General Number Properties

[mabalestrino]

I am scheduled to take the GMAT in 7 days. I have taken off work for these 7 days and plan to devote every free minute to studying (up until a day or two before). I'm currently scoring ~600-620 with a goal of ~700. In analyzing my CATs, I'm scoring low on number property-related problems. I'm concerned that poor skills in this area with impact other areas of the exam, limiting my ability to reach my goal.

My question is this: given the available study time constraint, is it useful to spend an entire day studying only number properties to really learn the material and be able to maneuver through the problems quickly? Or is my time better spent focusing on other areas where I'm below average and "chalking the number property questions up to a loss." I'm not sure how much of an impact number properties have across all the questions on the test and consequently how important it is to really know those topics well to improve me score. Would you recommend taking the time to learn them well or reviewing them and moving on to other subject areas given that I have a full 4-5 days remaining?

Thanks!!

[StaceyKoprince]

Hmm, you wrote this 5 days ago, so your test is in 2 days. If I had seen this the day that you wrote it, I would have told you that it would be very unusual for someone to improve 100 points in 7 days. In general, whatever you're scoring 7 days out is probably about what you're going to score on the real test.

In general, for someone who is 7 days (or fewer) out, I would say: cut your losses. At this stage, you should be doing a comprehensive review of everything, not trying to improve your weaknesses.

However, at this stage, you should also not be trying to improve your score - as I said, this is probably already what it is.

So my real response to you is a question: What is more important to you, the test date or the goal score?

If the test date is the more important thing (because of a deadline), then accept that your score is about what it is now. Spend the last week doing a comprehensive review and resolving to move on quickly when you hit something that you know is an area of weakness. Spend that time and mental energy elsewhere.

If the goal score is the more important thing, then postpone your test. If you want to jump 100 points, you will likely need a minimum of a month and probably longer.

Re: number properties in particular, there's a split. Combinatorics and probability are not very important at all; feel free to guess immediately and move on when one pops up. The other categories (odd even pos neg divis and prime) are more commonly tested - so if you decide to postpone, then do devote some time to trying to improve those areas.

Let me know what you decide!

[mabalestrino]

Thanks, Stacey!

I decided to take the exam and scored a 660, above my scores from the previous week (~610), but below my goal of 700. I'm planning to take the exam again and think my biggest issue was mismanaged time for the verbal (47 on quant, 34 on verbal which was well below my averages for verbal b/c I had to rush at the end).

I now need to improve ~40 points before the next exam, which I'm going to schedule for mid-February. Do you have any suggestions for the last 40 points? I've taken several practice exams but I've now seen nearly all the questions before, so I don't think they are as helpful as they were previously. Is there anywhere to purchase additional practice exams to use as practice?

Any strategies for improving those additional 40 points would be really helpful!

[StaceyKoprince]

Nice work! If you took our course or one of our Guided Self-Study packages, then you're eligible for a free Post-Exam Assessment (if you haven't done it already). This is a phone call with an instructor to figure out what happened on test day and come up with a plan to re-take the test. If this applies to you, please send an email to gmat@manhattanprep.com and request the Post-Exam Assessment.

Next, you mention having timing issues on verbal, so that's the place to start. You likely were also having stamina issues (since verbal's the last section) and that can exacerbate timing problems. Did you have any of these symptoms?
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... you-crazy/

If so, mental fatigue likely contributed to your timing issues. Make sure to take all practice tests under 100% official conditions, including essay, IR, length of breaks, etc.

Have you read this before?
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... lly-tests/

That article explains the mindset that you need to take into the test in order to make good decisions (such as how to spend your time).

Then read this two, which are more specifically about time management:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -to-do-it/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... nt-part-1/

Re: practice tests, how many of ours have you taken? You won't see repeats until you get to your 7th test, and repeats only occur between sets of 6 tests. In other words, there won't be any repeats in tests 1 through 6. There also won't be any repeats in tests 7 through 12. In that second set, though, you could see questions that you saw in the first set of 6. Depending on how long ago you took that first set of 6, you may not actually remember most of the questions that you've already seen.

GMAC also released 2 new practice tests a few months ago. You have to pay for them - I think it's about $40 for the 2 - but they can be downloaded right into your GMATPrep software. (Warning: as usual for tests, they don't provide any performance data or explanations.)

Assuming you haven't been studying all of the old CAT questions recently, you can still take both GMATPrep and MGMAT CATs with repeats as long as you follow a few guidelines to minimize the chance of artificially inflating your score via question repeats.

First, anytime you see a problem that you remember (and this means: I know the answer or I'm pretty sure I remember the answer, not just "hmm, this looks vaguely familiar..."), immediately look at the timer and make yourself sit there for the full length of time for that question type. This way, you don't artificially give yourself more time than you should have.

Second, think about whether you got this problem right the last time. If you did, get it right again this time. If you didn't, get it wrong again. If you *completely honestly* think that you would get it right this time around if it were a new question (even though you got it wrong last time) because you've studied that area and improved, then get it right this time.

Now, in terms of more specific advice on how / what to study, I've got one more thing from you but also need more info from you to give you more detailed advice. First, read this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -the-gmat/

If you haven't been studying in that way, then start!

Second, use the below to analyze your MGMAT CAT (this should take you a minimum of 1 hour):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Figure out your strengths and weaknesses as well as what you think you should do based on that analysis (with a particular emphasis on verbal). Then come back here and tell us; we'll tell you whether we agree and advise you further. (Note: do share an analysis with us, not just the raw data. Part of getting better is developing your ability to analyze your results - figure out what they mean and what you think you should do about them!)

[mabalestrino]

Hi Stacie,

Thanks for the feedback. I scheduled a post-course assessment and it was helpful, but unfortunately work got in the way and now I have exactly 5 weeks, 3 of which I will be taking off work to study full-time, to increase my previous score of 660 to a 700+. The instructor who performed my post-course assessment told me to focus on specific challenge problems b/c apparently "I know enough to narrow down the choices, but then I usually guess."

I'm reaching out b/c I wanted to pick your brain r/e how you think I should approach the next month or so. How would you study if you had a goal of 700+ and were 40 points below? I know I under performed on the verbal last time, but I over performed on the quant (relative to my CAT exams). Also, timing was an issue, but I'm hoping that by reading the articles you suggested and focusing on my time management, I can resolve this issue.

I'm interested to hear any feedback, study approaches/plans, or any advice you have to offer. I'm willing to go to great lengths to improve on that score, I'm just not sure what lengths that need to be.

Thanks!
Mike

[StaceyKoprince]

1. Start tackling any timing issues immediately.

2. Lowest-hanging fruit = things you already know how to do but on which you tend to make mistakes. Any of these from your last practice test?

3. Buckets 3 and 4 from your analysis of your practice tests. Not sure what Buckets are? That's discussed in the Evaluating Your Practice Tests article. Here's an updated version:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... ts-part-1/

4. Know what you're NOT going to get better at and let it go. Study just enough to recognize any ways to narrow down answers (if possible). Guess quickly to save time and mental energy for other more important tasks.

You don't have a huge leap to make - you're in good shape - but you do have some work to do to get there. So go for it!

[mabalestrino]

Stacey - I've been working on my timing and seem to be done better for quant but am still struggling with verbal. The problem is, I am usually getting the problems correct but it's taking me longer than 1.5 - 2 minutes. For example, I got the first 19 verbal problems correct on my last CAT, but was 15 minutes over target time at that point, and ended up having to rush through the last 5-7 in less than 2 minutes. I know I'm shooting myself in the foot by doing this, but haven't been able to see any specific areas to cut time...any advice?

Thanks!!

[StaceyKoprince]

#1 Get some of those earlier questions wrong fast.

Seriously. Go take a look at those questions - I doubt you spent exactly the same amount of time on each one. Find the 5 that caused the greatest chunk of that 15 minutes over. How should you have recognized that they were going to take way too long?

Next time, get those wrong fast.

#2 Stop agonizing between answer choices.

Stop going back and forth among those last two choices 3 or 4 or 6 times. After the FIRST comparison of the last two, pick. Your first hunch isn't going to change the 4th time you compare them, so just go for it.

#2 When you're checking the answers for the first time, your first decision is just "maybe vs. wrong." Wrong = I am never looking at this choice again. Maybe = I think it might be right, I think it might be wrong, I don't understand what it's saying - anything other than "this is wrong."

Don't spend ANY time at this point trying to decide whether it really is right or wrong. Leave it and first just get rid of all of the definitely wrong answers.

THEN see how many you have left. Compare them against each other. If you have 3 or 4 (or 5!) and another pass doesn't get you down to 2 answers, guess and move on. If you narrow down to 2... compare them once, then pick and move on.

How's your reading speed on CR and RC?

One last thing: you're having trouble figuring out how to cut time because what you really want is to cut time and still get everything right. That's not your goal. The test will ALWAYS give you stuff that would take you too long if you really tried to get every last question right.

Read this:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... lly-tests/

See what I mean when I say that getting everything right isn't your goal? :)