Urgent, Help with Error Log!

Off topic, but I see that you scored an amazing Q50 in your GMAT.

I am stuck at Q47/48. Can you please suggest best things to improve it to Q49/50 considering I have booked my GMAT in a month from now?

P.S. I am doing the GMAT Quant tests now, mostly scoring Q45.

Thank you so much, your help will mean a lot to me.

Try to classify the question type and the difficulty level of your incorrect Q's. If you didn't fully understand a question but got it correct, I recommend that you include it in your error log as well.

Hi swean,

"Review" is an exceptionally important part of the GMAT training process - so consistently using a Mistake Tracker/Error Log (especially as you review your CATs) is a smart choice. That having been said, documenting your errors is only part of the process - you then have to work to eliminate those errors (and that can involve a number of different steps, including learning and practicing new Tactics).

Before I can offer you any additional advice for your studies, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) On what dates did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score?
5) When is your exact Test Date?
6) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
7) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Thank you for your reply Rich!

Here are the details -
Studies:
1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week? Been studying from the the last 3 months. I study 21 hrs - 24 hrs per week on an average.
2) What study materials have you used so far? - I have used Egmat verbal online, OG - main, verbal and Quant, MGMAT books, GMAT Club Forum.
3) On what dates did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?
-
Mock 1- June 30 GMAT Prep Test 1 - Took individual sections separately due to some constraints - Q47 V36
Mock 2- Aug 29 - Veritas - 650 - Q48 V31
Mock 3- Aug 31 - GMAT PREP Test 2 - 700 - Q48 V 38
Mock 4- Sept 5 - Kaplan - 660 - Q47 V34
Mock 5 -Sept 7 - GMAT Prep Test 3 -660 - Q46 V34

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score? Goal - 710
5) When is your exact Test Date? Oct 1
6) When are you planning to apply to Business School? This year 2nd cycle
7) What Schools are you planning to apply to? ISB and other Indian B-schools with 1 year MBA.

Also I have attempted few GMAT Club Quant Tests -
GMAT Club Quant Test 1 - 36
GMAT Club Quant Test 2 - 45
GMAT Club Quant Test 3 - 45
GMAT Club Quant Test 4 - 45
GMAT Club Quant Test 5 - 36

I will be forever grateful to your reply. Thank you!

Hi swean,

GMAC has publicly stated that the Official Score that you earn on Test Day is within +/- 30 points of actual ability. Assuming a similar 'swing' in how your CATs function - and that you took your CATs in a realistic fashion that matches the parameters that you will face on the Official GMAT - your CAT score results show that you essentially performed the same each time (approximately 680 +/- a few points). You handle certain aspects of the GMAT consistently well, but you also make certain consistent mistakes. As such, you are remarkably close to your Score Goal right now - but you're making a few too many little mistakes (and those mistakes are costing you points).

Regardless of how you choose to continue your studies, it's important to remember that a CAT is really a 'measuring device' - when used correctly, it will give you a realistic score and help define your strengths and weaknesses, but it will NOT help you to fix any of those weaknesses. To raise your scores, you have to learn the necessary Tactics and put in the proper practice and repetitions. The CAT will show you whether your studies are helping you to improve or not. As such, you really shouldn't take more than 1 FULL CAT per week - and your last CAT should be taken about 1 week before Test Day.

With 3 additional weeks of study, you could certainly train to make the necessary adjustments to hit 710+, but you're going to have to be really efficient with your studies going forward. If you keep answering GMAT questions "your way", then you will likely continue to score at this same general level.

1) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?
2) What are the exact application deadlines that you are facing?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Thank you Rich!
I get some clarity to shape my next 3 weeks.
To answer your questions -
1) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week? I can study 35 hrs per week
2) What are the exact application deadlines that you are facing? ISB 2nd Cycle deadline - 15th Dec

Hi swean,

You have plenty of time before the Round 2 application deadlines - which is good. In that way, you do not have to 'rush' through this next phase of your studies, but you do have to be efficient (since beyond studying, you'll also have to work on your application).

To get a better sense of which areas you should specifically work on, we'll need to better define WHY you're getting questions wrong. As such, I'd like to know a bit more about your last CAT. While a full Mistake Tracker would provide a lot more information, there are some basic questions that you should be able to answer (and the more EXACT you can be with your answers, the better):

After reviewing each section of this recent CAT (the 660/Q46/V34), how many questions did you get wrong....
1) Because of a silly/little mistake?
2) Because there was some math/verbal that you just could not remember how to do?
3) Because the question was too hard?
4) Because you were low on time and had to guess?
5) How many Verbal questions did you 'narrow down to 2 choices' but still get wrong?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Right!

Here are my responses -
Quant -
No of questions I answered incorrectly - total - 10
1) Because of a silly mistake? 7 - I was able to solve the questions correctly without any help during my review of the test.
2) Because you were low on time and had to guess? 2, I had to rush through 2 questions as they were lengthy
3) miscalculation - 1 question I miscalculated

Verbal -
No of questions I answered incorrectly - total - 10(Sc - 7, CR - 3, RC - 3)
1) Because of a silly/little mistake? 0
2) Because there was some math/verbal that you just could not remember how to do? 7 SC - Not exactly I could not remember, but I got confused with basic concepts.
3) Because the question was too hard? 3 RC questions
4) Because you were low on time and had to guess? 1
5) How many Verbal questions did you 'narrow down to 2 choices' but still get wrong?3 SC questions, 3 CR Questions

Hi swean,

The extra information that you've provided is important - and it defines some of the specific areas that you need to work on over these next few weeks. Some of that work needs to be focused on content knowledge (such as learning the major Grammar/Idiom rules for SCs), while some of that work is about changing how you take notes and organize your work (missing 7 'gettable' Quant questions means that you're likely doing too much work "in your head", taking sloppy notes and/or using approaches that are too complicated - while there are likely other easier ways to get to the answer).

You might be able to 'fix' all of this on your own, but if you're looking for some additional study materials that can help you to focus on these exact issues, then I'll be happy to offer some suggestions.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich