Need guidance to improve Verbal section score from V20 to V40

Question

Hi,

I left the job to prepare for the GMAT exam. I took GMAT on Jan 9th 2015 and scored Q50/V20 and 6points in IR section. I got final score as 540. Now, i do not understand how to improve score in verbal section. I think that i am facing difficulty in RC. I am thinking whether to join some company or continue preparation. While i am preparing for GMAT, i am getting disappointed for my previous score and having no job right now. I need some guidance to overcome this and concentrate more on verbal section to crack atleast V37. I am planning to take the exam in May 2015.

Please help me.

AmrithS · Answer

Hi: You have a great quant raw score man

That's definitely a strength. As for verbal, two months is adequate preparation time to hit your target score. So... What materials have your already used?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi mschandra,

A V40 is right around the 90th percentile in the Verbal section. To score at (or close to) that level, you'll need to put in a significant amount of work. Beyond learning the content and logic, you will also have to learn the patterns, the common wrong answers, the tactics and the little 'secrets' to how the Verbal section is designed. Given your first GMAT score, you're not likely to improve to this level on your own by May. Thus, investing in some new GMAT resources is a must.

The good news is that the Verbal section of the GMAT is as predictable and standardized as the Quant section is, so you CAN train to score at a higher level.

I'd like to know a bit more about how you studied:

1) How long did you study?
2) What resources did you use during your studies?
3) On Test Day, did you have a pacing problem in the Verbal section? Did you have to rush (and guess on a bunch of questions) just to finish? Did you leave any Verbal questions unanswered?

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

mschandra · Answer

I studied for almost 3 months. At Starting, i faced difficulty in CR and RC, but now i feel that i am OK in CR. I used OG REVIEW, OG VERBAL, TIME institute material and some questions in 1000SC, 1000CR and Manhattan Review Verbal book. But i did not complete OG verbal book completely. On test day i felt like i am doing good, but i had to rush and guess on last 5 questions.

AmrithS · Answer

Firstly, it is not the quantity of questions but the quality of questions that matters.

A good quality question is one that teaches you something new.

Which is why it is very important to do the following:
1. When you read a question, ask yourself - "How is this one different from all the other questions that I have done?'
Watch our for tiny variations. 
2. Then ask yourself - "Can I clearly identify the known and the unknown?"
3. The next question is - "Do I have the information to go from the known to the unknown?"
4. After solving the question, check the explanations given and see whether your answer is right or wrong.
5. If your answer is correct, check why the answer is correct according to the author of the question and see whether your reasoning agrees with the author's.
6. If your answer is incorrect, check why the answer is incorrect according to the author and see how your reasoning differed from the author's.
7. Check each option to understand why the wrong options are wrong and why the right answer is right. 
8. Note down new concepts that you learned from doing this question. 
9. Check if you can explain the question if a ten year old asks you for the solution. If you can explain it to a ten year old, then it means you understood.

Without doing all this, solving a question adds absolutely NO value. That is why people wonder why they fared poorly despite the SUPER LARGE number of questions they solved.

Regards,
Amrith

KarishmaB · Answer

First of all, your Quant is brilliant so good job there. Of course, ensure that you maintain it so keep practicing a few high level questions every day. Also, go through some discussions on holistic/advanced methods of solving questions which save you time and are intellectually more rewarding. It might just get you the coveted Q51. I discuss many such methods on my blog. Here is an interesting post from my blog: https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/2015/01 ... questions/ Your IR is also above average so no problems over there either. Again, ensure that you maintain the score. Here is my advice for you on Verbal: 1. You must go through the complete Verbal material of some test prep company. It will discuss how to identify the various types of questions, what to look for in each question type, what kind of option to look for etc. You will get such detailed information for both RC and CR. For SC, it will be important for you to be comfortable with the most common errors on which GMAT likes to test you. You will also need to work on how SC is reasoning based. Here are some posts from our blog. They will give you an idea of what I mean: https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/2015/02 ... orrection/ https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/2013/05 ... reasoning/ https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/2014/11 ... s-part-ii/ https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/2013/08 ... -the-gmat/

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi mschandra,

It appears that much of your Verbal preparation was book-based, which is likely a significant part of your problem. Many Test Takers who use a 'book-heavy' study approach get "stuck" at a particular scoring level. Books can only teach you so much about the Verbal section and NO book can properly prepare you for the physical aspect of facing the Verbal section on Test Day.

As such, you'll likely need to invest in some new computer-based GMAT resources. Beyond training with some new practice questions, you need to also learn the proper Verbal tactics and patterns that show up every time you take the GMAT.

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

JTuquero · Answer

Hi Mschandra,

Have you properly debriefed after taking the practice exams? If so, you'll get a good idea of the type of questions you're struggling with and whether RC really is what you're tripping over. Let us know how you've debrief and which questions have continued to trouble you. This will help us provide more specific tips on improving your verbal score.

With regards to RC, be sure to be an active reader rather than a passive reader (reading simply to absorb the information). While reading RC passages, be sure to take notes and keep your eye out for the following:

What is the main idea of this passage?
What is the author's position and tone (neutral? critical? etc.)?
What is the structure of the argument (e.g. two opposing sides vs. one sided, informational vs. author's opinion)?

Also, read as much as you can. Reading op-ed pieces in the NY Times or articles in the Economist will help.

Hope this helps for now. I look forward to hearing about your progress!

Jessica

OptimusPrep · Answer

You should sign up for a verbal course to reach your goal. there are some course options such as e-gmat or optimus prep that guarantee a score improvement!

Please contact our support if you have any questions regarding our course or a free and non-committal trial account

OptimusPrep · Answer

You should sign up for a verbal course to reach your goal. there are some course options such as e-gmat or optimus prep that guarantee a score improvement!

Please contact our support if you have any questions regarding our course or a free and non-committal trial account

Need guidance to improve Verbal section score from V20 to V40

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards