Rushing to take the GMAT before it changes?
Then this article’s for you. Everyone I’ve talked to recently falls into one of two camps:
- I need to take the test before it changes and I’m running out of time! Help!
- I need to take the new GMAT with IR and I don’t know what to do! Help!
If you’re in the latter category, read last week’s article and check back again next week, when I’ll have an article for you regarding how to study for IR. This week, we’re going to talk about what to do for those who are still trying to get the test done before it changes on June 5th.
How far are you from your goal?
Have you taken a practice test recently “ under official testing conditions? Official conditions means you did the essays, you stuck to roughly 8 minute breaks, you didn’t pause the test and come back to it later basically, you did what you’re going to have to do on the real test. Also, you hadn’t already seen the questions before, right? One or two might still be okay, but if you recognized more than that, or if you deviated significantly from official test conditions, take another test.
You’re doing this to get a good idea of your current scoring level. Compare that to your desired score on the real test. How far apart are the two scores?
With only a month to go, there’s a limit to how much anyone can expect to improve. You will improve in general, but it’s rare to see a 100+ point improvement in 4 weeks (or sooner!). If this applies to you, read the next section and think now about how you would make the decision to postpone.
Those of you within about 50 points are in a better position to reach the goal in a month (though there are no guarantees in life, of course). If this applies to you, still read the next section, but you may not have to make this decision.
You’re too far away. What tradeoffs are you willing to make?
Let’s say that you realize you’re unlikely to get all the way to your goal in 4 weeks. Figure out now what tradeoffs you’re willing to make. I’m recommending that you figure this out now because, when we’re in panic mode, we can’t make good decisions. You’re not in panic mode yet “ so use this time to think through how you should make such a decision, just in case.
Perhaps your current scoring level is 600 and you want a 700. But you do a little research into the schools to which you plan to apply “ maybe you look on their websites or talk to an admissions consultant “ and you decide that 670 or higher is good enough (though you’d still like that 700!).
You’re still going to aim for your original goal and study like crazy over the next month. As you get closer to your end-of-May or early-June test date, if it’s apparent that you’re not near 670 yet, you may decide to postpone and accept that you’ll have to study for the IR section (which likely means at least 2 more months before you can take the test). On the other hand, if your practice scores get into the 670+ range, you may decide to go for it (realizing that, if you fall short, you may still have to take the new test after all).
What do I do over the next month?
Unless you’re already very close to your goal score, you’re not going to have time to do everything. You’re going to have to prioritize based on two things: (1) your strengths and weaknesses, and (2) the frequency with which various things are tested on the GMAT.
Before we get into content, let’s talk about timing. I think I’ve met about 3 students over the years who did not have a timing problem. Everyone struggles with time. Right now, many of you are thinking: I don’t really have that much of a timing problem. I can finish the section on time.
It is possible “ common, even “ to have significant timing problems and yet still finish the section on time. I talk to students every day who tell me their timing is fine because they do answer all of the questions in the given time “ but the way in which they allocate time between questions is problematic.
The most common problem is to spend too much time on some problems and then have to rush on others (or run out of time). Others rush right from the beginning and finish the section early. Finishing early can be just as problematic as running out of time “ because you’re almost certainly making more careless mistakes when you’re rushing.
Why am I talking about timing so much? Because if you do have timing problems that are anything more than minor, any improvements you make on content might not result in much of a higher score. You could spend the next month studying diligently and see nothing much happen to your score “ and obviously we don’t want that.
Read this time management article and start practicing!
Next, let’s talk about content. Remember that practice test we were talking about earlier? Use this article to analyze your results. Next, check your weaknesses against the below two lists; don’t bother with the things that show up on the infrequently tested list and concentrate most on the things that show up on the frequently tested list (though you will likely also work on other intermediate areas).
Note: the lists are not comprehensive; that is, they don’t include all tested topics. They show only the few things that are most important and those that are least important in terms of the frequency tested. Also, I’m only advocating the don’t bother strategy for those who don’t have much time left and need to prioritize heavily. If you aren’t under serious time pressure, you should still prioritize the things that are more commonly tested, but you don’t need to ignore the less-frequently-tested things.
Most frequently tested
(Note: designations follow the organization of the 4th edition MGMAT books)
| SC | CR | RC |
|---|---|---|
| Modifiers | Find the Assumption | Specific Detail |
| Parallelism | Strengthen | Inference |
| Meaning | Weaken | Main Idea |
| Draw a Conclusion / Inference |
| Number Properties | Algebra | Word Translations | Fractions, Decimals, and Percents | Geometry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisibility and Prime | Basic, Exponential, and Quadratic Equations | Statistics (mean / average) | Percents | Triangles |
| Exponents and Roots | VICs | Algebraic Translations (word problems) | Fractions | Circles |
| Positive and Negative |
Least frequently tested
(Note: designations follow the organization of the 4th edition MGMAT books)
| SC | CR | RC |
|---|---|---|
| Punctuation | Resolve a Problem | Tone |
| Quantity | Provide an Example | Strengthen |
| Restate the Conclusion | Weaken | |
| Mimic the Argument |
| Number Properties | Algebra | Word Translations | Fractions, Decimals, and Percents | Geometry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consecutive Integers | Functions | Combinatorics and Probability | Digits | 3-D Shapes |
| Overlapping Sets | Coordinate Plane |
Key Takeaways for the Next Month:
(1) Set realistic expectations. It’s rare to go from a 500 to a 700 in 4 weeks; even 600 to 700 is a unusual.
(2) Think about how you’re going to make the decision whether to take the old test or the new. What is your desired goal score vs. the bare minimum with which you’d be happy? You don’t necessarily need to decide right now, but set some parameters for yourself so that you don’t have to make snap decisions at the last minute.
(3) You don’t have time to do everything. Know your weaknesses and concentrate in those areas that are most frequently tested on the exam. If you have timing problems (and you almost certainly do), make sure you’re addressing them.
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