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rp49483
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Got a 480 after studying for a year.. 12 Feb 2012, 23:10
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I feel like stabbing someone, or myself....

I've been lurking on these forums for about a year and I officially started studying for the GMAT last April. I bought the MGMAT books, bought the OG, and the extra verbal/quant OG books.

Went through the MGMAT, went through some gmatclub material, and started taking the practice MGMAT tests...

Well, first try, 600, second try, 480 (28/29). On top of that, I gave myself an extra 15 minutes on the test. I didn't finish all the quant q's.

I'm an engineer but the funny thing is I bombed the math part (probably because I didnt' finish all q's), and my english sux even worse. For some reason, I feel like I've completly forgotten my math fundamentals I studied last year.

Has anyone had any "over studying" or issues for studying for too long. I'm seriously getting angry and frustated about the GMAT....

help!... (i'm thinking of going over the MGMAT books again)
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aisha12
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Got a 480 after studying for a year.. 12 Feb 2012, 23:23
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Ideally, you should study for no more than 3-6 months.
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Got a 480 after studying for a year.. 12 Feb 2012, 23:27
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Sorry to hear that, mate.

Are you a non native speaker?

If you are, then for verbals, you could have a look at the free e-GMAT course and then enroll for it if you like the free sessions. It's relatively cheap, lucid and targeted at non-native speakers.

On quants, could you share in detail the preps you did this time, the tests you took and the scores?

If you couldn't finish your tests, probably your preparation was undercooked this time? What were your practice scores like this time around?

Santanu
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Got a 480 after studying for a year.. 13 Feb 2012, 01:15
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Calm down, it was only a practice test. A couple of factors seem to have led to you poor score, like not finishing all the questions. Work on your timing, and your score should rise to the 600+ level. Best of luck in your continued studies!
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Got a 480 after studying for a year.. 13 Feb 2012, 01:28
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Don´t overestimate the prep score. But of course keep in mind that is has also disadvantages if you are study for more than 6 months. Try to focus and take the exam within an appropriate timeframe.
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Got a 480 after studying for a year.. 13 Feb 2012, 10:44
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To the OP, I can totally relate to how you feel. I studied since mid June of 2011, enrolled in the MGMT Live Course, studied diligently, followed the MGMT syllabus, kept up with all the readings, and followed Beatthegmat 60 day plan after my 9 week course.

I scheduled my exam on 1/23, studied every single day for 2.5 to 3 hours on weekdays and 5 hours on the weekends. Like you, my first practice test was a 370/380, then a 600, 580, 540, 520 or something along those lines. I was having diminishing returns and I felt incredibly frustrated. Then my last 2 MGMT tests, I scored a 620 and then a 650. On D-Day, I ended up getting a 490. The official score was the second lowest score I received other than the very first practice test I took.

So I completely understand how you feel other than the urge to stab someone. I personally can’t provide any assistance/advice because even I do not know where to start. However, what I am doing differently than my prior prep is studying 2.5-3 hours a day with an 8 minute break after an hour or so. I am also taking one to two days off a week so I don’t burn out from over-studying. I am only 13 days into my new study schedule but I *think* the new change is helping me out.

If anyone else can chime in, the OP and I would appreciate any helpful advice.
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Got a 480 after studying for a year.. 13 Feb 2012, 11:38
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Here's some more info...

1st practice: 39/35
2nd practice: 28/29

I am a native speaker, but it's so weird my 1st practice (verbal) put me in 77% percentile; second test: 56%...wtf....

My problem is when I study math, my math is super, but my verbal suffers. If I study verbal, my math seems to go out the door. I am pretty sure my sentence correction is what is messing me up on my verbal. My reading/etc is somewhat decent. For quant, when I see those questions, I just freeze and end up staring at the clock and time runs out. The delivery of the q's is more ?? than the actual math itsself.

I have been studing the MGMAT books religiously, and have gone through all the MGMAT exercises, including the OG questions.


Chamisool, I'm glad I'm not the only one. I have been reading everyone's experience on gmatclub alot now, and I just feel like everyone on this board must be a freakin genius because I just keep getting lower scores the more I try. For now, I plan to go over the MGMAT books again in the course of a month or two, and go over the gmatclub q's here and there. Then I'll try the mgmat practice tests again.
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Got a 480 after studying for a year.. 20 Feb 2012, 21:58
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I think one can easily over-study. Borrowing from training theory used in training athletes, I broke studying into macro and microcycles. Each microcycle was one week in length and I would study on no more than five days per week. A macrocycle was 4 weeks long (four microcycles) and followed an overall microcycle total studying intensity increase from weeks one to three with the fourth week very relaxed and focused on rest, relaxation, and recovery (at least relative to the prior three weeks). I think this was helpful in avoiding burnout. I took the exam at the mid point of a 4th week resting period.

Good luck!

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Got a 480 after studying for a year.. 20 Feb 2012, 22:13
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Well Friends i do agree with you that studying the same thing for too long does hamper your performance on the last day. One tends to forget the things in the longer run though it is in the mind. I gave gmat after a prep of 45 days and got a 660 (q-44,v-37),however in my prac test ( i hardly gave 4 ) i never scored above 550 and got a magical 660 on the d day. SO my suggestion ,prepare for not more than 3 months and then go for the kill. U will see yourself as the survivor . :twisted:
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