Verbal CATs

Question

Hi,

Is there any test series where I can buy a package only (or mainly) for Verbal CATs? I am aware that GMAT club's 3 month access package offers sectional CATs, but there are only 6 Verbal CATs and 24 Quant CATs. I need more practice in Verbal than in Quant. Rest of the test series like Manhattan are offering 6 complete CATs. Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks.

Abhishek009 · Answer

Please search for the appropriate sections ( Reviews ), you may find something useful here -

https://gmatclub.com/reviews/

https://gmatclub.com/marketplace/tests-questions?fl=menu

Request you to kindly search our forums before posting..

Happy Preparations

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi aravindatreya,

When you take a CAT, if your goal is to receive a realistic score assessment, then you really have to be strict about HOW you take the CAT. The more the 'CAT-taking event' deviates from what you'll face on Test Day, the more likely the score is to be inaccurate (and in most cases, that means "inflated"). As such, you should make sure to take a NEW CAT each time, with the Essay/IR sections, away from your home, at the same time of day as your Official GMAT, etc. Taking an isolated Verbal section is NOT realistic, so I'd suggest that you not do so.

Beyond those details, it's important to remember that taking lots of CATs will NOT make you a better Test Taker. 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 put in the necessary practice and repetitions. The CAT will show you whether your studies are helping you to improve or not.

1) How long have you studied?
2) What materials have you used?
3) How have you scored on each of your CATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?
4) What is your goal score?
5) When are you planning to take the GMAT?

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

aravindatreya · Answer

Hi Rich,

Thanks for your suggestions. Coming to the answers for your questions.

1) It has been one and half months since I started my preparation. But it hasn't been a full fledged one. As I am working, on weekdays I study for 1.5 hrs on average and 3-4 hrs during the weekends.

2) So far I've just used the official review books, the Verbal review book and the official GMAT guide

3) So far I've written only one complete exam, which was more like a diagnostic test. I used one of the two free exams available in GMATprep software. I scored 690 (Q50, V33).

4) I am aiming to score 750+.

5) I haven't decided the date yet, I'll decide once I start giving mocks and see where I am.

After practicing DS questions and getting used to them I got comfortable with Quant section. I recently wrote a sectional Quant test in GMAT club and scored 51. Although it is not realistic to assume I might score the same in a full fledged test I believe Quant will not be an issue for me. 
So far I've practiced more or less all verbal questions from both review books and still my accuracy is very low in verbal. As it is my weak point that is why I was wondering if taking sectional verbal CAT would help, but now I think it wouldn't be realistic. How should I approach this problem?

Thanks,
Aravind

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi aravindatreya,

The Verbal section of the GMAT is as consistent and predictable as the Quant section is, so you CAN train to score at a higher level. The key word there is 'train' though - working through lots of Verbal practice question is not nearly as important as learning the necessary Verbal Tactics, patterns, common wrong answer types, etc. so that you can approach Verbal questions in an organized, efficient way. From what you've described about your Verbal studies, it sounds like you're working through lots of practice materials and trying to 'self teach' how best to handle those concepts - and that's usually not the best way for most GMATers to train for the Verbal section. This is meant to say that you would likely benefit from a more formal, Course-based approach. Thankfully, you're already a strong critical thinker, so you really just need to learn HOW to properly think about Verbal questions and you could likely hit your goal score. As such, I think that you would find the EMPOWERgmat Verbal Score Booster to be quite helpful. Most of our clients finish that Study Plan in under a month, so the time commitment wouldn't be too bad. During that time, you'll also be able to access any of the Quant resources that interest you. We have a variety of free resources on our site (www.empowergmat.com), so you can 'test out' the Course before setting up an account.

If you have any additional questions, then you can feel free to contact me directly.

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

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