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Intern
Intern
Joined: 02 Nov 2020
Posts: 2
Own Kudos [?]: 0 [0]
Given Kudos: 3
Location: Canada
GMAT 1: 670 Q45 V37
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Retired Moderator
Joined: 25 Mar 2014
Status:Studying for the GMAT
Posts: 219
Own Kudos [?]: 488 [0]
Given Kudos: 252
Location: Brazil
Concentration: Technology, General Management
GMAT 1: 700 Q47 V40
GMAT 2: 740 Q49 V41 (Online)
WE:Business Development (Venture Capital)
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VP
VP
Joined: 29 Oct 2019
Posts: 1367
Own Kudos [?]: 1436 [0]
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GMAT Club Legend
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 08 Jul 2010
Status:GMAT/GRE Tutor l Admission Consultant l On-Demand Course creator
Posts: 5969
Own Kudos [?]: 13401 [0]
Given Kudos: 124
Location: India
GMAT: QUANT+DI EXPERT
Schools: IIM (A) ISB '24
GMAT 1: 750 Q51 V41
WE:Education (Education)
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Re: Struggling with poor study strategies for both Quant and Verbal [#permalink]
Expert Reply
Hi rchagant

You can get in touch with me for a free Demo class which will be useful for you to get an assessment by instructor which you urgently need to understadn the major problem area.

In interested, drop me a message on w h a t s a p p or here.

Good luck! :)
GMAT Club Legend
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 19 Dec 2014
Status:GMAT Assassin/Co-Founder
Affiliations: EMPOWERgmat
Posts: 21846
Own Kudos [?]: 11669 [0]
Given Kudos: 450
Location: United States (CA)
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
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Re: Struggling with poor study strategies for both Quant and Verbal [#permalink]
Expert Reply
Hi rchagant,

To start, studying for the GMAT now - far in advance of when you will actually "need" your Score - is a smart choice.

Going forward, you have to be careful about confusing "quantity" of study with "quality" of study. I've never asked anyone to study 30+ hours a week - and while it's great that you might have the available time to study that much in the short term, with that number of study hours, you would run the risk of 'burning out' before Test Day (and that is something that we want to avoid). If you are going to try to study that much, then I suggest that you take one hour "off" for every two hours of study. For example, you could study for 2 hours, then stop for an hour, then study for another 2 hours, then take an hour off, etc.

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

1) What study materials have you used besides the course that you mentioned?
2) You listed just 2 CAT/mock Scores; did you take any others? Over the last 6 months, on what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?
3) What Schools are you planning to apply to?
4) Once your holiday is over, how many hours do you think you will be able to study each week?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Target Test Prep Representative
Joined: 14 Oct 2015
Status:Founder & CEO
Affiliations: Target Test Prep
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Location: United States (CA)
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Re: Struggling with poor study strategies for both Quant and Verbal [#permalink]
Expert Reply
Hi rchagant,

Since you have been studying for some time but have not gotten the results you need, perhaps it's time to look for some additional study materials. With that in mind, take a look at the GMAT Club reviews for the best quant and verbal courses, and also read through some GMAT success stories to see what materials have worked well for other test-takers.

You also may find it helpful to read this article about how to score a 700+ on the GMAT.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out.

Good luck!
VP
VP
Joined: 12 Feb 2015
Posts: 1065
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Struggling with poor study strategies for both Quant and Verbal [#permalink]
1
Kudos
rchagant wrote:
Hi everyone,
I'm looking for some guidance (want to get a tutor) as I'm completely lost with my preparation.

Background
I'm an engineer based in Montreal (8-10hr/day job during weekdays) and I've been preparing for GMAT since June 2020. From June to October, I followed an online course (Wizako) that helped me review all the basics that I forgot in Quant (regular formulas and strategies) and Verbal (SC basics and CR strategies). I also practiced questions using OG15 (untimed...horrible mistake).

I took my first GMAT official practice test on 26th October and got a score of 570 (Q45, V25). During that test, I was really struggling with time and strategy in both sections.

I then decided to change my study method to focus more on timed practicing. I took GMATClub tests every few days from 3rd Nov to 18th Dec (took about 16 tests). My Quant scores (all timed tests) crazily fluctuated during this time (Q37, Q33, Q39, Q24, Q48, Q49, Q36, Q35, Q47...). One thing to note is that my 500 level accuracy consistently improved from 60% to 90-100%. However, my 600 level accuracy kept fluctuating (50% to 90%) and 700 level accuracy barely moved (20-33%).

For Verbal, I practiced GMATClub questions in the form of short quizzes. During each quiz, I tried to attempt 18 questions (500, 600, 700 level) in 36-40 minutes. My accuracy here again improved from 55% to 78-80% during the months of November and December.

On 19th Dec, I took the same GMAT official practice test and was horrified to see a lower score of 550 (Q44, V22).

Some obvious blunders
1. I maintained an error log for Quant that was somewhat effective. However, my Verbal error log was extremely poor. I can do better here.
2. Every time I reviewed mistakes, I went through the solution and took some shoddy notes in error log.
3. In Nov and Dec, I focused too much on quantity (timed questions) rather than quality.
4. As a result of 3 above, I forgot most of the strategies that I learnt in both Q and V.
5. I've been studying on average 2-2.5 hrs/day, but I'm not efficiently using this time (aimless and unstructured practice).
6. Worst one...I wasted hours and days reading several posts on GMATClub of people's struggles and study plans to score 700+. By doing so, I was just chasing my own tail...I really need to stop this.

Current situation
1. I'm flustered and all over the place with my strategy, skills, time management, and accuracy.
2. I'm looking for a 1-1 guidance during which someone can help me identify my core weaknesses and help me develop a proper study plan over the next few months.
3. I'm currently on a 3 week holiday till 9th Jan so I'm looking to undo all my poor skills that I recently developed and start rebuilding a strong foundation (willing to put 8-10 hours a day).
4. To rebuild my foundation, I may need to take a proper online course (need guidance as to which one would best suit my needs and weaknesses).

Goals
1) My aim is to score 730+.
2) I was initially supposed to take the GMAT exam on 9th Jan, but I'm postponing it to April to give myself 4 months of dedicated prep time.
2) I'm planning to apply to B schools in UK in Sept 2021.

I thank you for taking out the time for reading this...I really appreciate it.


Since you wish to improve your score to 730+, you will have to bring a significant improvement in your Verbal score and try to touch Q49 (which I feel you should be able to with more practice because Q45 is not a bad score). The verbal section is a very tricky section for many GMAT takers; you are not alone! Just hold on and continue with your prep. Follow a plan and stick to it. Just follow this one for example https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-study-p ... ml?fl=menu

All the best!
GMATWhiz Representative
Joined: 07 May 2019
Posts: 3409
Own Kudos [?]: 1802 [0]
Given Kudos: 68
Location: India
GMAT 1: 740 Q50 V41
GMAT 2: 760 Q51 V40
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Re: Struggling with poor study strategies for both Quant and Verbal [#permalink]
Expert Reply
rchagant wrote:
Hi everyone,
I'm looking for some guidance (want to get a tutor) as I'm completely lost with my preparation.

Background
I'm an engineer based in Montreal (8-10hr/day job during weekdays) and I've been preparing for GMAT since June 2020. From June to October, I followed an online course (Wizako) that helped me review all the basics that I forgot in Quant (regular formulas and strategies) and Verbal (SC basics and CR strategies). I also practiced questions using OG15 (untimed...horrible mistake).

I took my first GMAT official practice test on 26th October and got a score of 570 (Q45, V25). During that test, I was really struggling with time and strategy in both sections.

I then decided to change my study method to focus more on timed practicing. I took GMATClub tests every few days from 3rd Nov to 18th Dec (took about 16 tests). My Quant scores (all timed tests) crazily fluctuated during this time (Q37, Q33, Q39, Q24, Q48, Q49, Q36, Q35, Q47...). One thing to note is that my 500 level accuracy consistently improved from 60% to 90-100%. However, my 600 level accuracy kept fluctuating (50% to 90%) and 700 level accuracy barely moved (20-33%).

For Verbal, I practiced GMATClub questions in the form of short quizzes. During each quiz, I tried to attempt 18 questions (500, 600, 700 level) in 36-40 minutes. My accuracy here again improved from 55% to 78-80% during the months of November and December.

On 19th Dec, I took the same GMAT official practice test and was horrified to see a lower score of 550 (Q44, V22).

Some obvious blunders
1. I maintained an error log for Quant that was somewhat effective. However, my Verbal error log was extremely poor. I can do better here.
2. Every time I reviewed mistakes, I went through the solution and took some shoddy notes in error log.
3. In Nov and Dec, I focused too much on quantity (timed questions) rather than quality.
4. As a result of 3 above, I forgot most of the strategies that I learnt in both Q and V.
5. I've been studying on average 2-2.5 hrs/day, but I'm not efficiently using this time (aimless and unstructured practice).
6. Worst one...I wasted hours and days reading several posts on GMATClub of people's struggles and study plans to score 700+. By doing so, I was just chasing my own tail...I really need to stop this.

Current situation
1. I'm flustered and all over the place with my strategy, skills, time management, and accuracy.
2. I'm looking for a 1-1 guidance during which someone can help me identify my core weaknesses and help me develop a proper study plan over the next few months.
3. I'm currently on a 3 week holiday till 9th Jan so I'm looking to undo all my poor skills that I recently developed and start rebuilding a strong foundation (willing to put 8-10 hours a day).
4. To rebuild my foundation, I may need to take a proper online course (need guidance as to which one would best suit my needs and weaknesses).

Goals
1) My aim is to score 730+.
2) I was initially supposed to take the GMAT exam on 9th Jan, but I'm postponing it to April to give myself 4 months of dedicated prep time.
2) I'm planning to apply to B schools in UK in Sept 2021.

I thank you for taking out the time for reading this...I really appreciate it.



Hi rchagant,

I understand that striking the right balance between your work and studies can be quite challenging. And I understand that you are struggling with the study strategy. GMAT is a test which focuses on your application of concepts. So, if the preparation is not done in the right way, you will likely end up wasting a lot of time and effort. Let me help you with the right path.

The path forward:


As of now, I see that you have focused more on practicing questions rather than learning the right methods to solve questions. This is the most common mistake students do in their preparation. Before you practice questions, it's important to learn the right methods so solve questions and identify the errors you have made previously. This will help you to narrow down the gaps in your approach if any and thereby help you to solve questions in the right way.

I'm assuming that you are currently at a 570 level. And as you have decided to postpone your test, it gives us ample time to work on your weak areas. And regarding the one-on-one guidance, I can definitely help you with that. We can have a detailed discussion regarding the same over a call and can come up with the further steps. You can use the below link to get in touch with me.

Click here to schedule a call
GMAT Club Bot
Re: Struggling with poor study strategies for both Quant and Verbal [#permalink]

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