GMAT Scheduled For Aug 30th

by **Guest** Thu Aug 21, 2008 3:52 pm

I am nearing the home stretch and wanted to know how best I should prepare for my last few days. I have taken 7 CATs to date.

1. GMAT Prep #1 = 690 (Do not have the breakout) (Mid July)
2. MGMAT #1 = 640 (Q43 V 34) 7/26/08
3. MGMAT #2 = 640 (Q44 V 33) 7/27/08
4. MGMAT #3 = 660 (Q45 V 35) 8/02/08
5. MGMAT #4 = 710 (Q48 V 38) 8/09/08
6. MGMAT #5 = 710 (Q47 V 40) 8/16/08
7. GMAT Prep #2 = 680 (Q44 V 38) 8/17/08 (made a lot of silly data sufficiency errors)

I was lucky enough to get the entire week of the 25th off from work to focus on addressing the problem areas. On the verbal, I struggle with SC (I have the MGMAT SC book, which has been very helpful) and on the quant, DS has been my nemesis.

How best would you guys suggest that I attack the weak areas and make the most of the remaining time that I have? GMAT focus? Additional CATs?

-KJ

by **StaceyKoprince** Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:01 pm

Hi, I'm sorry I'm just getting to this today! It's been crazy here this past month. Your most recent tests show some nice consistency in the high 600 / low 700 range, so that's good. In the last week, the goal isn't usually improvement so much as reinforcement - to make sure that you actually can and do perform at your level when you get in there for the real test.

I typically recommend taking a final practice test exactly one week from the official test day, and take it at the same time of day. (If you can't, take it as close as you can to 1 week before, but still at the same time of day - time of day is more important. (I know this won't help you now but it might help others reading this.)

Then spend that last week developing your "game plan" based on the results of that test. Know what your strengths and weaknesses are not only by question type (DS, PS, SC, CR, RC) but also by content area or question type (eg, geometry vs. algebra for quant, or infer vs. specific detail for RC). For your strengths, give yourself permission to spend some extra seconds when you get a hard question of that type. "Extra seconds" means 10, 20, 30 seconds, something like that - NOT minutes. For your weaknesses, give yourself permission to let go and move on when you get a hard one of that type. Learn how to make educated guesses for those (ie, learn how to identify and eliminate wrong answers for questions of that type). Practice your overall pacing. Review your major strategies for the different question types and content areas. Etc.

The day before, do some VERY high-level review of your major strategies and pacing - don't spend more than 2 hours studying. Get together everything you need for test day (including food and drink to bring with you!). Have a good dinner and go see a movie or do something to take your mind off of the test. Get a good night's sleep.

The day of, eat a meal with protein, complex carbs, and fat a couple of hours before the test starts. Get there early. Do some practice problems to warm up right before you go in - VERY easy problems in both math and verbal, only a few each, and don't check the answers (don't even bring them with you). This is the equivalent of jogging around the track before the big game to warm yourself up.

Good luck - let us know how it goes!

by **Guest** Sat Aug 30, 2008 2:44 pm

The test is finally over...

I am not sure what to make of it, but I scored a 700 (Q47, V39). There was construction outside of the testing center and you could clearly hear it in the room (was very distracting for the quant portion). I filed a complaint before I left and have no idea what will happen next. In any event, below is how I prepared for the test:

I started thinking about going back to school sometime in June and started studying for the GMAT towards the end of the month. I didn't start any real studying until July... I would try to study about 2 hours every night on weekdays and about 6-7 hours on the weekends. I took my first exam in July and the others are listed above. I never did the AWA portion when I took my practice exams. The best advice is to do the official guide problems over and over again...especially the ones that you are struggling with. The SC MGMAT book was an excellent resource as well as the number properties book (very good help for DS questions). I also purchased the GMAT Focus bundle of 3 and took them all this past Thursday. The prediction was fairly accurate for my quant score. Another trick that you can do is go through the GMAT prep software and do the problems over and over again (only helpful for the quant portion but you have to unfortunately go through the verbal to get your score and have the test graded). You should do this only AFTER you have exhausted your two free tests. If you dont know the answer to a question, search for it on the internet so you get it right. When I did this, some very strange things started to happen. I saw questions (with the exception of maybe 3-4) that I had never seen...so there are some really good questions in there. Anyway, I'm exhausted and want to enjoy the first weekend in a long time!

-KJ

by **RonPurewal** Tue Sep 02, 2008 6:27 am

Anonymous Wrote:The test is finally over...

I am not sure what to make of it, but I scored a 700 (Q47, V39). There was construction outside of the testing center and you could clearly hear it in the room (was very distracting for the quant portion). I filed a complaint before I left and have no idea what will happen next. In any event, below is how I prepared for the test:

I started thinking about going back to school sometime in June and started studying for the GMAT towards the end of the month. I didn't start any real studying until July... I would try to study about 2 hours every night on weekdays and about 6-7 hours on the weekends. I took my first exam in July and the others are listed above. I never did the AWA portion when I took my practice exams. The best advice is to do the official guide problems over and over again...especially the ones that you are struggling with. The SC MGMAT book was an excellent resource as well as the number properties book (very good help for DS questions). I also purchased the GMAT Focus bundle of 3 and took them all this past Thursday. The prediction was fairly accurate for my quant score. Another trick that you can do is go through the GMAT prep software and do the problems over and over again (only helpful for the quant portion but you have to unfortunately go through the verbal to get your score and have the test graded). You should do this only AFTER you have exhausted your two free tests. If you dont know the answer to a question, search for it on the internet so you get it right. When I did this, some very strange things started to happen. I saw questions (with the exception of maybe 3-4) that I had never seen...so there are some really good questions in there. Anyway, I'm exhausted and want to enjoy the first weekend in a long time!

-KJ

congratulations on hitting the magic 700. that's an excellent score, and, to boot, it's above the average of your practice test scores. so rest assured that the effect of the construction outside was minimal.

go take some well deserved rest this weekend.

by **Guest** Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:38 pm

Stacey and Ron,

You guys are awesome! I browsed several blogs during my test preparation period and their approach to solving specific problems is never as clear as MGMAT. In any event, I will start working on my apps even though I scored in the lower range of the schools that I will be applying to. I will, however, take the exam again, but only after I hear back from schools with (hopefully) positive news...any thoughts on this strategy?

-KJ

by **StaceyKoprince** Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:00 pm

Congrats! 700 is an excellent score. (And FYI - I'm not aware of any schools for which 700 is in the "lower" range. Schools may post averages of 710/720, but a 700 is basically the same thing. For a school with a 710/720 average, you have to go down to the mid-600s before you get to their "lower" range. So you can still be very happy with your score!)

A 700 won't keep you out and an 800 wouldn't get you in - once you get into that range, they'll just say "good" for the GMAT and move on to the more important rest of your application.

I'm unclear as to why you would take the test again after the schools have decided whether to admit you? Can you explain in more detail?

by **Guest** Wed Sep 03, 2008 7:14 pm

I was thinking only for better job prospects and more invites to interviews and perhaps even a shot at some scholarships etc...

-KJ

by **StaceyKoprince** Mon Sep 08, 2008 11:17 am

Ah, got it. I'm not sure how much people really rely on GMAT scores in terms of job prospects / interviews. But, yeah, there are definitely some scholarships that factor in grades and GMAT scores (though I think it is both together - are there scholarships that just use the GMAT?).

I'd do some research first before taking it again - make sure that there are actually tangible possible benefits to taking the test again. Otherwise, it's not really worth the effort, is it?

by **Guest** Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:50 am

I just received my AWA score....5.5! My first time taking the AWA was during the test. I was a little worried because I had never practiced writing one before. Phew....

-KJ

by **StaceyKoprince** Wed Sep 10, 2008 4:04 pm

That's amazing. I'm glad it worked out for you but, for others reading, "Don't try that at home, folks." You don't want to go into any test having no idea how you're going to do on some part of it! :)