Guidance Needed.

[sid1979]

Hi All,

I have been preparing for the exam for the last 1 month. My target score is 740 but I am pretty much disappointed with the scores that i am getting currently in the mock test. Although i do agree that i started from 580 but i thought i will be able to reach a 700 in at least one of the mock test so far. My nos are as follows:

Gmat prep1 :580
GMAT prep2: 610
GMAT prep1:680 (2nd round)
Kaplan diagnostic: 550
Kaplan cat1 : 690
Kaplan cat2:660
Kaplan cat3:680
Kaplan cat4:670
Kaplan cat5:670
MGMAT free test : 670
MGMAT CAT1 : 630

So after 11 tests i am hovering around 650 range. Highly disappointing for me. I am geting consistent scores of 45-47 in Quant & 32-34 in verbal. I know i need to improve to reach my target score but bit clueless.

I haven't booked my exam dates yet.

Any guidance will be of great help to me. Currently confidence level is bit low. Boaster required.

Sid.

[StaceyKoprince]

First, stop taking so many tests. :)

Seriously, tests are just a way for you to see if the work you've done between tests has helped you to improve. And it typically takes a good 3 weeks (or more!) of studying every day to see any noticeable improvement. 11 tests in a month is serious overkill - all you're really doing is reinforcing both your strengths AND your weaknesses.

Go take a look at your last couple of MGMAT practice tests and run the assessment reports to figure out your strengths and weaknesses. Take a look at this post to know what to think about when analyzing the reports:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/rea ... t4826.html

Then start setting up a study plan based on those strengths and weaknesses (if you need help with that, come back with your analysis from the assessment reports and let us know - we'd be happy to help). And don't take another test again for at least 2-3 weeks!

Also, you've shown some really nice improvement over the past month. Most people study for 3 months (or more) for this test, so don't feel discouraged at all - it would be tough to go from 580 to 700 in only a month.

[Guest]

Hi Stacey,

Thanks a lot for your valuable suggestion. I have generated reports & analyzed. What i found that in Quant i am getting a 50% strike rate for questions in the range 0f 700-800. Below that range i am able to score 90% in Quant.
But for verbal i am getting stuck at 600-700 level itself. Main culprit being SC & CR. Actually my aim is to get a 730+ in the actual GMAT. To get it i have to get a 40 in verbal at least to reach that score. But my current standard is at 30-32 level. My aim is to make my SC & CR to 90% level. I know I will make some mistakes in RC. So i am stressing more on SC & CR. I have gone thru Mnahattan SC guide & power score CR bible. But i think my current levels are not at all satisfactory.

So again require your suggestion what needs to be done to enhance my SC & CR skills. I know practice is the key but with right guidance i can benefit a lot. Previously i thought of giving the exam on Oct end, but now i have deferred it to Nov.

Regards
Sid.

[StaceyKoprince]

It will be really hard to get to the 90% level across all difficulty levels - but maybe you meant you want to get the 600-700 level questions to the 90% mark? If you're talking about ALL SC and CR questions, then you'd be looking at scoring in the 99th percentile, and that's seriously hard.

Go back to recent practice tests and problems you've done and ask yourself the below questions (specifically targeted to verbal, though may of these work for math too).

For the ones you got wrong:
1) Why did I get it wrong (as specifically as possible)? (NOTE: this is NOT the same as "why is the right answer right?")
2) What could I do to minimize the chance of making that error (or those errors) again?  How will I make whatever that is a habit so that I really do minimize chances of making the same error again?
3) Why are the wrong answers tempting? Why are they wrong anyway?
4) Why is the right answer right? Why did I cross it off anyway?
5) How will I recognize problems of similar type in future so that I can apply that "best way" to the problem?

For ones you got right:
1) Did I really know what I was doing or did I get lucky?  If I got lucky, review all of the "wrong answer" questions, above
2) If I did know what I was doing, did I also do it in the best way (for me)?  Or is there an easier / more efficient way to think about this?
3) Why are the wrong answers tempting? Why are they wrong anyway?
4) Why is the right answer right? Why would someone cross it off anyway?
5) How will I recognize problems of similar type in future so that I can either repeat my original success or apply my new "best way" to the problem?
6) Can I explain this problem to someone who doesn't get it and make that person understand? (Good to have study groups for this reason alone!)

Until you can answer these questions about a particular problem, you haven't actually finished studying that problem!