Advice For Unbalanced Scorer

[davestanley83]

Hi Stacey (and other online forum folks) -

Hope all is well.

I'm writing in the hopes of getting a bit of advice as a prepare to take the GMAT a second time. Here's the scoop:

I took the GMAT a week ago after almost 2 months of intense prep (due to work obligations, I got almost no work done during the MGMAT course itself). My course finished at the end of June, but since then, I've been in the fortunate position of having some time off from work to study.

As for the GMAT I took last week, I came out feeling a little lukewarm about the result. The good news = 700 (90th Percentile) overall, and 5.5 AWA. Bad news (62 Percent Quant, 95 Percent Verbal). Needless to say, I was surprised by the lack of balance. My last CAT put me at 79% Quant, and though I wasn't totally expecting to break 80% on quant (at least without more study), 62% was quite a drop. That said, my timing could have been better on the quant section, nerves kicked for sure, and I didn't feel nearly as confident in my approach as on the verbal section. Still, after shaking it off a bit, I'm viewing the glass as half full :) I think it was a solid first attempt - with a clear need to focus on quant the next time around.

This brings me to next steps: I know I can do much better on the quant (at least get in the mid to high 70s) if I study for another month, so I'm thinking I should take it again. Though I'm not certain that every school uses the 80/80 rule, I'd like to be more balanced than not. I think my biggest problem is feeling like I'm seeing quant questions for "the first time" and not being able to generalize the many, many OG problems I've done into generally strong approaches (when things are worded differently). I've learned a good number of quant problems really well, but the combination of "cryptic verbiage" and uncertainty about which approaches to use when makes me think that that I need to get better at:

- Honing clear strategies for solving problems
- Deciphering problem types more quickly
- Keeping the pace with timing
- Pushing myself more on my weakest quant areas (word translations, number properties)

Does this sound right to you - both in terms of taking it again, and approach? And are there any great morsels of wisdom you might offer about how best to approach my quantitative focus? I'm planning to re-take the exam 3-4 weeks, and figure that I have about 3-4 hours a day to study.

My plan is to a) really prioritize quality over quantity, b) spend much more time studying wrong/right answers, especially from OG stuff c) keep pushing myself on timed sets/practice exams, d) study wrong answers from CATs, e) focus particularly on word translations and number properties, my two biggest areas for growth.

I really feel like I can top 700 if I keep pushing - (the MBA.com test I took two weeks ago was a 720), but I think 2nd time comfort, along with spending more time studying my answers and learning from them, makes a lot of sense.

Any advice?

Incidentally, I felt totally great (and relaxed) on the essays and on the verbal section today, but my gut feeling is that taking this thing again will really put me in a better place to round out my score.

Still optimistic and ready to rock some quant :)

David

[StaceyKoprince]

I like what you've typed above; you seem to have a good idea of what needs to happen on your re-take, and that bodes well for your ability to get it done.

Couple of things. First, some schools use the 80/80 rule but many don't. You may want to check directly with the schools to which you plan to apply to see whether they care; why put yourself through the stress of a re-take if they don't care? :)

Second, it would be nice if we could figure out why your score dropped (so that you can do whatever is necessary to prevent it from happening again). Because you took our course you're eligible for a free Post-Exam Assessment - a phone call with an instructor to figure out what went wrong and set up a game plan for your re-take. If you'd like to do this (I strongly recommend it - in fact, go send the email now, before you finish reading my post!), send an email to studentservices@manhattangmat.com and ask for a Post-Exam Assessment.

The biggest question I have for you, in this regard, is timing. You mentioned that the timing may have been a problem. Can you elaborate? Did you find yourself rushing more than usual? Did you have to make guesses simply because you were running out of time? If so, please quantify as much as you remember.

You are absolutely right, by the way, that you need to develop a better ability to recognize what to do with a problem. That's the single biggest difference between a good test-taker and a great test-taker. And it's something you can study - but you do have to study it. Approach it as a foreign language: when I see X, I translate that as Y, and when I translate something as Y, I know I'm supposed to use approach Z. Every time you do a problem, ask yourself:
1) what did this remind me of that I've seen before? how did it remind me of that - what was the same? what was different? (if possible, go back and look at the old problem again to compare)
2) if I see a different problem in the future that tests this same concept, what might that look like? what will be similar? what could be different without changing the fundamentals: that it is testing this particular concept?

You probably already do this decently with some things but not so well with others, so part of your task will be identifying where you need the most work (and it sounds like you already have an idea about that).

If timing is an issue, then you'll also need to fix that - and remember that, if you're spending too long, timing is still a big problem even if you're getting the questions right!

Nice job on the verbal and essays, by the way. Next time, if you think it will help, you could also "go for" a 5.0 on the essays - basically just use less brain energy, so that you have peak energy for the quant.

Good luck - let us know how it goes!

[davestanley83]

Stacey,

Thanks for such a quick reply. I'm impressed at how you handle such a high volume of posts!

To your points below:

1) Will definitely schedule a post-exam assessment asap. Seems like a great opportunity to problem solve.

2) On the 80/80 rule, I will certainly check. The 5 schools I'm most interested in are Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Berkeley - though I'm not sure if you have a read on the extent to which those schools care about 80/80. I'm guessing most do?

3) On timing for quant, I feel like a few things went wrong:

First, I was definitely rushing more than normal. I could feel myself trying a problem for 1-1.5 minutes with an approach that I thought might work, and when it didn't, or my calculations seemed off, I spent the last chunk of time scrambling to guess or checking my work. It's worth noting that I had practiced a lot with the timing benchmarks from Zeke's lab (and had them written down on my pad), but once I feel behind (around 30 minutes in), I got a little frazzled.

Second, I think I'm still a little reluctant to cut and run, and my default tends to be to "stick out" a question, even when I don't see a clear path to success. By association, I know I can be using POE better, both on data sufficiency and especially on problem sovling. My grids are definitely helpful for DA questions, but it's particularly on PS questions that I'm struggling a bit with eliminating answers (I feel more often that I'm either a: coming up with the right answer, b: just getting lost). Probably worth it to review that lab again :)

Third, I was sitting right next to the door in the test center, and despite the ear plugs, could still hear some talking outside - and got distracted by that. I turned around twice to motion to the test coordinator to keep it down, but I know the newness of having test-takers come in/out while I was taking the exam, or in some cases typing while I was taking the test, rattled me a little.

Finally, I think my biggest problem was lacking a defined "approach" and ability to categorize problems as I saw them. The entire section felt like a reactive blur if you will (I barely remember most of the problems I saw), and I wasn't confident in my ability to place them as NP, WT, GEO, FDP, or ALGEBRA - nor to link them to past problems with clear routes to success. I've read the strategy guides multiple times, done 90% of the associated OG problems in them, and know most of the formulas. However, I don't yet think I'm making connections to past experience effectively, nor comfortable with that first 15 seconds of a problem - where I diagnose and determine a solid approach.

I think the key to the next 3-4 weeks in studying will be prioritization. I'm very good at studying hard and getting through lots of problems (and reviewing them), but I think the review, reflect, adapt cycle needs to a lot more time. I'll ask the post-assessment person what he/she thinks about what activities will provide me with the most band for my buck, but if you have any suggestions, I'm all ears. My gut says that it would be really smart to review the 5 CATs I've done so far (haven't reviewed most of the quant problems there yet), and to spend more time reviewing the OG problems I've gotten wrong. I've marked all incorrect answers in the corresponding strategy guides, and I'm hoping that picking apart those problems in more depth will help me make these connections more effectively. This, I think, may be a better use of my time than re-reading the strategy guides yet again - and focusing on "big picture" review, where I'm looking at my summary notes - instead of sharpening my teeth on specific problems.

Sound right?

Many thanks,

David

[StaceyKoprince]

In general, yes - use your performance on specific problems to drive what you do next (which may include reviewing some specific material from the strategy guides, returning to a lab or a tape of a class, etc.)

Re: the difficulty letting go, keep reminding yourself of a few things.

First, think of this as a tennis match, not a test. You're going to win some points and the other guy is going to win some points; you're not going to win them all, right? Your goal is to put yourself into position to win the LAST point. Translated, that means you have to put yourself in position to answer the last question - you have to have time to address it. Otherwise, you've lost the last point, and by extension the match. When the other guy hits a winner, don't go running after it so fast that you hit the fence and injure yourself, thereby hurting your chances on the later points. (Translation: don't go way over when the problem is too hard.)

Second, remind yourself that 25% of the questions are experimental - they don't count toward your score. Ask yourself how you'll feel about the time you spent if this one's an experimental? That'll make it easier to let go.

Third, remind yourself that, if you're doing your job (working at your peak ability), then the test WILL give you things that are too hard for you. There's ALWAYS a trade-off when you decide to spend extra time - you're trading off your performance on some later, unseen question. So, you have two choices: spend too much time or let something go. You've seen what happens when you spend too much time - do you want that to happen again? Tell yourself, "Okay, I have to let this one go so that it doesn't prevent me from getting other questions right later."

Re: the difficulty you're having recognizing what to do. You actually do need to study this consciously! Ask yourself the questions from my first post on EVERY single problem you do from now on. And don't rush the process - I would rather have you really decode a smaller number of problems than rush through a big pool of problems. Also, make sure you're studying the ones you got right, not just the ones you got wrong. There's still a TON you can learn when you get a problem right (how to do the problem more efficiently, how to recognize problems of that type, how to recognize harder problems of the same type, how to make an educated guess on problems of that type, etc.).

Ditto with educated guessing - this is something you actually have to think about and study. It doesn't just happen. Learn how to do it on different kinds of questions. It's easier to learn this on questions you got right, and then you know you can use that educated guessing methods on that same type of question (by type, I mean things like: a PS rate problem, a CR draw a conclusion problem).

On the 80/80 thing, yes, the top schools are the ones that tend to care about this. In terms of how much they care, ask the admissions consulting folks over in the admissions thread. I don't have a good feel for the differences between the schools.

Finally, next time you go to the test center, when you're checking in, explain what happened last time and ask very nicely not to be seated near the door. There's no guarantee, but if you're nice and the person is sympathetic, perhaps your request will be granted.

Good luck - let us know how it goes!

[kean.allison]

Dave,

Just wanted to say that I am 100% in the same place as you - same score on first try, same percentiles on V and Q, and literally the same feeling that I've not mastered categorizing types of problems and starting with the right approach. Like you, I felt like test day was a "reactive blur" and I have no memory of the questions I saw, specifically in quant. Like you, I'd been doing better in quant on practice exams.

Anyway, I'm not sure why I'm writing this except to say that I'm with you, man!

Good luck! I think we both need to do the same thing in the next month.

[davestanley83]

Kean,

Glad to hear we're in this together :)

I had a GREAT post-exam consulatation with one of the senior GMAT instructors (a guy named Mike here on the west coast), and it totally got me psyched for Round 2. I'm working a lot on recognizing problem types, outlining clear approaches by topic, and especially in this last week and a half, being religious about practicing my quant timing.

If you ever need to compare notes, let me know. I'm feeling really good about this second time around, and fully believe this test is ROCKABLE.

Onward and upward -

David

[StaceyKoprince]

kean.allison, if you took our course, you're eligible for a post-exam assessment - the meeting that Dave mentions above. If you'd like to do this (I strongly recommend it!), send an email to studentservices@manhattangmat.com and ask for a Post-Exam Assessment.

And, Dave, I agree - Mike's a great instructor / coach. :)

[davestanley83]

Hey Stacey,

Just wanted to close the loop here and let you know how my 2nd round went (I couldn't find your e-mail, so I'm replying again to this post). I ended up hitting a 710 the second time around, but with a much more balanced score (78% Quant, 89% Verbal). Though not quite as high as my last two GMAT Prep and MGMAT practice tests (I had hit 730 twice), I was definitely pleased overall. I feel like I'm close enough to 80% on the quant side, and it's a score that top 5 schools will be satisfied with. Now that I've finished this "necessary, but not sufficient" component of the application process, I'm excited to turn my attention to what I hope will be my biggest strengths - my leadership, work experience, and personal brand/story.

But many, many thanks for you responsiveness and helpful posts along the way. I can tell you that my consultation with Mike (and our subsequent check-in 4 weeks later) were absolutely a game changer for me. They really helped me prioritize my studies and gave me a big confidence boost heading into my second attempt.

Keep up the great work, and thank again for your sage counsel.

Regards,

David

[StaceyKoprince]

That's great! Yes, even for the schools that want to see 80/80, 78th percentile is close enough that they'll put you in the "met the requirement" pool.

Good luck with the rest of apps - let us know how it goes!
:)
p.s. I'll pass along the news to Mike, too