Stuck on a Q47

Question

Hi,

As the subject of the thread says, I am stuck on my Quant score.
2 years ago I prepped for 4-5 months and took the GMAT 2 getting 2 awful scores. After that I decided to leave the GMAT parked aside and started a different professional path.

Around 4 months ago I retook my GMAT preparation, and I have gone through the main study resources (MGMAT + OG).
Now since my background is engineering, ever since I first studied the GMAT I have scored very consistently 46-47 on the Quant section without any specific preparation, so this time I have devoted a couple of months to specifically improving on Verbal.

As of today, I have performed 3 full simulations with the following scores:
Nov 12th: 610 (Q47, V27)
Jan 19th: 700 (Q47, V39)
Feb 9th: 680 (Q47, V36)

As you can see Q47 is almost a constant, which in part is good, but now I want to make that a consistent Q49-Q50.
I have studied/read the MGMAT Math foundations although I have found nothing of real relevance in there for me. For the last month I have been trying to improve my Q scoring without success.

I have already booked my appointment and have exactly 4 weeks time ahead, so I think I have the time to reach the Q50 and keep the V37-V39.

Does anyone have any specific suggestion? Has anyone been in a similar situation? 
I am finding Q47 a gate hard to trespass!

I would like to keep part of the focus on the verbal as well, as I have lowered my performance in the last month -since I put some more focus on Quant-.
I would say that probably a 60/40 split Q/V would be just good in my case.

Thanks!

BM · Answer

Your consistent high scores in math indicate a strong understanding and comfortability with the concepts. To reach an even higher level, it would help to focus on your weaknesses. Look for patterns in the questions that you struggled with and answered incorrectly. Extra question would probably help as well. At your level, however, upper-level difficulty questions are advised. Look into GMATClub tests as well as Jeff Sackmann's Extreme Challenge set.

VerbalHow · Answer

Hello! I actually noticed that you increased significantly in verbal..from a 27 to a 36+ in both your latter attempts.

Can you please let me know how you were able to do that? I mean..which resources were most handy in your preparation for verbal.

gdediegoi · Answer

Hi BM, thanks for your reply. Can you further explain what you are referring to by "Extra question"?
I have identified a couple of areas where I stuck more (work rates and combinatorics) but I also need to improve my time management in Quant since I never finish in time. 
My problem is that I (almost) always find a path to the solution, so the idea of parking a question doesn't come to my mind because my rationale tells me that since I have already engaged with the question and spent some time I'd rather spend some more time and answer it, but by the end of the test I am always rushed and need to guess/make educated guesses.

So really my question comes to where is the middle point between giving up on a question which you know you can answer and spending so much time you need to guess the final 5-6 questions?

@VerbalHow, the books I have found to be more helpful are the MGMAT for RC and the PowerScore for CR. I have found of little help the SC MGMAT -if any-. I haven't studied any other material and I admit I don't master them at all, I will probably go through a second round in the coming days to reinforce some concepts.

VeritasPrepBill · Answer

This is going to be a big area to improve in. If you can get more efficient with the moderate to somewhat difficult problems, you then have more time to spare for the monster problems.

As a general rule, you should have a rough idea of where the problem is headed after a minute or so. By two minutes, you should either be well on your way to solving or looking for a chance to make an educated guess.

I tend to have the same problem (not wanting to let go of a question; what can I say, I'm a stubborn person :D).

BM · Answer

Thanks for the feedback, gdediegoi!

As for extra questions, I am referring to additional opportunities to practice and reinforce the material. This can include OG material or questions sources outside of that. Jeff Sackmann has a number of question sets that I found quite helpful. And, of course, the GMATClub tests are an excellent resource for quant.

With regards to guessing and moving on from a question, it should take about one minute or so to have a decent idea of where you stand (as already mentioned by VeritasPrepBill). While I understand that it can be tempting to finish every single problem, you are falling for one of the great traps of the GMAT. Once you realize that, you can develop a strategy to fight this temptation and improve your overall performance.

Bunuel · Answer

ALL YOU NEED FOR QUANT: new-to-the-math-forum-please-read-this-first-140445.html HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR QUANT SCORE Improving from 30-35 to 40-44 Improving from 44 to 50 Other discussions dedicated to this issue: quant-strategy-to-go-from-q47-to-q50-q51-137078.html i-m-getting-a-consistent-q-48-49-i-m-an-engg-student-and-134999.html 3-weeks-to-increase-quant-score-134473.html improving-q-from-a-50-to-a-145212.html the-final-climb-quest-for-q-50-from-q47-129441.html help-need-for-quant-150311.html hitting-the-wall-please-share-your-prep-experience-150112.html how-to-improve-quant-score-137975.html need-pointers-to-move-q42-43-q50-148568.html a-way-to-increase-from-q35-40-to-q-138750.html do-i-need-to-change-the-way-i-study-110611.html several-people-has-asked-me-if-it-is-possible-to-improve-40820.html gmat-in-less-than-4-weeks-desperately-need-quant-advice-127092.html stuck-at-47-test-in-a-month-137521.html improve-gmat-score-from-620-to-700-need-urgent-help-144530.html calling-quant-experts-need-a-strategy-to-improve-146045.html final-weeks-calculation-silly-errors-and-speed-129408.html knocked-down-by-the-gmat-for-the-second-time-150350.html several-people-has-asked-me-if-it-is-possible-to-improve-40820.html how-to-improve-your-quant-from-q44-to-q50-141670.html help-gmat-in-3-days-134350.html HOW TO SPEED UP Want to speed up? Check this: Timing Strategies on the GMAT Other discussions dedicated to this issue: for-non-quant-beasts-128188.html how-to-speed-up-answering-math-questions-19365.html having-trouble-finishing-quant-section-any-ideas-110613.html ds-and-timing-help-108310.html final-weeks-calculation-silly-errors-and-speed-129408.html Hope this helps.

soods26 · Answer

GMAT CLub quant tests were a great help to me. I was able iron out any timing issues and by the end of the whole series of tests I had almost all the short cuts on my finger tips. They are a tough bunch of questions and you shouldn't take the scores too seriously; however be wary of keeping your timing in tact. All the best.

gdediegoi · Answer

Hi all,

So I took my GMAT exam today and scored a 640 (Q49, V29, IR 7).

I honestly don't know what to think. 
Today, I was feeling pretty good, with confidence in that I would score high. I had that feeling when you know you have done your homework... so I wasn't stressed and was actually feeling energised.

I hadn't really prepared neither for the AWA nor for the IR -I just took 1 IR in one of my CAT Tests at home-. Yet, I felt VERY comfortable with the AWA and at the end I scored a 7/8 in IR.
When I faced to the Q section, I wasn't unsure how I was performing... the questions seemed to be far too easy, so my thoughts were that maybe I had failed too many questions in a row. I used those thoughts to face the V with even more energies, since I knew I would need to get a high V if I wanted to counterbalance the Q.
In the V section I again felt I was understanding the passages, and ultimately quite confident I was choosing the right answers.

I finished both sections in time, with less than 1min left in each - so perfect timing I would say.

End of the exam... and the screen shows a 640 (Q49, V29, IR 7).
Honestly my first impression was "w-t-f" I have scored 680-700's at home. However I was very happy to see my Q going from Q47 to Q49.

So what has gone wrong?
Well... my V went down again, from the typical V36 I was getting lately, to a discouraging V29. Had I scored V36 today I would probably be looking at a general score of 680-690 easily, which would have been simply great.

So what to do now?
That's the question. Although the last time I took the GMAT was 2 years ago, and one could argue that today is "as if" it were the first time I took the exam, the reality is I already have a history with this exam, and MBA admission directors will look at my whole history.
Retaking seems to be the most logical thing when comparing the real score to the Prep Tests, however I am not sure that even if I manage to improve the score start my history will drag me down.

On the other hand, I think it is pretty clear by now I need some serious help with the V. 
But wt*, I don't understand... OK I am not a native speaker... but am I seriously so bad at V??

I have taken a look at Knewtons course, maybe in my case some kind of "improvement guaranteed" course would work. However I haven't found much posts narrating the experience with Knewtons, so I am unsure and I can't really lose any more time. I was thinking of applying for INSEAD R3 and I am running out of time...

Also I wanted to ask... once admitted to an MBA, how determining is the GMAT in having job interviews?
Would a 640 prevent me from being interviewed in a top consultancy/finance institution?

Thanks in advance!

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Stuck on a Q47

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