Please advise: test this week, latest mock left me shaken

Question

All,

I've studied my ass off all summer for this test but I've recently lost some confidence and I'm now questioning pretty much everything. Just looking for some advice and/or perspective. My exam is this Saturday, 9/19.

A quick summary of where I stand:

Initially I started GMAT prep in Summer 2014. I took a GMAT Prep cold and scored a  620 (Q32, V44) . I never really got that serious about studying before deciding to focus on work for another year and apply for the subsequent year. But it was clear: I would need to really focus on my quant to achieve a 700+.

Fast forward to May 2015 and I start the prep again. I complete Manhattan's Quant guides and the OG. On July 26, 2015 I took the second GMATPrep Exam and scored a  660 (Q37, V44) . I didn't due the AWA or IR on this mock. For every subsequent exam, however, I have.

I was relatively encouraged with the Quant increase and started to feel very confident in my Verbal, which I really have not done any dedicated studying for aside from reading through MGMAT's SC book.

August I study my ass off, focusing exclusively on quant. August 30 i re-set the GMATPrep software and re-take Exam 2 scoring a  700 (Q43, V42) . Note that I only saw one repeat per section, both of which I missed (!), so I don't consider this score tainted.

I continue studying my ass off and on September 7 I take GMAT Prep Exam 1 (which technically I had taken over a year prior on a different computer, but I don't remember any questions from that exam and I didn't recognize any on 9/7, so I don't think the score was tainted). I score a  730 (Q45, V46).  I miss 2 SC and 2 LR.

But....

Yesterday I installed the GMAT Prep Exam pack and scored a  690 (Q44, V41) . I was pleased with Quant; though it was lower than my 45 scored the weekend prior, I wasn't guessing as much and never felt overwhelmed like the week prior. But what happened to my verbal!?! I missed 10 questions! Of the 10, 8 were sentence correction! It's really shaken my confidence and approach!

So what should I concentrate on this week? How do I spend these last few days preparing? That 730 had me feeling fantastic and I kept the intensity of my prep up, and I'd admit this 690 (particuarly the verbal score) has really shaken my confidence. My mindset all summer has been that if I can just reach Q44, my Verbal will ensure I break 700. Now I'm questioning that.

It almost seems like the more exposure I have to SC, the worse I get. I'm just frustrated and a bit scared, almost wishing I could re-set my brain. The first few GMAT Preps I did I would finish with 15 minutes left and, I don't know, it just feels like I'm regressing. Please help!

HardWorkBeatsAll · Answer

Hello!

First of all, wish you the best for your upcoming exam. I don't think you have cause to worry at all!

Let's look at the facts - here's how your prep software scores stack up -
1) 620
2) 660
3) 700
4) 730
5) 690
6) Your verbal range is consistently in the 42-46 range, with one score at 41.

Look, you shouldn't get one statistical +- 20 score beat you up. By any standards, verbal above 41 is extremely good. Overall, you can't deny that your scores above show a steady upward trend, which is really good. Don't worry about the 690 with 4 days to go. It's not going to matter. Point is, you are in the 660-720 range which is great! Don't let one score dictate how you feel about the exam.

GMAT Prep is a good indicator, but not exactly what you'll see on the test. The margin of error (on both sides) is significant and the scores vary a great deal even with small changes in which questions you get wrong, timing etc. What you should look at is the +-30 to 50 range of your Prep software scores.

If you are keen on getting back on verbal, I'd just say that in the time available, the best strategy would be to revise the important theory (one tends to forget it after a while and practice without review is not strategically helpful) and the questions you found difficult / got wrong in your preparation phase. Focus on remembering what you had got wrong and not repeating it. At this stage, you won't benefit a lot by practicing a whole lot more, but you should benefit a great deal by analyzing your past errors and remembering what you got wrong.

Take a look at this - gmat-prep-software-analysis-and-what-if-scenarios-146146.html and this - 600-to-740-all-about-timing-and-fundamentals-147029.html to improve on strategy.

Try to take 2-3 Manhattan tests (you'd have got those with the book) and maybe the LBS test or any others that are available to you - the GMAT is a lot about patience and the ability to withstand pressure for an extended time frame. On SC, I think the MGMAT would suffice. Revise it to brush up once more so you don't miss out on anything. Even the MGMAT CR is quite good - see if you can lay your hands on it. It's small enough to finish in one day and is quite good.

You are doing good. Have a positive mindset. It's very helpful. Be positive and don't worry, you'll do great!

Would like to know what happened once you are done. Feel free to PM if you need any help.

Hope this helps.

Ignatius · Answer

Thanks very much for the insight and perspective. I've calmed down a bit after some further review today. Like I said, I missed 8 SC yesterday, which I've never done before. Most of them are categorized as 700-level here, but here's what I think really threw me: For 5/8 the OA was A. Damn. And then I pulled up GMAT Prep and collected all the SC I've gotten wrong in the last 3 attempts and immediately spotted a pattern: I must not like selecting A. Here's to hoping this insight helps on Saturday...

KarishmaB · Answer

It is common for people to ignore option (A) especially if it is worded in an unusual fashion. Here is a post that you will find helpful to counter this problem: https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/2015/02 ... orrection/

DO NOT take any more tests now. Just relax. Your test is this Saturday - you don't want to tire out yourself. Also, it seems that your intuition in Verbal works best for you. Make good use of that on this test. If, unfortunately, you get in a situation in which you decide to retake, then you can review from the basics. Look, our ear gets a lot of questions correct for us. When we start studying, we realise that there are things that the ear is trained to identify is correct but they aren't really correct. Once we realise this, we start to question everything our ear tells us and that's when we start making a lot of mistakes. But if we keep working, we get to a level where we know exactly what is correct and what is not. At this point, you don't have the time to get to this level but hopefully (with the kind of scores you have hit), you have the ability to do brilliantly as it is in Verbal.

So my advice now would be this:
Review your Quant - the mistakes, the concepts, the logs etc. Don't get into new concepts.
Don't worry about Verbal. In this test, let your instinct guide you. Your test is in 4 days so you anyway don't have time to do much about it. Plus, apparently, your instinct is capable of doing a great job!
Try to relax as much as possible. You have it in you to score 700+ in this test as you have demonstrated through many practice tests. Believe in your ability and give it your best shot.

Ignatius · Answer

Karishma, I really appreciate your insight and advice. Seriously, thank you! That blog entry is also very helpful! I am spending these final days reviewing my quant error log and not worrying bout SC. I think this gives me the best chance of cracking 700 on Saturday. And, frankly, I also feel much more relaxed and confident now that I've reconciled with myself that the GMAT may not be over with come Saturday; I think a lot of my anguish has just been fear that the grueling studying will press on, but I'm accepting that may happen and will try to embrace the challenge should it become necessary. Thanks again! I hope to report back this weekend with positive news.

Ignatius · Answer

Scored a 690 (Q41, V41) on Saturday. The real disappointment being the Quant, which came out to 50th percentile. Can't believe I'm typing this, but I messed up the first break (didn't factor in the re-scanning of the palm, the emptying of the pockets, getting escorted back to desk, etc.), and by the time I sat down, I had burned almost 2 minutes off the Quant time. Not a great way to start, and it definitely didn't help my mindset as I progressed through the section.

I've already signed up for an Oct 14 re-take....really gotta make some big strides in quant.

I've already signed up for an Oct 14 re-take....really gotta make some big strides in quant.

KarishmaB · Answer

Sorry to know you missed your target by 10 points. Q41 is a bit low. You certainly seem to have the ability to score higher. Also, keep practicing Verbal on a daily basis. You do not want to slip in that next time!

Ignatius · Answer

Thanks, Karishma. I too think I can score higher. I'll keep pushing on quant while practicing verbal. Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

Bazooka700 · Answer

Hi VeritasPrepKarishma , I was just going through the conversation and read this - "Look, our ear gets a lot of questions correct for us. When we start studying, we realise that there are things that the ear is trained to identify is correct but they aren't really correct. Once we realise this, we start to question everything our ear tells us and that's when we start making a lot of mistakes" So. Could you please tell me..what is the best way to train our ear into right mode ? So much that our intuition is 90% correct

KarishmaB · Answer

For people whose first or "first-like" language is English, it is instinctive. The reason is that they read, speak and listen to English on a daily basis so their ear gets trained to differentiate between correct and incorrect usage. Sometimes, our spoken English differs from grammatically correct English - by how much depends on the environment in which we grow up. To actively develop an intuitive ear, you need to read a lot. The reading material should be of good quality such as mainstream fiction/non fiction (usually dependable English), magazines, national daily newspapers etc. Of course, some effort will still be required but Verbal will seem way easier.

Bazooka700 · Answer

This is the most comprehensible response i have recieved so far..Really appreciate it! Although..my scheduled GMAT attempt is close. (1 Month) I plan to read 2 economist articles daily, opinions/editorials published on Aldaily and American Scientist. Thank you again

Please advise: test this week, latest mock left me shaken

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