GMAT test taking strategy

Question

Hi experts,

I will take the GMAT on May 1st 2015.

I have been scoring reasonably okay in mock CATs.

My last three scores are :
Veritas Mock CAT : 730
Kaplan Mock CAt : 750
Gmatprep CAT 2: 750

However, I find it physically very tiring to take the GMAT and as a result of the exhaustion I tend to get 3-4 questions wrong in the end in the verbal section.

Is it the same of most of the test takers ? What can do to remedy this and do well in the actual GMAT ?

RichEconomistGMAT · Answer

Hi amit1989,

It looks like your practice scores are excellent. However, I'm curious if you simulated the actual circumstances you'll be under on May 1st when you took these practice exams. I'm also curious if you've submitted an AWA sample for review at any point.

Aside from that, fatigue is common among test-takers. The GMAT is an exhaustive exam, so don't be discouraged by the fatigue you're feeling at the end of the exam. Now that you're aware of when your fatigue really starts to set in, you'll be able to prepare yourself for that on test day.

With that in mind, it's best to take the day before your GMAT completely off. Don't do any prep and rest up, especially since you know you'll be fatigued by the end of it.

Best of luck,
Rich

dabral · Answer

amit1989,

Yes, taking the GMAT is a pretty exhausting process. I would recommend you to get solid sleep in the three to four days prior to the exam, something like 10 hours. Even if you have trouble sleeping the night before the test(I do), you would have banked some sleep and this will help your performance tremendously.

Your practice scores are great. I would recommend you to take some more of the Official CATs, Exam Pack 1 is a good choice. Try to do the entire test in one sitting, and preferably not at home, perhaps at a library, conference room at work, etc.

Cheers,
Dabral

DmitryFarberMPrep · Answer

This is fairly normal, and it can be a serious problem on test day if your home practice is not realistic. For instance, if you practice without IR & essay, that extra hour can leave you truly exhausted by the time the verbal section comes along.

A few tips:

1) Make sure you are using your 8 min. breaks well. Get up and move around, use the bathroom, and have a snack/drink with some sugar in it. You can experiment with different snacks that are portable and easy for the test center, but that give you the necessary boost.

2) If you feel your energy or attention flagging at any point during the test, take a micro-break. Close your eyes for a moment while you take one or two relaxing breaths. Then look at the test again with fresh eyes. "Okay, what is my task?"

3) Make sure you are working for efficiency. Sometimes even when we are managing to time ourselves well, we work in an exhausting and inefficient manner. You can get more efficient by improving your ability at the underlying skills of the test (algebra, grammar, etc.), but it can also help to look for more efficient ways of thinking about different question types. For instance, on a Sentence Correction q, are you first eliminating the answers that have clear grammatical errors before trying to analyze more subtle issues of meaning and structure? In RC, are you avoiding some of the finer details of the passage, figuring you can go back and read them if a question requires you to? In CR, are you stopping to analyze the argument and predict an answer before moving on to the answer choices? Get in the habit of thinking about efficiency in your review of every practice problem.

amit1989 · Answer

Thank you Experts for your replies.
Hi Dmitry,
I took a Manhattan GMAT mock test yesterday and scored a 700.
In the quant section, I got the first 15 questions correct. However, the questions became brutally tough after that and I ended up making 9 mistakes in rest of the 22 questions. When I reviewed the test, I found out that 36 of the 37 questions were of difficulty 700-800 level. My score for quant was 47.
When I had taken another Manhattan mock sometime back, I had made the same number of mistakes in the test in Quant section (9). However, I scored 51 in that test.
So , I am wondering if solving 15 questions correct in a row was actually a disadvantage for me as all the subsequent questions I got were of a higher level and I faced higher penalty when I got them wrong.

manyatpr · Answer

Yes endurance on the test is a big factor that decides the fate of the score as well. It is all about building focus and concentration. So every time you sit down to practice for the test extend the study hour by 30 mins. Also solve a combination of questions from Quant and verbal during practice time so that you sustain the interest and focus. In a few days you will find that practicing for 3 hours at a stretch is not boring or fatigue causing since the questions are culled from different sources. Fighting boredom helps one to fight fatigue. More such practice sessions will help you to evolve a habit pattern which can be replicated on the real day.You are already on a good score so that should give you the impetus to sit for longer hours of practice time. Good luck!

OptimusPrep · Answer

I would say most students perform weaker under pressure - about 20-30 points on average.

some students are much stronger on test day vs. practice tests. there are also several other aspects such as how you slept, if you generally are in good condition, and much more.

It is really hard to answer but the better prepared you go to the test center the better your chances are.

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