GMAT Focus

[nuwalt]

Stacey,

I am writing this in a new post as I did not want to bump my previous discussion with you below, down the list.

Is it worthwhile to use GMAT Focus for Quant practice?
Does it offer advanced questions for a 700+ score target, or do you recommend OG 12 only with some OG supplement for Quant.

There are questions (~150) in the back of the MGMAT Advanced Quant book? Should I practice those as well?

Thanks and again, just trying to obtain over a 85% on Quant.

Thanks.

[StaceyKoprince]

I love GMAT Focus. It's adaptive, just like the real test, so you'll get whatever you earn. And they do offer explanations and analysis of your results, unlike GMATPrep. So, yes, use it! :)

Just remember that you may want to spread it out (you can take it 3 or 4 times without seeing question repeats) so that you don't "use it up" before you hit high levels.

Re: Advanced Quant, that book is designed for people who are at least 70th percentile now (ideally closer to 80th) and are looking to push higher, as you are. I think you're in that range already (but correct me if I'm wrong), so yes, you can use all of the questions in that book as well. But again spread them out - make sure you're really learning from each one and not just blowing through them all in order to check them off as "done."

[nuwalt]

Thanks Stacey. Yes you are correct, I am pushing myself above 80% in Quant. If I am pressed for time, and can only do one of the two, which one do you recommend:

1. MGMAT CAT Quant questions ?

OR

2. Advanced Quant book question at the end (15 sets of 10 questions each - 150 questions)?

I understand that CATs are there to assess strengths and weaknesses. However, I am time pressed and pacticing only with the GMAT Prep CATs. Now I need to do Advanced Math problems and looking for the best use of my time whilst not compromising advanced quality questions and understanding.

Please advice. Thanks.

[StaceyKoprince]

Do fewer questions but really dig into those questions. And you don't need to limit yourself to one source - again, this is not about "finishing" a source. It's about fully learning what you need to learn for whatever question is sitting in front of you right now. Then, when you're done, move on to another. But don't set an artificial "oh, I need to do X questions" and then just plow through them without learning what you need to learn.

When you say you're using CAT questions, do you mean you're just using them for problem sets? Or do you mean you're taking a bunch of full CATs?

CAT exams are really good for (a) figuring out where you're scoring right now, (b) practicing stamina, and (c) analyzing your strengths and weaknesses. The actual act of just taking the exam is NOT so useful for improving. It's what you do with the test results / between tests that helps you to improve.

If you're just using the questions as problem sets, as you would the Advanced Quant questions, then that's fine. And either set is fine - they're similar. But if you're taking a bunch of CATs, stop - you're studying really inefficiently!

You should be doing this kind of analysis when reviewing practice problems:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/a ... roblem.cfm

That kind of analysis takes significant time. I might take 5 minutes, or 10 - or sometimes 15! - to analyze a single problem. But that's where you're really learning.

Now, you don't need to answer every single question in that article on every single problem, nor do you need to write out a report on every problem. But you should have the list of questions in front of you and consider each - which ones do I really need to think about for this problem sitting in front of me right now? (And don't neglect the questions you get right - it's often easier to find timing shortcuts, spot traps, and learn how to make educated guesses when you got the problem right.)

So what I would really recommend is a mix of our questions and official questions. Our questions because our explanations are a lot better than the explanations for official questions - we help you learn more - but official questions too because there's nothing better than the real thing as far as the questions are concerned.

So do a mix - you don't have to focus on just one source. Our stuff, GMAT Focus and/or OG12 - it'll all help. :)

[nuwalt]

Thanks Stacey. I just replied to your note on a different topic about RCs.

1. Is it fair to say that there is not need to do ALL of the OG 12 questions prior to taking the GMAT. If time pressed, should I just focussed on the BenchMark problems? or higher number beyond benchmark for Quant and Verbal?

2. Also, to read CR, is it enough to go through the MGMAT CR guide? I understand that we should not learn the rules too mcuh for CRs (as per Ron) as we will neglect the real world common sense. Lot of people have talked about a book called, Powerscore Bible for CR? Not sure how good that is.

Thanks.

[StaceyKoprince]

No, you don't need to do all the Qs. It's definitely not about how many you do, but how well you study and learn from the Qs that you do do. :)

Benchmark is a good starting point, and then move higher in those categories where you're doing well and the benchmarks are easier for you.

I have heard a lot of good things from students about PowerScore CR but haven't looked at it myself. At this point I don't think you have much time left, right? If that's the case, then I wouldn't do a whole book (either ours or anyone else's) but use the below articles and Thursdays with Ron videos instead:

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... g-problem/

Major Q types:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2009/10/ ... -questions

http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2011/04/ ... en-problem

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -problems/
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2012/02/ ... en-problem

Minor types:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2011/01/ ... cy-problem
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2011/01/ ... on-problem
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2011/02/ ... ce-problem