how to analyse the practice test

Question

I read it everywhere that one has to analyse the CAT to figure out in which area more attention is required and it is totally correct, but what i want to know is how one should begin with the analyzing part and everything there is to about it. 
Basically, i want to understand this process and how to make a study plan after analyzing the weak areas!

i think this is a question many people would want to ask for their own reasons but i am asking this because 1 month after the first practice CAT my score reduced i guess i dint analyse my weak areas and work on that! 
NEED HELP!

bb · Answer

Here is one area for you to start - this is a more universal post about analyzing mistakes and getting the most out of it how-to-review-and-analyze-your-mistakes-167118.html

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi nishantdoshi,

Based on all of the information that you've provided here....

preparing-for-1-month-after-the-practice-test-my-score-decreases-help-208731.html#p1603783

...and your score goals, you would likely find it beneficial to enroll in a GMAT Course of some type (either Guided Self-Study or instructor-led). Most GMAT Companies offer some type of free materials (practice problems, Trial Accounts, videos, etc.) that you can use to 'test out' a product before you buy it. We have a variety of those resources at out site (www.empowergmat.com). I suggest that you take advantage of all of them then choose the one that best matches your personality, timeline and budget.

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

TeamGMATIFY · Answer

Analyzing you mock CAT is one of the most important part of your preparation. The tests tell you about various problems such as:

1. Problems with Sections: Verbal Quants
2. Problems with subsections: PS, DS, SC, RC, SC
3. Problems with the type of questions, chapters and the topics.

Basically you need to drill down as deep as you can.

Allot close to 2 hours for analyzing the test.
Go through each wrong problem and try to solve it without looking at the solution.
If you still cannot, mark the question in your error log and make a note of what you have learnt.

For the questions that you got correct, see the solutions and see if there is a better way to solve.
If you have timing issues, from the next mock make sure to make a timing grid on your scratch pad.

The main aim of analysis is to not make the mistakes again. 
Hope this helps!

sinhap07 · Answer

I really don't get it. How can we analyse all 80 questions in two hours? For an indepth analysis I have found myself taking about 3 hrs for quant and about 5hrs for verbal. More because each option in verbal has to be evaluated. 
I inevitably spend two days for analysis. What am I doing wrong? I would really like to know how I can wrap up my analysis in two hours or even 4hrs? That can really make the process efficient. Tx.

Posted from my mobile device

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi sinhap07,

Thorough review of each CAT you take is an essential part of the study process. However, there's some question as to whether you really need to analyze ALL 78 questions or not after taking each CAT. If you answered a question correctly, and you did so in an efficient fashion, then you might not need to do much review of that type of prompt. As another example, if you're dealing with a Geometry question that you find difficult, but you have not studied Geometry yet, then there might not be much of a reason to review that question at all (until LATER, once you've learned the necessary Geometry).

1) How long have you been studying?
2) What materials have you been using?
3) What is your score goal?
4) When are you planning to take the GMAT?

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

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