Why am I so stupid?

Question

Hi, guys.

I have big problem and I need your help and advises.

I was the best in my math classes in school and high school. My scores of math for University were big. First two years I had math ther I was one of the best. And now.... I dont understand how can I do over 400 GMAT because my skills are poor. 6 years I didnt have real math. And now.... Give me solution what do I need to do. I finished 7 days trial gmat tutor the economist. But I dont see progress after 2 weeks. I have finished and increased my scores only for Math from 200 to 350. Im sitting now and try to solve every problem solving and Data sufficiency and was right in 2 of 15. I read a lot how can I be successfull in Gmat and a lot of videos. But what were your ways to do the best in Gmat?

OptimusPrepJanielle · Answer

Hi AlexWantsBigScores,

There are a lot of strategies that can get you a good score, but the best one has always been to study and practise.
You scores show a clear lack of fundamentals on the Quants section. You might be very good in Maths, but the GMAT tests you on certain concepts and until you go through them, you are sure to have a hard time.

One week of studying might not be enough to increase your score.

1. Are you following and preparatory material?
2. How long have you been studying?

KarishmaB · Answer

If you were good at Math in school, what you need is a thorough revision. First go through your high school Math books. Focus on arithmetic, algebra and geometry. Then pick up the complete curriculum of a test prep provider and go through all GMAT topics. You should see a marked improvement in your performance.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi AlexWantsBigScores,

From your post, it's not clear exactly what you've been working on since you started studying, so I'm hoping that you can answer a few questions.

1) How many practice CATs have you taken? How did you score on each (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?
2) Did you have trouble finishing any of the sections when you took each CAT? Did you have to guess on a bunch of questions (did you leave any questions unanswered?)?

3) What type of practice have you done for the last 2 weeks? What materials did you use? How much time did you actually study?

4) What is your goal score?
5) When are you planning to take the GMAT?

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

ccooley · Answer

1. It's totally normal to feel like you were great at math in school, but you somehow can't handle Quant on the GMAT. I've heard the same statement from dozens or hundreds of students. That's because GMAT Quant, although it uses certain math concepts, isn't really 'about' math in the same way that a math class is. It's more about quick, well-organized, creative problem-solving. The math itself is pretty easy, and a decent percentage of problems (most often word problems and Data Sufficiency) rely more on logical reasoning than on math rules.

2. I don't know a lot about your specific situation, but there are a few things that students with your issue have in common. Consider whether any of these apply to you. For one, you might be scoring low primarily because you're running out of time on the test. Do you find that you're getting 'cut off' at the end of a Quant section? If so, you need to attack from two fronts. First, start guessing more on hard problems. Spend less time on tough problems you won't be able to solve regardless, and spend more time carefully solving problems that aren't too hard for you. You might also be trying to use too much algebra, and not using better strategies for problems that warrant them. Consider strategies like backsolving -- plugging the answer choices into the problem to check which one is correct.

3. For resources, I'd start with Manhattan Prep's Foundations of GMAT Math book (and/or workshops). Because you felt comfortable with math in school, some of the material in the book might seem too easy, and you might be tempted to skim it. Don't! You might 'know' the material, but that's very, very different from being able to actually put it into action on test day. Actually do every practice problem, take careful notes, and work out your own examples on your scratch paper as you read. Then do a lot of problems,  starting with the easiest ones first  -- since the test is adaptive, there's no point in practicing ultra tough problems right now, since you'll see very few of them on test day.

Why am I so stupid?

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