Stuck at Q40, advice on getting to mid 40s

Question

Hi all,

This is my first post here. I've been hovering at Q40 for a while now yet I really need to get to Q45.

I was hoping to get people's ideas, feedback, or any general advice on making that final push to the mid 40s Q level. I know I am capable of such a score, I just seem to have hit a barrier in the way I approach these problems to get to that next level. Thanks everyone!

Vercules · Answer

Hi sdiazl,

If you are hovering around Q40 then there could be one of the two reasons. Either you are having good understanding of basic concepts but not able to apply them on relatively difficult questions or you have some weak areas on which you are not improving. Most of the times I have seen that a range bound score is because of not addressing ones weaknesses. I guess you must have taken a couple of tests; it will be a good idea to analyze your performance on the test determine the topics on which you face difficulty (you get these questions incorrect or take lot of time to solve correctly). Once you have identified your weak areas, work on them by studying the basic concepts --> doing easy questions first --> studying/ reviewing advanced concepts --> doing difficult questions. After addressing your weaknesses take another test and again repeat the process. I hope you cross this Q40 barrier. All the best !!

Hope that helps,

Vercules

bmarwaha · Answer

Please tell us in which section you are facing problem.PS or DS.Also which particular topic you are weak at.Such as geometry, Algebra etc

Do you think that you are not able to solve in time or even if you sit for and infinite amount of time you won't be able to answer the question? .

Plus how did u calculate your score of Q40.If you are talking about MGMAT then ,in my personal experience of real GMAT you are already at 45.I never scored more than 45 in MGMAT tests,and I scored 50 in Quant in Real GMAT.If you are scoring 40 in Princeston or Kaplan test then you will get a shock when you see real GMAT. I have written GMAT in Jan 23,2013.Level of DS is really good and if you think you are weak at this,I will suggest you to give real focus on this section as I personally observed DS will weigh more in final score.Although this is no where written.Just personal observation.

sdiazl · Answer

Hi there, thanks for the quick replies!

Well I am basing this off a CAD I wrote a couple weeks ago. I just feel l am not making much progress and that if I were to write again, I wouldn't improve much. My hit-rate for harder questions ( plus 100 questions in OG and quant review) in both DS and problem solving under time conditions is not very good. I understand all the explanations after, but I can't seem to apply it to similar questions thereafter. Maybe I am not being thorough enough in reading explanations?

sdiazl · Answer

And sorry, it was an official practice test I wrote.

VeritasPrepRon · Answer

Hi sdiazl,

I think your questions are representative of a lot of students. Getting from 40 to 45 on quant is doable, but requires a thorough understanding of the questions that can be asked so that you know how to approach them. That's why practice is so helpful, it gives you experience and exposure to problems. The goal is to never see a question on the exam and be totally dumbfounded as to how to proceed. (although this happens to the best of us).

If you want to make sure you understand the concepts after reading explanations, try doing the exact same problem with different numbers and seeing how to solve it. Then try examining the numbers to see how the answer could change given different numbers were provided. If you can get to this level of comfort and mastery of problems, you'll start to think like the testmakers and see the traps that they are laying out for you.

The exam has a finite number of concepts it's testing, and if you're already getting Q40 you've got the basics down, it's just a question of applying your approach consistently and efficiently.

Hope this helps!
-Ron

bmarwaha · Answer

Solution to your problem IMHO is that you have got the basic right but not great.My suggestion to you will be to out maximum efforts on DS questions.These questions make you think quickly and push your brain to limit.There is 700 quant series PDF,which can be downloaded from gmatclub forum.Now those questions are real hard and are likely to be seen when you are touching 50 level on quant.Attempt these questions and then see the solutions.This will raise your comfort level to a great extent.After doing certain sections,attempt OG questions and see how you are doing.Again remember ,trick to do well on Quant is to make sure you get the DS right.PS will eventually follow.

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Stuck at Q40, advice on getting to mid 40s

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