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aleksaurus
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Where should I put my study time? 22 Feb 2010, 00:59
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Hi guys,

Great forum, very helpful. I am wondering if you can help me figure out what to study for more - Quant or Verbal?

I just took my first GMATPrep test and scored 720, 48Q and 41V. At first it looked to me like my Quant was stronger because of the higher raw score, but when I looked up the percentiles, it says 48Q is 83rd percentile and 41V is 92nd percentile. So does that mean my verbal is actually stronger? Which should I concentrate in to get the biggest bang for my time?

During the test, the math seemed quite difficult and I had to guess at the end whereas I finished the verbal with 15 minutes remaining. In quant, it was the concept mixtures that threw me for a loop, whereas in verbal I had a thoroughly bad time with RC, though got some SC wrong as well. So there are many things I can improve in, but I'm afraid to exhaust myself. Where would you recommend to focus?

Also, what are some strategies that people have successfully used for RC? My problem is over-analyzing the passage when answering questions and getting so bogged down with detail when reading that I tend to miss the important points.

Thanks for any tips!
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bigoyal
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Where should I put my study time? 22 Feb 2010, 03:37
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It depends on which is your favorite subject. If its quant, then increasing quant score would be easier for you.

Between, I feel you are already scoring well. Whats your target score?
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aleksaurus
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This is the only test I took so I really doubt I can score that high on the real test. That said, if I score 750 I will be eligible for scholarships without which I can't afford to go to a good school.
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bigoyal
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Where should I put my study time? 22 Feb 2010, 22:49
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The high percentile in verbal is due to the fact that people generally tend to score low in verbal. You may see lot of examples with 50Q, but will rarely see a 50V.

With a increase of approx 2-3 points in either of the subjects, you would be able to score 740-750. As you said you think you are good at Quant, then scoring a 50 in quant should not be very difficult.

Since this was your 1st test, I would suggest to prepare an error log of correct and incorrect answers (you may include guess work as well). Now try to sub-categorize each question. E.g. from SC, it could be related to idioms, subject verb agreement etc. At the end you'll have a rough idea of your top 3 weak areas. The weak area could be a verbal or quant topics, time management etc.

Now focus on your weak areas and attempt GMAT Prep tests again and again. Don't forget to attempt the each GMAT Preptest atleast 3 times (i.e. total 6 test).

Between, remember both the subjects are equally important, so don't ignore either of these.
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aleksaurus
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Thank you, I appreciate your help. You are right when you say not to ignore either subject but to pick specific topics in each. I have not been thinking about this the right way. Since I had trouble with DS, RC, and SC, I will put my time in those areas. Thanks so much for the help!
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