OG is not meant for developing the skill but only to test your skills so once you identify your weaknesses, find the resources that will help you get there. Having a structured preparation plan can make all the difference. I am sharing stories of 3 students who once were at the same score as you and managed to go to a 700+ score. I hope these motivate you to continue working towards your target GMAT score. 1. Lieu (630 - 740) 2. Anastasia (640 - 740) 3. Vandita (V26 to V38) If you would like to talk to our experts to discuss about your preparation, please feel free to reach out to us from here or support@e-gmat.com. Regards, Aditee

Chris3 · Answer

I agree, I believe a do have a generally good understanding of the concepts but am failing to apply them. In SC, I lack a workflow to go through when I see the question. A workflow such as the following: Find the subjects, verbs, modifiers, structures, tense, moods, ect... I get overwhelmed trying to randomly remember all my learnings instead of performing a strict method to each question. I am currently teaching myself the concepts again but will try to develop a workflow that I can apply to each question.

Chris3 · Answer

And regarding the above questions, yes, I actively keep an error log and review it. I also review every question I get wrong. The problem is I feel as if every question is different and i don't see the same error twice. However i know this cannot be so since there is only a finite number of concepts. The application of these concepts just seems very broad from where I am sitting.

egmat · Answer

Hi  Chris3 ,

That's great! Now that you know the specific problem that you are facing, you can now work towards overcoming it. And as it happens we have just what you need. I think you will benefit a great deal from the 3 step process for SC. I invite you to create a  free trial account on e-gmat.com  and then take an ability quiz on Verbal Scholaranium. As you review the solutions after the quiz, you will experience first-hand the 3 step process that we recommend for SC. It will give you a framework to approach SC questions.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Aditee

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Chris3,

I responded to your post in the other thread, but I wanted to make sure it didn't get lost/buried, so I'm pasting the text here in your personal thread.

To start, since you are interested in some highly-competitive Schools, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. Those Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement (and the more time you have to potentially improve your overall profile, the better - meaning that the earlier you discuss your plans with an Admissions Expert, the greater the potential benefits could be). There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/

If you've taken just these 2 CATs - and you took them 2 weeks apart - then it's not surprising that the results are so similar (re: you haven't had much time to improve in-between and without any other CAT Scores to use as a basis for comparison, we don't know how long you've actually been performing at this level). It's possible that you developed some 'bad habits' over the months of study that are keeping you from scoring higher - and we'll need to fix those bad habits (and ultimately replace them with new 'good habits') before you'll be able to score at a consistently higher level. Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam, so you CAN train to score at a higher level - and you've got plenty of time before the Round 1 application deadlines later on this year.

1) What is your overall Goal Score?
2) Are you planning to take the At-home GMAT or are you planning to take your GMAT at a Test Facility?
3) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?

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

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Chris.

Keep the faith. The more practice and review you do, the better you'll get. After a while, you'll wonder what was so difficult.

This post may help as well.  How to Score High in GMAT Verbal

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