Need Help: 580(V23,Q46) again!!

Question

Hello,
I was very ashamed to post such a low score but I thought that I could get some good tips from GMATClub members if I posted my score and experience here. I started my preparation in 2008 and it has been more than a year I am still lurching far behind my target score.
Until now, I have already taken GMAT four times and every time my score was less than 600. 
My all scores:
530(V:17,Q: 47) taken on – June, 2007
540(V: 17,Q: 48) taken on – April, 2008
580(V: 25,Q: 44 ) taken on – September, 2008
580(V: 23,Q: 46) taken on –  May, 2009  (did not finish the last question in Quant; time went by)

This time, I did everything for preparation. My all last test scores (GMATPrep and MGMAT CAT test) were above 700 so I became completely amuck after seeing such a low score.
My experience:
  Quant:  
1. Lot many Roman numeric based questions in Quant (almost 3-4)
2. Probability question is sure. I got more than two. Last one was probability question and I, doing calculation very cautiously, forgot to keep tab on time. I selected my answer before but did not get time to click confirm button. Did GMAT consider it unanswered? 
3. Word problem, particularly profit-loss
4. Geometry was ok – but I got fewer
  Verbal:  
1. Got many argument based questions (2 actors) and Justify questions
2. Question those come with underline in CR
3. SC is way tougher than 1000 series (I did 1000 series twice + reviewed) – I can remember that I learned idiom “range from X to Y and Z” from 1000 SC but there were options using “range from X to Y to Z” and I got such 3 questions testing the same idiom. I was overtly confused when I did not see my known idiomatic format.
4. RC was normal and comprehensible. I did not see any elusive word in RC whatsoever.

My gut feeling is that, because SC and CR are more excruciating than they used to be previously, my score seriously deteriorated in verbal. At this time, I am not able to analyze my weak areas because whichever tests available in market have low difficulty level questions in verbal.

Already I have gone thorough PowerScore CR book though did not work too much on argument based questions. I would definitely appreciate your eager and spontaneous response. Thank you all.

P.S. today I went to Princeton and take their free mock test at center. I got 650 (V31, Q47). I do not know how far Princeton’s test actually imitates the exact scoring algorithm of GMAT. In quant, I did 4 mistakes (questions are very basic and ridiculously easy). In verbal, I did 10 mistakes (2 in CR, 3 in SC and 5 in RC). I am not sure whether I would learn anything new from Princeton so I am abandoning my plan to get admission there.

bb · Answer

Hello Acumen and welcome to GMAT Club.
Your strategy is abslutely right - post your troubles as embarrassing as it may be but that's the beginning of turning your GMAT experience around.

It looks like you have been studying for a long time - there are pros and cons. Usually it is tough to get a great score with prep longer than 3-4 months.

What books have you used for your prep?

Which Practice Tests have you done?

Are you a native speaker? Your Verbal scores are what seems to bog you down - that's often a disadvantage international applicants have. If so, how is your TOEFL scores?

When are you planning to take the test again?

How is your work schedule? Are you available during the week or only on weekends?

acumen · Answer

Thanks for your reply.

What books have you used for your prep? 
- I used OG11, OG10, Kaplan review, Kaplan 800 (for verbal), MGMAT Quant, MGMAT SC, Powerscore CR, RC (I follow Kaplan RC rules and specification), all 1000 series

Which Practice Tests have you done? 
-All GMATPrep and 6 MGMAT CAT tests

Are you a native speaker? Your Verbal scores are what seems to bog you down - that's often a disadvantage international applicants have. If so, how is your TOEFL scores? 
-No, I am not. I have not taken TOEFL yet. Can TOEFL score offset low verbal score?

When are you planning to take the test again?  
-Probably by one and a half month later.

How is your work schedule? Are you available during the week or only on weekends? 
-I am available during both week and weekends. My work timing is between 1PM to 11PM so morning time is available for me. I also do my study in morning.

I am not sure what kind of study I should do now. I did all 1000SC series and my strike rate is 80%, on average. I finished all CR (except LSAT part) from 1000CR and revised all mistakes. I also did 117 RC passages from 1000RC file.

bb · Answer

Wow - looks like you have covered quite a bit. Your Quant score is strong but Verbal is terrible. I am afraid I have only one suggestion - intensive reading to boost your Vocab, grammar, style, and reading skills.

Ok. Those are pretty good. I assume you probable used Kaplan as well. If not, you can use them to practice.

No, TOEFL does not count and is only pass/fail. I was just wondering about your TOEFL score.

I think you may be setting yourself up for a disappointment. If you have 580 twice in a row, I would wait closer to 3 months.

Fantastic - I would recommend that you use the morning time to study from 9 to 11 and then when you are back from work, spend time reading fiction.

I don't think you need to do any more tests. Actually, I am not sure if there are any left to do. Focus on the basics in verbal - study grammar and do a lot of reading - those are your best bets because whatever you have been using before did not really work.

Hades · Answer

Do you have any particular weaknesses in the Verbal?

It's been my experience if you're weak in 1 of the 3 sections of the Verbal, you get a low Verbal regardless.

bipolarbear · Answer

Maybe you should focus on improving a specific section in verbal at a time. I think SC is the easiest to improve, then CR, and finally RC. So start with Manhattan GMAT SC and nail all your SC questions, then Powerscore's LR. You'd have to work fast since you don't have much time, but I believe focusing on individual sections might be more beneficial.

suchoudh · Answer

Well the exact same story as mine. I have twice been branded 630, though i have consistently scored close to 680 in manhattan gmat and 720, 690 in Gmat prep.

My final score was: 24V, 50Q.

I just can't believe how my performance in verbal can be so poor. It was completely unexpected and extremely embarrassing. It is very frustrating to hit the wall twice. Compounded with the fact that ETS does not disclose areas in which you underperformed, leaving you clueless how to attack it the next time.

In the same predicament as you are.

acumen · Answer

Right now I have gone through all standardized prep materials and therefore believing on what Hades mentioned above. Menace in one section can condemn my overall score.
Here is something I am going to execute right away:
1. Sorting out all question type from CR in order to revise all harder question types such as flaw in reasoning and method of reasoning.
2. I’ll go through Bartleby site to learn usage and style of English language. Already I am thorough with standard concepts and rules those are included in MGMAT SC guide but there are few styles and usages which are not tested on GMAT frequently but can contribute in total learning. I have seen many examples where people good in verbal consistently do well on this section it means that there is something which is not covered on MGMAT SC guides but required essentially.
3. Reading Novel everyday as BB mentioned. This part is necessary to ace RC. 
I think before digging into standard materials few basic things have to done because I’ll never know what will help and how.

Please feel free to add on the list.

zekaraca · Answer

I was going to post almost the topic so..Here is my story I took GMAT in January and got the exact result 580(V22, Q48). I guess it is pretty obvious that i am not a native speaker, but still i thought my Verbal scores would be much higher than 22. I was ok at SC and CR parts, but RC totally knocked me out!

Now i've started studying for GMAT again, especially RC, but still i am taking my time on this part. I don't know why i am spending that much time here, i guess i am losing my concentration because i know i should not, so focusing on time makes me nervous.. My Toefl score is 113 out of 120, and my AWA was 5.5, i am reading in english for the past couple of years(books, articles, even my studies are in english) so it is a bit ridiculous to fail in RC that much, don't you think? I studied with the OG Verbal and Barron's GMAT. Any other suggestions to improve my RC besides reading lots of articles? Advices and hints are very welcomed

acumen · Answer

I think that reading lot many articles may not build strong RC solving skill (within time) because, in most cases, we read leisurely therefore such reading provides less critical comprehension. Mostly, we glimpse over the article to get the gist and interesting information, if required. On other hand, GMAT passages are abstruse and difficult to comprehend and thus when time pressure is added total process of reading and of understanding becomes complete mess. I think you could try to do at least 2 passages every day(1 in morning and 1 in evening) and henceforth you'll become conversant with GMAT type texts, construction of argument and author's reasoning.

GMATaddict · Answer

Also, GMAT's RC questions seem to revolve around passages about natural sciences (biology, geography, etc), history (interesting people, events, etc), & social sciences (political trends, research findings, etc), & business (again, research findings, strategy outlines, etc). I tend to do okay on all the RCs except the natural sciences, so perhaps I should find more of those types of passages to read.

Which type of RC passages are the LEAST interesting to you? Perhaps you could read more of those to improve reading comp?

bb · Answer

Another element that impacts RC is your strategy. Do you just read the passage or do you follow a particular plan regardless of how stressed you are such as: 
1. stop to paraphrase each paragraph, understand how it impacts the story and how it adds to it or what argument it makes (the purpose of the Paragraph)
2. finish reading, and summarize the story again in your mind
3. go the questions

phoenix09 · Answer

For RC, I would get The Economist and read it from cover to cover every week. The grammar is complex and there are boringly dense articles in almost every GMAT subject area. Read each article at GMAT pace, mentally hi-lighting main points, then summarize the gist of the paragraphs.

tutu · Answer

THe first time I gave the GMAT prep I got a 690. Subsequently I got a 690 in GMAt prep, KaplanII: 660, Kaplan III: 610, Kaplan IV: 680, Kaplan V: 740, Kaplan VI: 690. So I went to Give the GMAt quite confident of getting a score close to 700. I honestly did not know what went wrong. I felt the test went quite well, but when the score came it was 580. I plan to give it again, but I do not know hwat I should do to improve. I have reffered to OG 11, Kaplan , Kaplan Advcanced and MGAMT for Sentence correction.
Pl give me any ideas

bb · Answer

Hello tutu - welcome to GMAT Club. Sorry to hear about your experience - not sure what went wrong, but your practice scores, definitely have a 700+ written all over them. Usually the issue is weith weakness in one of the fundamental areas, though I am not sure why you would get such high practice scores. Take a look at this discussion and maybe it can give you some ideas: should-i-retake-gmat-thread-retaking-gmat-strategies-83339.html Also, see this thread I put together for people aiming for 700+ gmat-study-plan-go-from-650-to-80235.html

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Need Help: 580(V23,Q46) again!!

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