What do I do wrong with my Prep?

Question

Hey, I have recently signed up here and hope this is the right place to post. 
I have signed up for my GMAT months ago. I started studying for my test exactly two months ago with the help of Magoosh. Now my test will be in around 5 weeks (28th Jan) and I feel like nothing has really changed. I took an official practice exam on the GMAT website in the beginning and scored 465 with (69 Quant, 64 DI and 86 Verbal). Since then I have, more or less, tried to do my lessons every day in the evening for 3-4 hours next to my full time job. 
Two weeks ago I then took another prep test from Magoosh and scored 485 (74 Quant, 72 DI and 78 Verbal). 
Verbal does not feel like a problem to me and I am quite sure it will work out. I am more concerned about Quant and DI. For DI I feel like its mostly the timing and issues related to Quant questions so lets skip that for now. 
I was always a good student in mathematics - in school as well as in university. Not the best, but better than average. And I have fun studying the GMAT/Math problems, even if often times it's annoying to see easy questions that I missed. But since I see no improvement and I got 5 weeks left I am searching for help/recommendations. In Magoosh I got around 50% of the Quant Questions (Projected score is steadily at 74-76) right but I take my time to solve the questions at 3:40 average. I watch the solutions and explanations later and I have 200 pages of handwritten notes with all the explanations. But my score is not improving. 
The Error-Log is only helping limited as I feel like too many tasks are giving my brain absolutely no clue. Is there and good recommendation to study these last weeks? I want to reach a score better than 565. That's all I want. Nothing spectacular in the 700 region!
Does anyone here have any tips for me?
Thank you already and cheers:)

bb · Answer

Hi. I would probably argue that you’re not learning anything if you’re spending 3 to 4 hours after your job. You’re likely learning a bit here and the bed there and then other things get lost.

My suggestion would be to study only for one hour if you’re going to do it after work because I don’t think you’re mind is able to absorb it all that well or at least mine wasn’t. At that point, you’re right at your worst performance ability, and I suspect that may be having some impact on the stalled improvement.

Your real score is likely better because I feel like you’re diagnostic was verbal 86 which is extremely high and your second test score is verbal 78. Is that a typo in one of those?

I’m thinking maybe your Magoosh score is a bit pessimistic. You can always try another GMAT prep test to see how that goes but no test is perfect.

Finally, I would recommend that you shift your studying to the morning hours and spend two hours studying in the morning instead of four hours in the evening and you will get a lot more.

You have a month and my suggestion would be to split the remaining four weeks with 10% focusing on verbal so that it doesn’t slide. And the remaining times split into 60% Quant and 30% data insights. You can also do 45/45 but quantitative is much easier to zero in and focus on specific areas and that’s exactly what I would recommend that you do, identify one topic and spend that day relearning it and improving it and try to get to about 80% accuracy in a 10 question quiz which consist of a combination of 3-4 easy, medium and hard questions.

Assigned each day to a specific topic and don’t move past the topic unless you have reached the 80% accuracy and your timing goals. Time yourself during these quizzes and give yourself 20 minutes for a 10 question quiz.

gmatrichie · Answer

Hi thank you so much for your fast and detailed reply! Unfortunately the Verbal scores are not a typo, but I feel like the Magoosh Verbal is a lot harder than my Official Prep Test was, because I was also really quick too at just 35 minutes - versus Magoosh nearly over the limit. As for the studying times I tend to be a night active person but I will try to switch it. For Quant I want to add something: Would you always do fresh questions or also repeat old ones after a certain time? I feel like my main issue is that I can't relate to the concepts needed in a specific task. I also need to massively improve my skills in simplifying equations but I was hoping that this comes by the time. I will try from tomorrow on with just doing 10 questions and improving my accuracy. Thank you again and enjoy the holiday season!

flippedeclipse · Answer

Hey, welcome! I haven't written my GMAT yet (just mocks), so take my advice accordingly. I saw a huge jump in my official mocks in just a couple of weeks (Mock 1 - 595, Mock 2 - 705, Mock 3 - 665, all taken within a 3-week timeframe) by doing the following:

1. Marty Murray's streaks method - martymurraycoaching/how-to-ace-gmat-using-the-streaks-method/ . This is absolute gold. After every mock, I identify what type of questions I'm getting wrong most often, and then I spend a day on GMATClub quizzes drilling that topic. I try to get a streak of 10 questions right on Easy first, then Medium, then Hard. It's very difficult! By the time you finally get a 10 streak, you'll have seen a ton of different questions and learned to read very, very carefully. It's very heartbreaking to lose a streak at 8 or 9!

2. When you get a question wrong, don't look at the solution right away. Try very hard to figure out how to get to the right answer - the aha moment when you figure it out will stick with you. If you are doing the questions on here, I highly recommend making yourself reply to the question and writing a solution for it. Writing solutions on here has been incredibly helpful because it forces you to explain your process step-by-step. You'd be amazed at how many ways you could have been more efficient or mistakes that you could have avoided when you have to type out your reasoning.

3. Ask yourself why you got a question wrong. GMATClub has a nice error log where you can write down why you got a question wrong (this is a fantastic platform to take advantage of, btw). If you do questions on here, it will seem a little overwhelming at first because people's posted solutions seem magical and contain concepts you've never seen in your life, but just stick with it, drill into what you don't understand, and you will get proficient.

4. There are some GPTs designed exclusively for standardized tests, which I really like when I don't understand something. I personally use GMAT PrepMaster (you can search for it). Sometimes I just don't understand something basic and need it to help clarify what exactly my misunderstanding is. Please note that it can be confusing and sometimes wrong, so be aware, but it's very useful when you want to dig into a concept. It's my safe space where I can unashamedly ask all my dumb questions

5. Build concepts first, then timing. Don't demoralize yourself by combining the two! I found that when I didn't know how to solve a question, I would flail and panic, and then the clock added even more stress. You can drill time in your last week or two, so you have some time to shore up your concepts first.

6. Take some official mocks if you can. I'm not familiar with Magoosh, but the official mocks will be the best simulation of your actual score.

Lastly, this stuff just takes time. It's a grind, but it's pretty satisfying to watch yourself become a more and more proficient math wizard over time, lol. I hope this helped!! Good luck with your studying, you got this!

5. Build concepts first, then timing. Don't demoralize yourself by combining the two! I found that when I didn't know how to solve a question, I would flail and panic, and then the clock added even more stress. You can drill time in your last week or two, so you have some time to shore up your concepts first. 6. Take some official mocks if you can. I'm not familiar with Magoosh, but the official mocks will be the best simulation of your actual score. Lastly, this stuff just takes time. It's a grind, but it's pretty satisfying to watch yourself become a more and more proficient math wizard over time, lol. I hope this helped!! Good luck with your studying, you got this!

bb · Answer

Your goal with the studying should be learning - ask yourself if you have learned things and how can you improve the process and if anything you can do better.

gmatrichie · Answer

Thank you so much! The streak method sounds really promising but also time consuming. I will try to combine it with the 10 questions idea!
Enjoy your holidays and good luck with your test also!

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

One way to reduce careless errors is to adopt the strategy of reading the question, deriving an answer, and then re-reading the question before submitting your response. This strategy can prove useful since, while solving the question, you identify the key components of the prompt, so when you re-read the question later, key information such as *x is an INTEGER* or *y is POSITIVE* will pop out at you if you neglected to consider that information in your solution.

For calculation errors, practice with an error log where you record and review your mistakes to identify patterns or frequent errors. This method not only helps in correcting repeated mistakes but also sharpens your attention to detail.

Also, check out these articles: 
 -  Improving Your Accuracy on the GMAT  
-   GMAT Error Log: Do I Need One?

To address your other comment: 
 Since time management plays a significant role in the DI section, here are some time-saving strategies to keep in mind:

* Skim the given information to understand the type of information provided. Don’t get bogged down in the details. Just get a sense of what the data is conveying.  
 * Use the answer choices to your advantage. In many cases, the answer choices will be so spread apart that you can quickly answer the question through approximation rather than precise calculations. 
 * Use the process of elimination when possible. Narrow down choices by identifying clear inconsistencies or irrelevant options in the data. 
 * Stay organized. Jot down quick notes or calculations to keep track of information to avoid rereading the same data multiple times. 
 * Prioritize quick decision-making. If a question seems too time-consuming, it’s better to make an educated guess and move on rather than get stuck. Developing this type of decision-making mindset will help you better navigate the section.

For more information, check out these articles:  
 -  How to Prepare for GMAT Data Insights  
 -  Data Insights Timing Strategy

gmatrichie · Answer

Thank you Scott! This is helping a lot. But sometimes I am struggling with the ErrorLog of mine. If I look at a question and got simply no clue. What should I write down?

bb · Answer

Hi. Can you clarify what you mean by no clue? No clue how to solve or no clue what error you make or no clue how to classify the mistake?

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

This article shows many common reasons for getting a question a wrong: https://blog.targettestprep.com/gmat-error-log/

If, as in your case, you look at a question and have no clue, there are still some questions you might ask yourself:
- What is the question type? (Number Properties, Statistics, Ratios, etc)
- What exactly is the question asking for?
- Can I identify a long/tedious way to solve the question?
- Have I ever answered a similar question?

If you can determine exactly where you got stuck, you'll have a more robust error log.

gmatrichie · Answer

Hey, sure! So with all of Magooshs Lessons you are always told to understand a number sense that is not easy to develop. 
But for me when I look at some tasks my brain simply can't process the amount of informations in such a short time. I get stuck because I don't know how or what to start with or I set up equations wrong. 
Sometimes its mathematic rules missing but I noted that down in my Error log and improved in Algebra a lot already. 
But overall this didn't show up in my practice. I took another test this Sunday and next to massive timing issues, the tasks seem really complicated to me. Even though I have already done more than 230 Quant questions I often times don't see quick ways for the solution. My new test came out to 525 with 75 Q, 79 V and 76 DI.
My main question would be if there is maybe a way of approaching questions that I can replicate? I am quite surprised that a lot of people here start at 500 and go up to 700 while I am struggling to get even to my required score.
I know this sounds chaotic but maybe you can help!
Thank you again:)

gmatrichie · Answer

Thank you again Scott!
Imagine my example:
Questions type: Often words or Powers and roots (but also all the others)
Question is asking for: Simplification or to find a value x that fits a specific need
Can I identify a long way: In some cases yes but not always. Mostly if the explanation gives me a clue I can solve it.
Similar questions? This on is especially annoying. Yesterday I got this 73^2+74^2= and then a day after this one  27^2 + 28^2 + 29^2 + 30^2 + 31^2 + 32^2 + 33^2= Both are really similar but completely different in approach. And things like this break my spirit all the time. 
 Maybe you got any suggestions? I feel like the final jump in points is just missing. 
 Thank you and all the best  
 Richie:)

hr1212 · Answer

I think what really helps is not memorizing a different technique for every single type of question, but instead developing a common way of thinking that at least lets you arrive at a good educated guess when you see a variation of something you’ve solved before.

Take your examples. For something like  73^2 + 74^2 , my first instinct is to look at the last digit. That gives me 9 + 6 = 15, so the units digit has to be 5. If there’s only one option ending in 5, I mark it and move on. If not, then I will check how far are these options with last digit 5 and is it possible for me to make an educated guess. And lastly if I have time, I rewrite it as  (70 + 3)^2 + (70 + 4)^2 . Why? Because my brain is much more comfortable working with round numbers, and I can easily handle squares of multiples of 10.

For the other type, where you see a long series of big numbers, it’s usually a pattern question. Whenever I see something like that, I ask myself, “Does the test really expect me to multiply all these numbers in two minutes?” Realistically, hardly anyone can. So that almost always means there’s a shortcut or a pattern.

Then I look at the structure. In your example, all the numbers are centered around 30, like +-1, +-2, +-3, and so on. That immediately reminds me of the identity:

(a + b)^2 = a^2 + 2ab + b^2

So I can rewrite the series as:
 
(30 − 3)^2 + (30 − 2)^2 + (30 − 1)^2 + 30^2 + (30 + 1)^2 + (30 + 2)^2 + (30 + 3)^2

Once you see it that way, you realize that the middle terms will cancel out, and the calculation becomes much simpler. And notice, we didn’t use any new or fancy trick here. We just applied things we already knew in a smart way.

That’s really the mindset. Fit what you already know into the problem in the most efficient way possible under time pressure. It might not feel obvious in the beginning, but after you practice 50 to 100 good questions in each topic, you’ll start seeing the same patterns again and again, and things will begin to click much faster. In the end, it’s just about the more you grind, the more comfortable you get with these kinds of setups.

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