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05 May 2020, 15:09
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Hi there,
First time poster here. I'm a graduating senior (undergrad) at a US school. I started studying for the GMAT back in January with the original plan to take it around the beginning of April. I won't be applying to graduate programs soon, but would like to take the test anyway. I studied with moderate intensity (20 hours/week) until March when my situation changed and GMAT got put on the backburner. Since then I've been studying with lower intensity (10-12 hours/week), but I haven't seen much progress and I'm a bit lost on where to go from here.
My target score is 750+
Here's some more info in a timeline format:
- Jan 12: Diagnostic Test (OG #1) - Q43, V39, 670
- moderately focused study (~70 hours in 4 weeks) on quant material, using OG2020, OG2020 quant, and Manhattan prep quant
- Mar 11: GMAC Free CAT Quant - Q41 (had a long and rough day, messed up quite a few easy questions)
- less focused study (~60 hours in 6 weeks) on quant material, completed the books above
- Apr 26: GMAC Free Cat Quant - Q48 (this was part of the free test weekend, different from the test above)
- May 5: Veritas Free Test - Q45, V37, 670 (I might just be making excuses here, but the quant seemed to be harder than other material I've seen)
Although my studying hasn't been super focused, I still would've liked to see an improvement since my very first CAT almost four months ago. I've always tested well and was 99th percentile on both the SAT and ACT back in high school with minimal studying, so I thought some of that ability would translate over to the GMAT, but I'm aware the GMAT tests different skills.
My questions are:
1. Since time isn't really of the essence for me, should I continue focusing on quant until I can consistently get 48+?
2. So far my studying has consisted of reading the chapters in Manhattan Prep's quant book, doing lots of practice problems, and then reviewing the incorrect answers, most of which are the result of silly errors, misreading questions, or small oversights. Are there any other strategies I should be incorporating to see better results?
3. I've read that the longer you study, the harder it is to retain the knowledge/aptitude. Since I've been studying for so long now, should I worry about this? Since my most recent CAT shows no improvement to my first diagnostic, I'm almost tempted to just quit studying for a month and then pick it up again later, almost like hitting a reset button.
Any insights and suggestions for a struggling student greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!
First time poster here. I'm a graduating senior (undergrad) at a US school. I started studying for the GMAT back in January with the original plan to take it around the beginning of April. I won't be applying to graduate programs soon, but would like to take the test anyway. I studied with moderate intensity (20 hours/week) until March when my situation changed and GMAT got put on the backburner. Since then I've been studying with lower intensity (10-12 hours/week), but I haven't seen much progress and I'm a bit lost on where to go from here.
My target score is 750+
Here's some more info in a timeline format:
- Jan 12: Diagnostic Test (OG #1) - Q43, V39, 670
- moderately focused study (~70 hours in 4 weeks) on quant material, using OG2020, OG2020 quant, and Manhattan prep quant
- Mar 11: GMAC Free CAT Quant - Q41 (had a long and rough day, messed up quite a few easy questions)
- less focused study (~60 hours in 6 weeks) on quant material, completed the books above
- Apr 26: GMAC Free Cat Quant - Q48 (this was part of the free test weekend, different from the test above)
- May 5: Veritas Free Test - Q45, V37, 670 (I might just be making excuses here, but the quant seemed to be harder than other material I've seen)
Although my studying hasn't been super focused, I still would've liked to see an improvement since my very first CAT almost four months ago. I've always tested well and was 99th percentile on both the SAT and ACT back in high school with minimal studying, so I thought some of that ability would translate over to the GMAT, but I'm aware the GMAT tests different skills.
My questions are:
1. Since time isn't really of the essence for me, should I continue focusing on quant until I can consistently get 48+?
2. So far my studying has consisted of reading the chapters in Manhattan Prep's quant book, doing lots of practice problems, and then reviewing the incorrect answers, most of which are the result of silly errors, misreading questions, or small oversights. Are there any other strategies I should be incorporating to see better results?
3. I've read that the longer you study, the harder it is to retain the knowledge/aptitude. Since I've been studying for so long now, should I worry about this? Since my most recent CAT shows no improvement to my first diagnostic, I'm almost tempted to just quit studying for a month and then pick it up again later, almost like hitting a reset button.
Any insights and suggestions for a struggling student greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!
bigge2win
Joined: 18 Jul 2012
Last visit: 28 Jun 2020
Posts: 98
Given Kudos: 2
Location: United States (CA)
Schools: Ross '18 (A) Tuck '18 (WL) Duke '17 (WL)
GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V36
GPA: 3
WE:Operations (Insurance)
05 May 2020, 15:39
Kudos
Bookmarks
People constantly mistaken getting improved results with working hard/harder, but it’s really about working smarter. Whether you take a clean break now and come back to it later, you’ll need a new methodical approach than what you’ve done. A clean slate may make sense if you don’t have a date scheduled so you don’t burn out.
Veritas quant is somewhat close to the official questions, except I think Veritas tries to use more of the tricks and traps. Manhattan quant is a bit more complex than the actual questions. 700-level questions in Manhattan usually take longer because it tests more concepts and require more steps to solve problems than what’s realistic.
You may have to go back to basics and make sure you understand the breadth of quant concepts per type of math. For example, know digit math or GCM/LCM really well, or recognize all the ways triangles can appear in the test. You’ll need to do all the OG books with tracker of time and accuracy, then analyze where your weaknesses are. And while you work on your weaknesses, make sure to get in some reps for your strength areas so you don’t lose it.
The GMAT is much like sports. There’s no such thing as losing the skill when you obtain it, as long as you practice it. Maybe you’ll get burnt out, but that just means you’re working too hard, but not smart enough. Or for example with basketball, if you kept practicing dribbling and passing, but neglected shooting, then you’re obviously going to lose your shooting form and accuracy. Your brain is a muscle that needs to develop and then maintain that muscle memory.
Going back to the content, I’d recommend Veritas quant material, the OG books, the extra question banks from MBA.com, and then the MBA.com practice tests. Manhattan quant is good for self starters and quant heavy people like Engineers. But not everyone is like that, so try Veritas to understand how the GMAT tests concepts and why they do. It was a game changer for me to shift how I approached questions.
Posted from my mobile device
Veritas quant is somewhat close to the official questions, except I think Veritas tries to use more of the tricks and traps. Manhattan quant is a bit more complex than the actual questions. 700-level questions in Manhattan usually take longer because it tests more concepts and require more steps to solve problems than what’s realistic.
You may have to go back to basics and make sure you understand the breadth of quant concepts per type of math. For example, know digit math or GCM/LCM really well, or recognize all the ways triangles can appear in the test. You’ll need to do all the OG books with tracker of time and accuracy, then analyze where your weaknesses are. And while you work on your weaknesses, make sure to get in some reps for your strength areas so you don’t lose it.
The GMAT is much like sports. There’s no such thing as losing the skill when you obtain it, as long as you practice it. Maybe you’ll get burnt out, but that just means you’re working too hard, but not smart enough. Or for example with basketball, if you kept practicing dribbling and passing, but neglected shooting, then you’re obviously going to lose your shooting form and accuracy. Your brain is a muscle that needs to develop and then maintain that muscle memory.
Going back to the content, I’d recommend Veritas quant material, the OG books, the extra question banks from MBA.com, and then the MBA.com practice tests. Manhattan quant is good for self starters and quant heavy people like Engineers. But not everyone is like that, so try Veritas to understand how the GMAT tests concepts and why they do. It was a game changer for me to shift how I approached questions.
Posted from my mobile device
05 May 2020, 15:45
Kudos
Bookmarks
bigge2win Thank you for the response, that was extremely insightful. I'll definitely make sure to check out Veritas quant, and your comment on knowing digit math and LCM/GCF really applies to me.
