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02 Mar 2012, 05:12
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Hi, Though I really need help with both Quant and Verbal, I am going to focus on Quant for now in this post.
Please, please help.
I started my prep 6 weeks ago. After completing the theory, I have done 5 practice CATs.
MGMAT 1, 730, Quant 45
Test in Kaplan Premier book, 710, don't remember the scaled score for Quant
MGMAT 2, 700, Quant 46
Kaplan Premier CD 1, 700, Quant 50
MGMAT 3, 710, Quant 45
On the basis of these performances, I am pegging my Average Scaled Score for Quant at 45.
Now, a few days ago, I decided that simply ploughing ahead with more and more hard questions is not going to help. I need to adopt a different strategy to break out of my 45 ceiling. And the error log I had kept all along since my OG12 days turned out to be crap. It only told me what questions I got wrong. It didn't tell me anything about why I was making the mistakes I was making.
So, over the last few days, I went back to some of these CATs and created a new error log. Instead of merely writing down the questions I was getting wrong, I started writing down exactly why I was making the mistakes that I was making. And the results were startling.
Some of the kinds of mistakes I am making are:
(a) I am not paying attention to the independent clause at the start of algebra questions. E.g. "x,y are non-negative integers". My eyes just seem to fly past them.
(b) In DS questions, when I find that there are two simultaneous equations for two variables, I jump and say "Sufficient". But it turns out one of the equations was a dud.
(c) Though I know the properties of geometric shapes there may be one or two I don't know and the question comes on the ones I don't. For example, I know that inscribed triangles in a circle with base as diameter are right angled but I didn't know that inscribed triangles in a circle with a common base that is not the diameter have equal top angles." This worries me because I don't know just a few properties here and there but I feel I have to go back and sit with my theory all over again
(d) I rush too fast. Had I spent 10 more seconds, I would have got the right answer.
(e) Because I make silly mistakes like these, I am constantly going up to 600-700 or falling down to 500-600 level questions. I don't stay at the 700-800 level consistently.
(f) Then there are questions that don't follow any template or formulaic approach. You just have to have seen the answer solved before. Or you won't get it. Such questions tell me that I need exposure to a lot of different kinds of questions. (Very, very worrying
)
(g) In many questions, I do everything right but get the last step wrong.
(g) ... and so on ...
Here's what. My trouble is that I can't figure out if there is any end to the number of mistakes I am making. I think if I continue this deepdive analysis, I will arrive at a set of 10-12 known mistakes that I seem to make all the time. But it's very scary when I think I have to go back and solve many, many problems to get sufficient practice.
I should have created this kind of detailed error log when I started my prep. But my Average Scaled Score for Quant is 45. Does it mean anything good? Does it mean I have a good base and only need to control the known mistakes I make? Or does it mean I have a lot of hard work ahead of me.
Really hoping somebody has some insights.
I am at a stage in my prep when I should be doing harder and harder questions. But I now fully realize that if I don't realize what mistakes I am making all the time and if I don't control these known mistakes, I won't even get to the hard questions in the exam.
Please, please help.
I started my prep 6 weeks ago. After completing the theory, I have done 5 practice CATs.
MGMAT 1, 730, Quant 45
Test in Kaplan Premier book, 710, don't remember the scaled score for Quant
MGMAT 2, 700, Quant 46
Kaplan Premier CD 1, 700, Quant 50
MGMAT 3, 710, Quant 45
On the basis of these performances, I am pegging my Average Scaled Score for Quant at 45.
Now, a few days ago, I decided that simply ploughing ahead with more and more hard questions is not going to help. I need to adopt a different strategy to break out of my 45 ceiling. And the error log I had kept all along since my OG12 days turned out to be crap. It only told me what questions I got wrong. It didn't tell me anything about why I was making the mistakes I was making.
So, over the last few days, I went back to some of these CATs and created a new error log. Instead of merely writing down the questions I was getting wrong, I started writing down exactly why I was making the mistakes that I was making. And the results were startling.
Some of the kinds of mistakes I am making are:
(a) I am not paying attention to the independent clause at the start of algebra questions. E.g. "x,y are non-negative integers". My eyes just seem to fly past them.
(b) In DS questions, when I find that there are two simultaneous equations for two variables, I jump and say "Sufficient". But it turns out one of the equations was a dud.
(c) Though I know the properties of geometric shapes there may be one or two I don't know and the question comes on the ones I don't. For example, I know that inscribed triangles in a circle with base as diameter are right angled but I didn't know that inscribed triangles in a circle with a common base that is not the diameter have equal top angles." This worries me because I don't know just a few properties here and there but I feel I have to go back and sit with my theory all over again
(d) I rush too fast. Had I spent 10 more seconds, I would have got the right answer.
(e) Because I make silly mistakes like these, I am constantly going up to 600-700 or falling down to 500-600 level questions. I don't stay at the 700-800 level consistently.
(f) Then there are questions that don't follow any template or formulaic approach. You just have to have seen the answer solved before. Or you won't get it. Such questions tell me that I need exposure to a lot of different kinds of questions. (Very, very worrying
) (g) In many questions, I do everything right but get the last step wrong.
(g) ... and so on ...
Here's what. My trouble is that I can't figure out if there is any end to the number of mistakes I am making. I think if I continue this deepdive analysis, I will arrive at a set of 10-12 known mistakes that I seem to make all the time. But it's very scary when I think I have to go back and solve many, many problems to get sufficient practice.
I should have created this kind of detailed error log when I started my prep. But my Average Scaled Score for Quant is 45. Does it mean anything good? Does it mean I have a good base and only need to control the known mistakes I make? Or does it mean I have a lot of hard work ahead of me.
Really hoping somebody has some insights.
I am at a stage in my prep when I should be doing harder and harder questions. But I now fully realize that if I don't realize what mistakes I am making all the time and if I don't control these known mistakes, I won't even get to the hard questions in the exam.
Schools: Goizueta '15 Tepper '15 Anderson '15 Darden '15 Georgia Tech '15 NUS '15 Fisher '15 HEC '15 Erasmus '15 Duke '15 Jones '15 Kenan-Flagler '15 Melbourne '15 LBS '14 Krannert '15 Ivey '15 W.P. Carey
GMAT 1: 710 Q50 V35
Posts: 793
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02 Mar 2012, 11:53
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budablasta,
Take one issue at a time. There are various things you can do
a.) Try DS Questions from OG 12/OGQR and solve them untimed trying to get each question absolutely correct, even if you have to spend 5-10 mins/question. In DS the problem is that people try to rush through without thinking deep enough and consider all possibilities. This wrong approach is reinforcing. Once you get the correct approach in untimed situation you will figure out which questions needs more time for considering all the possibilities. Solving quickly will never allow you to develop this habit.
b.) For non template based question you need to develop the problem cracking ability and practice tough questions. You can refer to MGMAT Advanced Quant for the same. GMAT Club tests M18-M25 fall in this category.
c.) I think it would be useful to follow the following method for analysing the errors(which steps you made the error)
UNDERSTAND
PLAN
SOLVE
REVIEW.
This is detailed in 2nd half of free MGMAT Webinar here(right hand side; you will need to download SAS Elluminate Software):
https://www.manhattangmat.com/gmat-roadmap.cfm
Take one issue at a time. There are various things you can do
a.) Try DS Questions from OG 12/OGQR and solve them untimed trying to get each question absolutely correct, even if you have to spend 5-10 mins/question. In DS the problem is that people try to rush through without thinking deep enough and consider all possibilities. This wrong approach is reinforcing. Once you get the correct approach in untimed situation you will figure out which questions needs more time for considering all the possibilities. Solving quickly will never allow you to develop this habit.
b.) For non template based question you need to develop the problem cracking ability and practice tough questions. You can refer to MGMAT Advanced Quant for the same. GMAT Club tests M18-M25 fall in this category.
c.) I think it would be useful to follow the following method for analysing the errors(which steps you made the error)
UNDERSTAND
PLAN
SOLVE
REVIEW.
This is detailed in 2nd half of free MGMAT Webinar here(right hand side; you will need to download SAS Elluminate Software):
https://www.manhattangmat.com/gmat-roadmap.cfm
02 Mar 2012, 20:55
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi AbhiJ. Thanks
I have only 2 weeks left for the exam. (That is, if I don't extend it by a month which I think makes all the sense in the world now.) I seriously don't know if OG12 will help because I have already done it once thoroughly. But I am going to back to the old-style error log I had and look up the medium-to-hard problems and do them again.
Secondly, you talk about getting more exposure to hard problems. I have downloaded a lot of material put up by Bunuel. Do you think I should go through these or do you think they are a little tougher than I should handle right now considering I am at 45 in Quant.
I am looking at the MGMAT webinar right now... Will let you know if it helps
I have only 2 weeks left for the exam. (That is, if I don't extend it by a month which I think makes all the sense in the world now.) I seriously don't know if OG12 will help because I have already done it once thoroughly. But I am going to back to the old-style error log I had and look up the medium-to-hard problems and do them again.
Secondly, you talk about getting more exposure to hard problems. I have downloaded a lot of material put up by Bunuel. Do you think I should go through these or do you think they are a little tougher than I should handle right now considering I am at 45 in Quant.
I am looking at the MGMAT webinar right now... Will let you know if it helps
