Help and Advice: Verbal and Quant!

[JalalS783]

Hi Stacey and Manhattan GMAT staff,

I am scheduled for the GMAT in 1 week and am getting a bit frustrated. I have read through many of your posts and really like your approach. As I move forward, I would greatly appreciate your help and advice on how to approach my studying.

I am enrolled in the Interact Course with Manhattan GMAT and have been studying for just over 3 months now. I have taken both the CAT 1 and CAT 2 and my scores (low 500s) are nowhere near where they need to be.

My weakest point is the Verbal. I have a background in Engineering and so am able to understand the explanations and reasoning behind most of the Quant. However, I am not a native English speaker, and believe this is effecting my Verbal scores. Unfortunately, I do not have your skills Stacey in taking standardized exams -:) So that is playing against me as well.

I am applying for business schools in the second round and therefore have limited time to take the exam. If I do not do well next week, I will likely plan to take it again in 31days, which will put me right at application deadline dates. I want to optimize what little time I have to improve my score.

I greatly appreciate your help.

J

[StaceyKoprince]

Hi, I'm sorry I'm just seeing this now. It looks like your test is in 2 days.

As you may have already guessed, it isn't possible to change your score by a large amount in just one week. Since you say that your practice test scores are well below what you want to score on the real test, I would view your upcoming real test as just a "dry run": you're going to learn what it's like to take the test in the test center. You're not actually expecting to be done with the test that day.

Next, what should you do to get ready for next time? We need more info.

First, read these two articles:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/2013 ... lly-tests/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/2013/ ... -the-gmat/

Think about how what you've been doing does and doesn't match up with that and how you may need to change your approach accordingly.

Then, use the below to analyze your most recent MGMAT CATs (this should take you a minimum of 1 hour):
http://tinyurl.com/analyzeyourcats

Based on all of that, figure out your strengths and weaknesses as well as any ideas you have for what you think you should do. 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!)

And then we'll come up with a plan!