I'm starting a little journal here to keep track of my progress GMAT Goal: 50+ Q, 45+ V, GMAT 770+ My GPA is ridiculously low (2.8), which in actuality is a great GPA from my program & school (joint computer science/ combinatorics&optimization), but still need to do better Plus GMAT is fun (hah). So I've done a few tests. I did a Kaplan once, and got 600, about 3 months ago, and felt like a huge idiot, so I've been doing some studying here and there. Here are some tests I've done so far: GMAT Paper Tests: #28 - 730 (50Q,41V) #31 - 690 (48Q,36V) #37 - 700 (49Q,38V) #42 - 650 (48Q,34V) #52 - 720 (49Q,39V) #55 - 770 (51Q,45V) (after studying SC) These are the most recent CAT tests I've done: GMATPrep2: 740 (47Q,45V), 12 Q wrong, 5 V wrong. GMATPrep1: 750 (49Q,42V), 10 Q wrong, 8 V wrong. PowerPrep1: 740 (46Q,46V), 7Q wrong, 6V wrong (3RC,2SC,1CR). (Note - I kept running out of time at the end for Quant, so I have to improve my speed). Books completed: GMAT for Dummies (good introduction) Kaplan (OK - good tricks, good for beginners) Barrons (useless, terrible answers) McGraw Hill (good intermediate book, some mistakes in the questions) Analysis: Verbal is good, can always improve more. Have to increase my mental endurance, I usually space out during RC's and can't make sense of anything in the ridiculously hard passages! Quantitative is good, I just overthink questions and spend too much time trying to solve them in complicated ways, when there are much easier ways to do questions. I have to do a lot of Quant questions to increase my speed in order to lock in a 50+ Q.

I suggest a race between you and me, in SC 1000. :D I've reached Question 250 already. Last 3 days I was swimming in SC and get a bit fed up with SC. Anyway if you are interested in this SC1000 race, let me know. 205 , 207, 214, 220, 222, 224, 226, 227 , 228. 70%. Terrible. 231-250 233 , 236, 240, 242, 243, 245 , 247. So it's 65%!!!! I'm getting worse? No. I did 250-300 last night. 253, 254, 256, 279, 289, 294, 295. :D 86%. I'm gonna bring it up up up... Come on Startup...

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StartupAddict's GMAT Journal

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StartupAddict

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15 Sep 2007, 17:46

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SC1000

200-230

Got 205, 211, 219, 220, 222, 224, 226,227 wrong

Got 73%, 28 mins, <60s /q , grrrrr my accuracy has gone down, Haven't done any studying in 2 weeks. Gotta get back up to 90%

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15 Sep 2007, 20:30

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yup..i get into a lull as well..gotta keep up the momentum..

StartupAddict

SC1000

200-230

Got 205, 211, 219, 220, 222, 224, 226,227 wrong

Got 73%, 28 mins, <60s /q , grrrrr my accuracy has gone down, Haven't done any studying in 2 weeks. Gotta get back up to 90%

solidcolor

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15 Sep 2007, 21:11

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Ahhh funny. I'm working on SC1000 too. I did the first 120 question yesterday (plus 100 SC in OG10). A bit crazy, but I have to, coz SC is killing me.

I made a lot of mistakes (8/50, 15/50), esp. at the end of the day when I was tired and a bit spaced-out... But I learned a lot from those mistakes. I spent quite a lot of time searching in forum discussions for those questions I got wrong.

Definitely my basic knowledge is pretty bad, but I'll build it up.

Thanks Startup, your journal is very inspiring. Keep up with it. I wish you all the best.

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16 Sep 2007, 20:34

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Thanks guys. I did some more SC today, 231-250

Got 233,235,239, 244,245 wrong, so 75%, @ 60s/q

ARghhhh

I have to study more, lulls suck =P My brain isn't in GMAT mode anymore..... lesson learned, never take time off GMAT studying :D

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Updated on: 17 Sep 2007, 18:48

Originally posted by solidcolor on 17 Sep 2007, 00:37.
Last edited by solidcolor on 17 Sep 2007, 18:48, edited 1 time in total.

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I suggest a race between you and me, in SC 1000. :D I've reached Question 250 already. Last 3 days I was swimming in SC and get a bit fed up with SC. Anyway if you are interested in this SC1000 race, let me know.

StartupAddict

SC1000

200-230

Got 205, 211, 219, 220, 222, 224, 226,227 wrong

Got 73%, 28 mins, <60s /q , grrrrr my accuracy has gone down, Haven't done any studying in 2 weeks. Gotta get back up to 90%

205, 207, 214, 220, 222, 224, 226, 227, 228.

70%. Terrible.

StartupAddict

231-250

Got 233,235,239, 244,245 wrong, so 75%,

231-250

233, 236, 240, 242, 243, 245, 247. So it's 65%!!!!

I'm getting worse? No. I did 250-300 last night.

253, 254, 256, 279, 289, 294, 295. :D 86%. I'm gonna bring it up up up...

Come on Startup...

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18 Sep 2007, 08:04

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i would suggest stick with OG...

SC1000 can have debatable answers..

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22 Sep 2007, 18:17

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hah ok

I used to be a god, 90%+ on SC
but then I had some other **** come up in life and I haven't had much time to study.. I probably won't write gmat for 1-2 months now but I'm still going to keep fresh... I can get back to where I was in 2 weeks no problem.

I did 300-330 today

Got 300, 302,309, 316, 317, 318, 320 wrong, 77%

24 mins, 48s/q

gotta get up to 30s/q & 90% arghhhhh

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24 Sep 2007, 18:58

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SC1000 #331-350

332(D),349(B) wrong.

332 was weird, an era in which...... I thought 'when', because an era refers to a time frame. But an era is imaginary, so in which is correct... tricky!

349 I disagree with, I think it's B, not A. Slaves considered 'as' his property is proper imo. Consider X as Y etc.. and it's shorter than A.

18/20 - 90%, 45s/q

OG10 CR, #101 - 120, 19/19 - 100%, 81s/q

These ones were OK, I think I saw about 5 repeats, I haven't done CR in like a month, my brain is f*cked, I have to get into GMAT mode. I'm planning on writing GMAT within 2 weeks now

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29 Sep 2007, 17:37

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Yesterday's SC1000

351-370: 17/20 (353,369,370). 85% 45s/q

Today's SC1000

371-420: 38/50 (371,374,379,381,383,385,389,391,398,401,403,419). 76%, 50s/q

421-445: 21/25 (433,434,440,441). 84%, 45s/q

I'm getting pissed off with SC1000. There are no f*cking explanations and I disagree with over half the OA's. OG SC was pretty good - I got up to getting over 90% and I never disagreed with the OA's. Ah well..... more practise

I'm going to do some more CR now

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30 Sep 2007, 17:32

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SC 446-465 - 17/20 - 85%, 45s/q. Got 448,449,450 wrong, although that was my bad. Those were tricky, and I remember the orbitting star question from somewhere, although I remember picking the shorter one but it turned out to be wrong, but in SC1k it was the other way..... maybe my memory is bad.

Anyways some CR time and I'm going to do a powerprep tonight to get the brain working again.

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30 Sep 2007, 18:00

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OG10 CR 140-155
16/16, 100%, 93s/q , saw one repeat.

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30 Sep 2007, 20:37

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PowerPrep 2 I think (or 1, forget)
770, 50Q (2 wrong), 47V (5 wrong - 4 RC, 1 SC).

Did Math in 50 mins, Verbal in 60 mins

Not bad, apparently I can think in 'GMAT' mode now without realizing it, I'm starting to 'feel' answers again

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01 Oct 2007, 17:23

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SC1000 466-485: 18/20, 90%, 45s/q. Got 474,484 wrong

OG10 CR 156-180: 24/25, 96%. Got 178 wrong - tricky. Saw 3 repeats so really 21/22 - 95%.

May do GMATPrep1 today again to stimulate some mental activity

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02 Oct 2007, 18:25

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GMATPrep1: 50Q,44V - 6 & 6 wrong. I got 4 SC wrong on verbal, 1 CR and 1 RC.

I don't remember GMP1 being so impossible, wtf. The math was freaking brutual. I got one question wrong because I added wrong lol (15 + 8 = 24... oh yeah).

I can't believe I got so many SC wrong. I violated the golden rule - if it's short, and doesn't look wrong, pick the shortest one :-[

I have to review more tomorrow and try GMATPrep2 again. I saw maybe a total of 5 repeats throughout the whole exam today, and I got some of those wrong so hah.

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03 Oct 2007, 18:29

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GMATprep2

Q 49
V 45

760

9Q wrong, 7V. Jesus christ, I have 0 mental stamina. I start off strong and get the first 15 wrong then nothing makes sense, how do I work on stamina?????????????????????????????????????

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03 Oct 2007, 18:33

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Also I have a undergrad degree in CS & Combinatorics & Optimization...... how the hell do I do so bad on Math. 9 wrong?? WHen I'm sitting there calm and not under time, I can do problems in my head NO problem, 95%+ accuracy. But when I'm rushing through it I get mentally raped. Here's another thing: By the time you get to Verbal, if you did well on Math (49,50,51) they start throwing the verbal bombs at you, like you get the impossible verbal questions which rape you even harder.

Anyways another thing I noticed about GMATprep is they probably use a question database of 1000+ questions, because I rarely see repeats. Actually some of the paragraphs I see over in Verbal, but I get most of mine wrong there heh. I do better on fresh passages because I don't bother reading old ones because I *think* I remember what it was about but nope...

Any tips on increasing mental stamina??????????????? I want to break into 770-790 territory

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03 Oct 2007, 18:35

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as punishment for f*cking up in math im doing 100 DS and 100 PS tomorrow

reviewing:

chords
venn diagrams
combinatorial questions (i have a degree in it but i can't do basic ****)

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03 Oct 2007, 18:37

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hey man, great journal.

When you started studying, how did you go about it ? Were you just pounding through questions ?

If so, how many of each type were you doing per day ?

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04 Oct 2007, 18:29

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Thanks, yah, just do a billion questions. One thing I realized is the books are useless for getting 700+. They can teach you the basics, but you have to learn everything inside out to get a super high score.

OG10 PS 240 - 295 : 54/55, 99%, <60s/q, saw one repeat. Got one fill-in-the-symbol multiplication thing wrong.

The PS aren't even hard, I do most in 10-15s........ they're so boring..... but yet I get some wrong on the CAT test argh.

Going to review mistakes on GMATPrep2 now and do some DS

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04 Oct 2007, 19:46

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I agree. THe books helped me get started, but they only go so far.

Im actually thinking of maybe springing for a prep course, like Veritas. Im not sure whether it will help me, or whether I should just keep doing questions

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