MGMAT Advanced Quant Workout Sets - Timing Issue

Question

Hi everyone,

I've just finished the strategy chapters on MGMAT Advanced Quant strategy guide, which i truly recommend, there is a bunch of valuable strategies an tactics on tackle difficult quant questions. I just started to work on the workout practice sets and which consists of a wide range of difficult questions but I'm really struggle with time. I can afford to get these answers right but it can take almost 5 minutes!!! Tried to set a timer and make an educated guess around 2:30 and my accuracy dropped to the 40%-50% range! :shock:

What would you guys recommend? Just forget the timer to grasp the basics on each question or it is time to start to work behind timing conditions? These tough questions are driving me crazy!

Really appreciate any input. My best regards.

What would you guys recommend? Just forget the timer to grasp the basics on each question or it is time to start to work behind timing conditions? These tough questions are driving me crazy! Really appreciate any input. My best regards.

bb · Answer

Some of those questions are really tough!
I have tried them and it was painful. A number of people commented on the book that it is pretty tough. I am surprised you have not had those issues when you were studying with the book or doing the diagnostic in the beginning. Did you time yourself when you were working on the book/exercises in the book?

lamanxa · Answer

bb, you're totally right, I never timed myself on the Try-it or On Action exercises, I was more focused on understanding the strategies behind those exercises. Now that I started to time myself I figured out that I'm taking way too long... But it is a relief to hear from you super-clever math guys that these questions are a pain :-D

Anyways, will still appreciate if someone can provide some fine timing tips

AbhiJ · Answer

I loved what one guy said about usefulness of MGMAT Advanced Quant for GMAT Quant "Killing a mouse with a Bazooka". Having said that I wouldn't worry about timing(5 mins is OK). Its more about being double sure to get as close to 100% accuracy as possible. After solving this book you will be much more efficient and accurate on general GMAT questions.

wallstreetbarbie · Answer

I think the answer depends on the following: Are the problems GMAT like in their design?

I know that in their strategy guides the problems are not of GMAT quality (although they can be solved in 2 minutes). I would assume this is also the case with the advanced book. For this reason I'd say focus on learning the concepts and then apply them on the hard OG questions. Remember the GMAT questions are designed so they can be solved within a 2-3 minute range.

bulaohu · Answer

Hi lamanxa,

I am in exactly the same boat you are in. I can answer 99% of these questions in 5 min, but only about 60% in 2.5 min. My take on it is: If it is not a questions from OG, we cannot be sure that it was designed using the exact GMAC method to be done in about 2 minutes. So take each of these with a grain of salt perhaps there really are some 3.5 minute questions in there. BUT, on the other hand, there are hard OG questions that take me 3-5 minutes. I have learned that there are certain kinds of hard q's where I am can sure I can get it right in 3 minutes and some where I think I can get it right 60% of the time in 3 minutes. On the MGMAT practice tests I read every question, but on 1-2 super hard ones per practice test I quite after 30 seconds. This gives me 2.5-5 extra minutes to spread over the rest of the test, and really improves my confidence and percentile correct. (I am shooting for 700+, not 750+) Please see attached image for my improvement chart using this method.

I'd really appreciate hearing any tips you could offer yourself. I am taking the real test for the second time at the very end of March.

lamanxa · Answer

Hi bulaohu and everyone else,

thank you all for the valuable advices. I think the best shot is to do not worry with timing constraints in such difficult question bank and after that practice the concepts with OG hard questions. I'll also follow bulaohu's advice to try to 'let go' some super tough questions on the practice tests in order to save valuable time for the 'answerable' questions. Thanks again!

Regards,
lamanxa.

bulaohu · Answer

Hi lamanxa,

I just wanted to update you about how I did on the GMAT with my strategy of ignoring a couple of the hardest questions. I want to share that I now agree, the MGMAT Advanced Quant book is harder than the test. It is the best advanced book to help one improve but it is pushing us to be better than the GMAT needs us to be. I used the whole MGMAT series cover to cover and about 50% of the questions in Advanced Quant and did OG 2x. A lot of studying for sure but it was worth it. My final score was a 740 (overall 97th percentile) and for the first time I had a few extra minutes on the math section and I only quit on 1 problem within 30 seconds. I'll do a debrief soon but I wanted to share some validation for this strategy. Best of luck to you and all!

lamanxa · Answer

hi bulaohu, thank for the feedback and congrats for the fabulous score! I'm managing to improve my "guessing skills" and starting to understand that is not really necessary to try every question to reach the Q48-Q49 level. I just took a MGMAT CAT and guessed 5-7 questions and managed to get a 740 (Q48 V 44)

jppaa · Answer

I totally agree with everyone's input: Advanced quant is more difficult, and requires more steps to solve a problem than normal GMAT problems. The reason for doing using this book is the same reason why marathon runners train in high altitudes: you only get better by pushing yourself to do something that is more difficult than the real exercise. The first chapter clearly states: the objective of this book is to make you smarter and make you better at logical problem solving. It's objective is not to give you problems that precisely resemble the GMAT. With that being said, take it as a positive if you can get 50% correct in timed conditions. The real GMAT won't be as difficult, and won't require quite as many steps.

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