New OG13 questions.. did very poorly

Question

Hi!

I need some advice. Basically I have done both GMATprep tests and scored 690 and 700 and also did all the questions on the OG12 book without much problem. I recently checked the OG13 book from the library and attempted only the new quant questions. I have to admit that I got very few of the new OG13 questions right. Wasn't too sure how to interpret this. Are the OG12 and GMATprep questions far too easy compared to the latest questions that will appear on the test date? Should I expect a score well below 690-700 region? Is this something I should be concerned with?

Note that it doesn't seem that it was a lack of knowledge, rather I was tackling the questions completely wrong.

Thanks in advance for any advice on how to proceed/ tips on how to overcome the issue!!!!!

Alex

KarishmaB · Answer

I think a big part of your problem is psychological. There is no reason for you to blank out on the new questions if you are comfortable with GMAT prep tests. I am yet to receive my copy of OG13 so I cannot comment on the difficulty level of the new questions but it certainly cannot be very different from what you see in prep tests. Since GMAT Quant is getting tougher, perhaps they have given more higher level questions in the new OG. Nevertheless, go back and try the questions again. You will definitely identify the basic concepts you are already comfortable with in the new questions too.

imhimanshu · Answer

Hi,

Here are my 2 cents on the situation. I recently took my Gmat Exam scored 650(49,30), though I was scoring somewhere in the range of 700-740(in MGMATs and GPRep). Few days before taking my exam, I took a few new questions (official ones) and got them incorrect and that took a huge toll on my confidence. I was completely shattered by those questions, as a result I doubted my strategies. I generally have a hit rate of 85-100% in RC, however while taking my exam I got lost because I wasn't sure about the strategies.. this is how it can be cruel if you start doubting yourself.
However, if I look back at my exam, the only learning that I have got is don't let some odd new OG questions to hit your confidence. Rather take a learning and get away with it. Believe me, confidence once gone, especially few days before exam,is difficult to get back. If you have done your OG homework i.e if you know why other choices are incorrect, you are good to go. The reason I am saying is because I was getting stuck in last 2 options... there only I found the importance of reviewing the exams.

Thanks
H

pinchharmonic · Answer

I did the OG12 and the Quantitative Review 2nd Edition. I logged problems, repeated hard ones and ultimately I feel I've mastered most of the material.

Then I did the delta problems for OG13. They were very hard... and yes it ruined my confidence for a day or two. The DS was OK, a bit hard, but the PS was particularly hard. I also don't believe the way they arrange the problems is correct AT ALL because the last two OG13 problems that are new are very easy (200s or something), whereas the 4 before that are as hard as I've ever seen. (180s-190s).

What the previous poster said is absolutely correct. If you lose confidence right before your test it can be disastrous, and that's probably why they say don't study anything new immediately before. I think the only thing you should be concerned about is confidence...not that you have all this "shadow" material you don't understand.

My opinion is,  If  the GMAT is a well designed test, then ultimately it needs to gauge you as an individual properly. That means both revealing your weaknesses AND revealing your strengths. If the test gives a 750 test taker a 650 by happening to introduce all this non-representative stuff (kind of like us doing the OG13 problems, which are a mere fraction of the scope) then the test is flawed period. Likewise, if a 650 test taker comes out with a 750 then the test if flawed too -- the job of the test is to find your ability, not screw you. So the way I see it is the testing mechanism works in favor of people like us. People that have covered/mastered the most representative material available for preparation.

I think it also helps to realize that at this moment there is enough material out there to take more than a year to cover. There are half a dozen test prep companies with their own problems. Even forums have their own problems (like this one) and their own guides (like this one). Some people even study off LSAT guides for Critical Reasoning.. you're never really done if that's the way you define "done". So that's why I just define "done" as as much of the official material you can reasonably do in a 3-4 month time period.

imhimanshu · Answer

This is the best advice that one can offer for GMAT prep... People usually realize this once they come out from their exam center after first Gmat attempt.. :-)

ankitbansal85 · Answer

hey..can i know from where we can get the delta questions of OG 13???

MarkSullivan · Answer

Hi Everyone,

There are definitely some pretty challenging new problems in OG13! But overall, the new problems fit in pretty well with what was in OG12. Remember that every "new" GMAT problem is just a Frankenstein built out of old GMAT problems (or perhaps I should say "Frankenstein's  monster  built out of old GMAT problems" for those of you who are picky about your literary references). The new OG13 problems for the most part just mirror the same topics that have always been tested on the GMAT.

I think the main point to remember is that the actual test is computer-adaptive, so any time you pick out a handful of OG problems you'll be lacking that key ingredient of the experience. Getting a low percentage correct on a randomly selected set of OG problems should never be taken as any kind of score indicator.

Don't let the new problems stress you out, but they are good problems so give them a shot and then focus on learning what you can from them. Even after the June 5th introduction of IR, the main Quant and Verbal sections will not be changing at all (otherwise, the GMAT would cease to be a true *standardized* test). So at the end of the day, don't read too much into the "new" problems in OG13.

Good luck!

Mark

MarkSullivan · Answer

Check out this blog post for a nice analysis of the OG13 vs. OG12 differences: https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ial-guide/

pinchharmonic · Answer

i'd like to add that on this forum someone posted PDFs for every DS and PS problem in both GMAT prep1 and GMAT prep2. I wish i saw this when i started.

If you have months left you can try doing all the problems (800 total), or like me, tackle DS on one particular exam (218 problems). There's no mention of sorting, but from my observation definitely the last 20-30 problems are the most difficult whereas the first 50 or so i saw medium, hard, and ridiculously easy problems. I actually think doing 1-100 might be better than doing the last 20-30 since the last 20-30 are probably close to 50-51 scoring level problems. so if you are not going for that, don't do those -- you may not ever see those problems on the test and the skills to do those don't really seem to overlap at all with the typical problems people would see.

this will give you a great gauge of where you are because now you're doing a wide array of problems at all difficulty levels whereas OG13 problems were just a drop in the bucket.

Mostafaa747 · Answer

I would like to add that I started with OG12 and its tests were OK and I did them well, but after purchasing OG13 and working on its newly added tests I found that they are really tough! It is obvious that the new tests are more difficult... I hope I would not face them in the real test.

Sachin9 · Answer

anf I thought I was the only guy finding these new quant questions in OG13 tough..

longtian006 · Answer

For Quant focus on basics if your basics are strong then move to the advanced stuff. Check out GMATquantum on my sig below the video explanations are absolutely fantastic. I do advise buying the GMAT prep question pack 1.

New OG13 questions.. did very poorly

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