Need help in learning verbal. Verbal 15 need to improve.

Question

Hi all,
I am getting verbal 15, 11, 17 in my last three mocks. I have studied all concepts but when I try to write a mock test some how I am getting nervous and unable to apply all concepts and finding everything as new and blank. I want to improve, I know I might be sounding so wierd but please help me. How can I improve

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EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Mahath,

If you are consistently scoring below V20 on your CATs, then you are losing signficant points in all 3 major Verbal question types (RC, SC and CR) - and if you have a pacing issue (meaning that you have to rush through a bunch of questions just to finish or leave questions unanswered), then that is likely a big factor in why you are 'stuck' at this scoring level in the Verbal section.

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used?
3) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score?
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

AliTariqPrepVista · Answer

You get so nervous with the idea of the ticking clock that you go blank. 
Once you go blank, what happens? Everything you are looking at starts to appear new.

You are unable to connect what you are looking at to what you already knew.

What should you do?
Do things in order to get comfortable with the idea of the ticking clock.

How?

There is a slow build up, because you have to train your mind.

With every training, the build up is always slow.

So, you have to be patient.
It's not going to happen overnight.

Everyone is different. Therefore, probably what works for someone else might not work for you.

But try do questions in untimed situation first to be sure that it's actually the timing which is an issue and not the conceptual understanding.

If in untimed situation, you still do not get the accuracy, work on concepts that need to be worked on.

Is it identifying Subject and Verb in inverted sentences, do drills to identify the Sub and Verb.
Is it you struggle with initial modifiers, strengthen this area.

In an untimed situation, the added benefit is that your focus improves.

Once you are getting the questions consistently correct, only then start timing yourself.

This whole situation is not unlike when you first start learning driving a car.

You never speed up initially.
In the initial phase  control  is more important.

Once you have  control  part sorted out,  speed  natually comes with practice. In fact, you'll see that slowly including the notion of time will force you to time yourself more rigorously. And before you know, the clock will not be as intimidating as it was once.

Because clock is an important part of this test, the  timing fear  never entirly goes away. 
But with right strategy, you can get hold of this fear pretty effectively.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Mahath,

I'm happy to help but would like to also learn more about your situation with the GMAT. Once you respond to the questions already asked, I can provide some advice. In the meantime, here is a hopeful article:

How to Score High on GMAT Verbal

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi Mahath

If your verbal score is below 20 then I'm afraid it's time to start preparing from scratch again. I understand that you may have studied all concepts, but your score would indicate that you have not been able to understand them correctly and you're also struggling with the application.

In general, the best approach is to move in a structured order.

1. Start studying in this order - SC->CR-RC. The reason for this is very specific. Each question type on the GMAT is testing a specific skill. SC tests your comprehension skills. CR tests comprehension & analytical skills. Finally, RC builds on the previous two skills and also tests your ability to be able to grasp the central point of the passage. Thus when you learn in this order, it's much more effective.
2. For each topic, learn the concepts, then learn the correct methods of solving i.e. the application of concepts as this is a crucial step and finally move to practicing questions.
3. Start with a focus on accuracy and once you're confident, start working on your timing

Of course, this strategy needs to be adjusted based on a number of factors such as your strengths and weaknesses, your target score, the resources you use etc.

If you're looking to improve, then it depends on all these factors. I'd be happy to get on a call and guide you through the entire process. You can connect with me using this link ->

Click here to schedule a call

Need help in learning verbal. Verbal 15 need to improve.

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