Verbal Review--GMAT Prep--V25--Road Ahead--Advice Needed

Question

Hi All,

I just gave the 1st CAT of GMAT Prep Software and scored 590 (47Q,25V).My target score is 690 so 100 points to go.I am one month away from my Exam Date.

OK.By looking at the above score,it is clear that I am faring well in Quant and that I should not study much for that part of the test.Now to the harder part.

Let me just give you the breakup of my Verbal Score (RC--5 Wrong,SC--5 Wrong,CR--4 Wrong).

When I reviewed the questions I found that I was able to narrow the options as per 2/3 split but always got wrong one ticked.1st review and I was able to find my way for correct one and what was the error I made.(In SC).

I Think I should focus on SC the most and should re-read the MGMAT SC Guide (the easy way to Improve in Verbal is to Improve in SC).CR as well needs a bit of work.For RC I haven't studied as such and I always think that there is no point to study RC much as it is the most harder part to improve upon and if at all it improves it will improve my overall score marginally.

Any further guidance as to how should I go ahead with my preparations???

I took the exam under the exact actual GMAT Exam conditions.Also I felt that I should not have used my common sense logic for Verbal and should have sticked by the procedure.Need to improve the stamina as it was almost impossible to concentrate at the later part of verbal.(Zombie Mind).

Also I have already completed OG 16 and have made error log and have again reviewed the same for the type of errors.

MGMAT 1--590 (W/o AWA & IR)
GMAT Prep 1--590 (With AWA & IR--7)

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ynk,

Since you've only taken one FULL-LENGTH CAT, you haven't honed your 'endurance' skills yet, so the drop-off in Verbal performance is understandable (it's the last 75 minutes of a 4-hour Exam). This is meant to say that you should be taking FULL-LENGTH CATs on a more frequent basis (1 FULL CAT per week). Since you've been studying for almost 3 months now, and you're still 100 points from your goal score, you're likely going to need more than just one additional month of study time.

The RC portion of the Verbal section represents about 1/3 of the questions that you'll face in that section, so the fact that you haven't studied for it is a big problem. The style and logic of RC passages, as well as the question types and answer choices (including the wrong answers) ALL follow patterns. You CAN train to score at a higher level in RC - in much the same way that you can train to score at a higher level in all areas of the GMAT - by learning the necessary content and Tactics. From what you've described, you're not planning to do much Quant work nor are you planning to study RC.... so that means you're going to have to find all of the missing points that you're looking for in SC and CR. By making that choice, you're increasing the difficulty of this whole process considerably.

1) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

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

ynk · Answer

Hi RichC,

Thanks for your reply.Well I think Q47 is enough to get 690 as far as I have seen the break up of scores people get when they score in this range.And what I think is that its get very difficult to improve from Q47 to Q51 and is very time consuming.Do you think I should go for that jump?Also,in RC I am not seeing any huge mistakes & errors and thus was planning to do away with that section.But,as per your advice will surely try to devise a plan to inculcate RC in my study plan in the coming weeks.And yes from now onwards will give one Full Length CAT/week for improving stamina.

I am planning to apply to Business schools in Sept-Dec. 2016 cycle.But will need time for completing the application as I am a working professional.What do you suggest?

What should I do for SC & CR?Any other advice is more than welcome.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ynk,

With a Q47, you have the necessary Quant knowledge and you're likely a strong overall thinker, so you could very likely score higher in the Quant if you made a few minor changes to how you 'see' (and respond to) that section of the GMAT. While you could certainly hit your overall score goal with a Q47, that goal becomes easier to achieve with a higher Quant Scaled Score (and many Schools prefer a high Quant score), so it's worth examining how you approach that section of the Test. To that end, on this last CAT, how many questions did you get wrong in the Quant that you could/should have gotten correct? Be honest with that assessment.

Since the Fall application deadlines are still over 3 months away, you have plenty of time to continue studying and improve. With a V25 though, you're losing points in all 3 major Verbal categories (SC, RC and CR) - and you're likely 'narrowing down the choices and then "guessing"' far too often. As such, investing in some new materials and learn/practicing some new Tactics is warranted. Given everything that you've described, 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, but you shouldn't feel the need to rush through any of that material. 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 at our website (www.empowergmat.com) that you can use to 'test out' the Course before you set up a Full Account.

If you have any additional question, then just let me know.

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

ynk · Answer

Hi  EMPOWERgmatRichC ,

Sorry to again bother you,but I need your invaluable advice for the road ahead.
Just gave the MGMAT CAT 2 and score 650 (46Q,33V).
Gave it under the exact conditions of the Real GMAT.This time I was able to concentrate more in verbal as I think that I have improved my Stamina Level.Also,I haven't touched Quant for a while now and was still able to score a 46 has got me thinking of learning and polishing few more skills which possibly can lead to a score of Q50.

The problem still persists in Verbal.I have improved for sure but still it's a long way to go.
When I reviewed the Questions I found out that I am failing to solve the questions which are of the level 700-800 and thus my score is hovering around V28-V35.I need to break this barrier and cross ~V38 bare minimum.Also I have completed going through with RC basics and will soon be able to complete OG Questions as suggested by you,not leaving any stone unturned.

Please advice further for improving the verbal score.Also I am actively participating in GMAT Club and answering to whichever questions I get right.Is this going to help or using GMAT Club that extensively will deteriorate my understanding levels or so.

Kindly note my target score in 680-720.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ynk,

With a score goal of 680+, and this latest CAT result, you're remarkably close to your goal. Many Test Takers become too concerned about the 'level' of questions that they're answering correctly, when they really should be focused on WHY they're getting questions wrong. Right now,, you don't need to be thinking about "700-800" level questions - you need to be focused on correctly answering the 'gettable' questions that you're getting wrong.

On this last CAT, after you reviewed the Quant and Verbal questions, how many of those questions COULD you have gotten correct but didn't because of a silly/little mistake? Fixing THOSE mistakes is what you need to be focused on.

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

ynk · Answer

Hi Rich,

How are you doing my friend ? Well I just gave the 2nd Full GMAT Prep Software CAT and scored 680 (Q49,V34) and an IR score of 7.Followed your advices and has landed the score.

Need your help to enhance the V34 to above V38.Also should I book the Test date and when as I am thinking of purchasing an Exam Pack for giving myself two more exams of real GMAT Like Ques.

Further is there anything else I should do as I am feeling a bit low on confidence and that how can I break that 700 mark in a very short time.

Please note that I am having a family function in the coming week and will not be able to study much for a whole week.So advice me accordingly for booking the test date.

Thanks in advance.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ynk,

You're in range of your score goal, so you should plan to take the Official GMAT sometime soon. Taking a week 'off' from studying may or may not impact your skills - GMAT skills do 'fade' over time, but I don't know you well enough to know whether a week off will hurt your performance too much. To be safe, you should probably give yourself at least a couple of weeks after that week off, so that you can continue to study and take another CAT or two.

At higher and higher scoring levels, the GMAT becomes really 'sensitive' to little mistakes - if you make too many of them, then a 700+ score simply becomes impossible to achieve. In that way, you really have to nitpick each of your CAT results. Just a handful of correct/incorrect answers (on 'gettable' questions) can be the difference between hitting your goal score and coming up short.

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

ynk · Answer

Hi Rich,

I have booked a date of 18th August for my GMAT.And today I just got 670(Q49,V33) on GMAT Prep Exam Pack (Exam 1).

Problem still persists with Sentence Correction.Any suggestions to improve the same in such a Short Span of time.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ynk,

You're still really close to your score goal, so you have to nitpick WHY you're getting questions wrong. Based on the average amount of time that you spent on your CRs and SCs on this CAT, you're spending too much time (on average) on these prompts. This implies that you might be 'narrowing down the answers and "guessing" too often (and that extra time is spending rereading answer choices and trying to decide which one "sounds best"). Unfortunately, that's not a great way to approach the section (and probability says that you're going to get HALF of those questions wrong). Have you had a chance to review this CAT? How many questions did you get wrong in the Verbal section that you COULD have gotten correct? Like it or not, SCs are still based on a fixed set of grammar rules/idioms (there are other factors too - style, meaning, etc.; but the correct answer will be grammatically correct all the way through, so you can use that design to your advantage). Some extra time spent reviewing those rules (on ALL the SCs, not just the ones that you got wrong) would likely be beneficial.

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

JeffTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi ynk,

If you are aware that Sentence Correction is your most glaring verbal weakness, you might first consider analyzing each incorrect Sentence Correction question from your most recent CAT. When analyzing each question, be sure to determine the particular grammar rule(s) that you overlooked: pronouns, subject/verb agreement, comparisons, modifiers, idioms, etc. Once you complete your analysis, go back and review your notes from your weakest topics.

After your review, consider doing some more focused SC practice, to find and fix any remaining weak areas. To help increase your verbal score even higher, it may be a good idea to follow a similar routine for Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension. 
Once your weakest verbal areas have been addressed, you may want to take another few practice exams to track your progress. As above, once complete, analyze your mistakes and figure out remedies for them. Since your test is one week away you may consider taking another practice exam over the weekend and a final practice exam early next week. You could take the remaining exam from exam pack 1 and then the first exam from exam pack 2.

When taking the exam, try to replicate the test day experience as much as possible: Go to the library instead of taking the test in your house or apartment. Be sure to complete all sections (AWA, IR, Quant, and Verbal). Only take the allotted breaks.

Once you take your next CAT, report back with the results. I’m around to answer any further questions.

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