Bombed the Test

[mikeyjacobs]

Hey,

I have been scoring 47-49 on the quant, I just took the real thing and I scored a 42....

I will preface this will I have taken the GMAT once before and scored a 47 on the quant and for this most recent test I focused HEAVILY on upping my quant into the 50's... Two days ago I scored a 49 on a GMATPREP Test and 4 days before that a 49... I was totally expecting to hit or come close to 50, so this was a shock.

[edit: paragraphs deleted -- no discussion of live questions!]

Anybody else out there in this boat? Any ideas?

I'm not sure what to do next, I feel like I know the material very well....

[RonPurewal]

whoa, whoa, there.

you are absolutely NOT allowed to post ANYTHING about what you saw on the official test, EVER.
remember the agreement between GMAC and test-takers! if you disclose details of live questions, in any way, you will not only have your scores cancelled, but you could have any already-extant b-school offers revoked (and could be expelled from b-school if you're already a student).

i've edited the post; please don't ever post ANY specifics about what you saw on the official test.
thanks.

--

in any case, try reading the following post, for advice on quant (specifically timing):
post37361.html#p37361

other than that, you really haven't given us a lot of specifics.
what are traditionally your weaknesses? strengths? etc.

also, while you can't tell anyone else what you saw on the exam, you can certainly seek out other problems that look like the ones you saw.
a good place to start would be the GMAT PREP FOLDERS on this forum. go ahead and go through the WHOLE THINGS, paying special attention to anything that looks like the problems that stumped you.

good luck!

[mikeyjacobs]

Sorry, I didn't think I divulged enough information to actually put together a question outside of the general topics that the GMAT always tests. Nonetheless, I apologize.

As for my background....I've studied so hard in an attempt to plug my gaps in the Quant, I can't say I have any real content gaps in the traditional sense, my problems are more application I guess or not having a method. I think my biggest problem is recognizing how to set up the problems quickly and recognizing when to just plug numbers in.

I just felt like on this test, I got off on the wrong foot, killed to much time in the beginning and its spiraled down from there. I had also been studying very hard straight until the test, perhaps that had something to do with it. I just can't believe I went from a 47(real test) to a 42(real test) when I can say conclusively I know the content much better now.

I'm inclined to think my poor performance had more to do with non content factors, since my score was by far my lowest math score since perhaps my first practice tests. I think I'm going take it again in a month, and just do 2 practice tests in between, one in a week and another in 2 weeks than shut it down before the test to be fresh.

Thanks for your advice.

[RonPurewal]

Sorry, I didn't think I divulged enough information to actually put together a question outside of the general topics that the GMAT always tests. Nonetheless, I apologize.

oh no, they have all those bases covered.

the nondisclosure agreement pretty much outlaws any communication about anything on the test. (if i remember correctly, it outlaws "discussing the content of the test" - and that clause is separate from the clause that specifically forbids the passing along of actual test questions. so their intent is pretty clear.)

they also specifically mention internet forums as a place where you'll get in trouble for doing so.

i wouldn't take it to the point of paranoia, and you don't really have to apologize - i just don't think you're aware of how seriously GMAC takes this stuff (especially on our end -- if we allowed the discussion to stand, we would probably be the ones getting in the bigger trouble. hence the rapid deletion.)

As for my background....I've studied so hard in an attempt to plug my gaps in the Quant, I can't say I have any real content gaps in the traditional sense, my problems are more application I guess or not having a method. I think my biggest problem is recognizing how to set up the problems quickly and recognizing when to just plug numbers in.

(emphasis mine)

this is an extremely common situation. in fact, among test-takers with quant scores above, say, 35, very few will have any appreciable "content gaps in the traditional sense". this is so because the actual content upon which the questions are based is actually quite elementary -- the genius of the questions lies in the unconventional ways in which the topics are combined to create the essence of the problems.

as for the boldfaced text, this is the approach that the vast majority of test takers take to the backup methods (plugging, estimation etc) -- and it's the wrong approach!
it seems that you expect to be able to recognize, on sight, problems for which the plug-in methods are appropriate. this isn't a realistic expectation -- it takes a great deal of experience to just look at a problem and know exactly which methods will work. in fact, most instructors still take a while to get to the point where they can immediately identify which backup methods will work.

instead, there's a much better way to proceed as far as using these backup methods, and it's much simpler than you might think:
if whatever method you're trying fails, just quit and try another method.
you may find that the best way to implement this strategy is to use the following hierarchy:
(1) "textbook" method
(2) plug-in methods (plug in your own numbers; work backwards from answer choices)
(3) estimate the answer
(4) desperation methods / process of elimination / random guess
i.e., if step one doesn't work, then just move to step two; if step two doesn't work, then just move to step three; etc. with
this seems like a really simple suggestion, but notice that it takes off your shoulders the entire burden of knowing which methods will solve which problems. instead, you basically just throw all the methods at the problem until one of them works!
try it. you'll like it.

I just felt like on this test, I got off on the wrong foot, killed to much time in the beginning and its spiraled down from there.

timing is a big deal for a lot of students. in fact, time management generally tends to be much more difficult for students who are already fairly high scorers, since those students are not used to giving up on problems. (ironically, lower scorers tend to have an easier time with time management, since those students have much more experience with "cutting their losses" and guessing on regular tests.)

for more information on time management, go ahead and look at the post to which i linked in my last writing above.

I'm inclined to think my poor performance had more to do with non content factors, since my score was by far my lowest math score since perhaps my first practice tests.

this is quite possible, especially if you've been neglecting the importance of time management.
if you have learned a lot of content since your last exam administration -- and haven't paid sufficient attention to time management -- that it's very possible that you've actually slowed down overall.
in a worst case scenario, the additional time that it takes you to sort out and use your newfound knowledge will actually outweigh the benefits of the knowledge itself! that's a bad thing, but, fortunately, if you practice time management as i've prescribed above, you can combat this problem effectively.