690 [36Q, 47V] - what NOT to do (and any advice for me?)

Question

So I just officially took the test for the first time yesterday: 690  . At first, I was pretty disappointed in my score. My quant score hadn't budged since I took my first GMAT Prep test (in fact it had gone down one point), despite the fact that I felt like I was doing way better this time around.

But...after spending yesterday and today researching GMAT prep methods and thinking some more about my own preparation process, I realize that I really shouldn't have expected anything more. Overall, I spent about a week and a half studying. My quant preparation consisted of: taking a Princeton Review diagnostic, reading through the Princeton Review math review sections a couple of times and making a cheat sheet, looking over the Official Guide math review section and adding to the cheat sheet, glancing through the OG math questions and then taking two GMAT prep tests. In short, I didn't do much studying. (My verbal preparation consisted of even less studying, so I guess I'm just lucky there.)

I know that business schools look closely at your quant score, and I'm guessing that a 48th percentile score in that department won't impress many people, even if it is accompanied by a 99th percentile in verbal, so I've registered to take the test again in exactly 2 months. I'm going to take a vacation from test-taking (if I can manage to stop obsessing over it) while I spend two weeks in Jamaica with family, and then get down to business when I return. Following from what I've read from others on this site, I'm thinking that I will try: 1. GMAT Club tests (aka Challenges?), 2. MGMAT tests, and then 3. uninstall and reinstall GMAT Prep and take those tests a couple more times. I will work on my timing during the initial test-taking (I was spending up to 5 minutes on some questions!) and then will carefully review the answer explanations and redo the problems that I got wrong (with timer again!). Hopefully, I will be able to improve my dreadful quant score, and pull my overall score up a good bit.

Of course, any other preparation suggestions would be much appreciated.

jallenmorris · Answer

I would hold off on the challenges. Some of the questions on there can be frustrating and you need to get the basics down well before doing the GMAT Challenges. I would sugguest doing the OG Quant and MGMAT stuff first for 1 or 2 weeks once you're back from your vacation. The OG is great and they're written the way GMAC does because GMAC writes them (yeah, I'm a quick one ;-)

). I'm through #5 Math Challenge (Test) and they're pretty tough. I just did the best on m05 than I've ever done before. I got 85%. I'm happy with that. I got 66% on the first GMAT I took in April: 42Q, 38V with a Q66%, V84%. My goal is 45+ on each section. If I can get that, I'll be very happy. I've been gettign Q45 - Q48 on som CAT's I've found. One thing I've noticed about the GMATClub Challenges that I'm not sure is true about the real GMAT is that the GMATClub Challenges seem to have quite a few questions that aren't difficult math questions, but the wording is tricky. These questions are more about reading ability and focus than quant ability. That's my 2 cents. You'll be fine. have fun on vacation.

FN · Answer

good news is that you can actually score 750+ by just doing a lil bit more hardwork.. if you can score so high on V..you are set..just do problems here and there on the math forum..and i think you can improve your score..if you are serious bout 750..you need to only score 46on Q..which shouldnt be hard for you at all..just learn the short cuts of doing math problems..and that will save you a ton of time on the exam.. as for V..what advice do you have for us..non-native speakers? if i could only score as high as you on V..i will be set

Pathfinder · Answer

Five MGMAT math books and GMATprep reinstall (at least 8-9 times each test). Period. That's exactly how I went from Q36 to Q48, exactly what you need to hit 770. 
Devote 2 or 3 months to that goal and I'm looking forward to reading your 770 debrief soon.

Raabend · Answer

You are in AMAZING shape for an AMAZING score. If you hit 690 with such little effort, 2 months of studying will certainly take you into the mid-upper 700s. Best of luck!

Tarmac · Answer

690 after 2 weeks of studying translates to about 780 with 2 months of studying. That is not an exaggeration.

vishy007 · Answer

Awesome score in Verbal!

For improving in Quant, check your weak areas in Math and do some brush up in theory dedicated to weak topics. Second, read DS answering methods thoroughly. Finally, take GMat prep several times and analyze failed questions. This will enable you to beat tricky ways of GMAT questioning.

Hope these help.

dfletch5 · Answer

Great score! You should be very proud. I agree with everyone that another six weeks of solid work will give you the 760 you deserve.

On another note, how do I order the gmat club challenge questions.
I am going to use the official guides (quant and verb) to review the basics.
I have the GMAT software. How do you get the Manhattan GMAT practice tests?

vishy007 · Answer

You will get access to these when you buy one of their guides. If you don't have one, go for SC, Number Props and Word Translation guides.

kelli · Answer

Wow, thank you so much all for the motivating and helpful responses. I'm so glad that I stumbled upon this great community of people all in the same situation as me.

Fresinha12, in response to your question about the verbal, first let me say that I really, really sympathize with the plight of non-native speakers trying to take this test. I have spent a lot of time learning languages (Span, Fr, Port), and have reached pretty advanced levels, but I can't imagine having to take a GMAT in any one of them. Wow. Anyway, I'll share my test-taking method for the verbal, and maybe it will be helpful. I only did the verbal portion in its entirety three times before the test, but I was able to work out a method that took me from making 17 errors out of 41 questions on my first try to making only 4 errors on my third.

On critical reasoning, I would guess that the non-native speaker quant whizzes in this forum would do pretty well, given that it's very logic-based. I'll try to help with the verbal aspect of it though. What I generally do is read the passage once carefully, stopping after each sentence to process both its meaning, and its relation to the sentence before. Once I've read it all, I try to articulate (in a short sentence) the argument or purpose of the passage. Then I move to the question itself. I read it carefully, try to make sense of what it's asking, and then rephrase it to myself in language I can understand easily, so I have a clear idea of what I'm looking for. So, for instance, when I read "Each of the following, if true, weakens the conclusion above EXCEPT," I try not to go "what the hell does that mean?" Simply reasoning out the meaning doesn't always do the trick either, because I often forget what the question meant before I even get to the answer choices, and then I have to go back to the question and read it all over again. Instead, I figure out what the question is really asking, and restate it to myself in simple language. For me, the previous question would become, "which of these answers DOES NOT weaken the conclusion of this passage." Or if process of elimination is easier for me to work with, I might say, "which of these answers DOES weaken the conclusion of this passage," and then look to check off the four answer choices that fit that bill, leaving me with the correct answer. Those simplified versions of the question are sentences whose meaning I'm far less likely to forget, so I can now focus entirely on evaluating the answer choices, rather than struggling to keep the question in my mind at the same time. After I've rephrased the question, I write down the ABCDE on my noteboard. Then I try to pick the answer that best fits the simplified question I've come up with. If the questions are sounding gobbledy-googly also, I might try simplifying those as well, and seeing if that makes things any easier. It often helps me to start talking out loud when I'm trying to figure out the meanings of complicated-sounding sentences. I mean, keep it to GMAT exam room volume of course, but I've found that whispering the question choices to myself is a good way to keep a reign on my brain -- first, it ensures that I truly read every word and do not skip over words that might be important, and second, somehow it also helps me to actually understand what I am reading. My guess is that if someone were reading everything on this test to you, you'd probably understand it better. Try it, see if it works for you. The rest is up to the logical minds of all you quants. Read the answer choices, evaluate their meaning, figure out whether they DO weaken the conclusion of the passage, or DO NOT (or whatever the question is asking you to determine).

I'll write back later with more on the other two sections. I hope this is helpful for you!

gmatnub · Answer

Awesome score, and it is not meant as jest. I think you will kill the gmat when you retake. 36q is a bit low for my impression of you, with 2 more months of prep, you will definitely get it at least above 45. You seem to be very perceptive and methodical with your prep with such a short study period, many people (including me) don't have that kind of skill even after a much longer study period.

Anonymous · Answer

How come we have to reinstall the GMATPrep so many times? I've only been doing once.. maybe that is why I see repeats?

kidderek · Answer

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen such a high verbal combined with such a low quant. I didn't read your entire debrief, but if you work just a little bit on your quant, you will break into 98th%ile fairly easily.

Remember, the gmat loves high verbal scores.

Remember, the gmat loves high verbal scores.

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690 [36Q, 47V] - what NOT to do (and any advice for me?)

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