Help needed!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest]

Dear Mgmat Staff,

I have my GMAT scheduled on 2nd November. I have already taken 4 MGMAT tests and my scores are following:

680 (48,35)
680 (49,34)
700 (47, 38)
640 (48, 31) :((


I am left with 2 more MGMAT and 2 GMAT prep papers. My last score has just shocked me a bit. I aint able to figure out - LAST WEEK STRATEGY. Huh!! I dont wana loose it. (Hope I am not exaggerating with emotions here)

Kindly guide me and give me clear-cut guidelined regimen to be followed.

[gmatclinic]

I can sense that you need more prep. take a look here:
http://student-job-entrepreneur-clinic. ... ation.html

[StaceyKoprince]

Unfortunately, there's no way for me to provide a study regimen for someone based on a few test scores, even if the test weren't only a few days away. We spend literally hours on this stuff in class or tutoring, and it's all individualized - based on the data from your tests and other homework.

Check out this other post I just finished; it discusses how to analyze your tests to identify your weaknesses.
http://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/hel ... t5290.html
That will hopefully help you to get a better handle on what your particular weaknesses are.

Just FYI - people don't typically have huge improvement in the last few days before a test. In your case, it looks like your quant score is pretty consistent but your verbal score is very up and down, so if you can figure out why your verbal score is fluctuating so much, you might be able to remedy whatever caused it to drop on the last test. Did you take both of your last two tests (the 700 and the 640) under exact testing conditions? (essays, 10 min break, quant, 10 min break, verbal) Did you take them at the same time of day as you took the real test? Was your timing similar in both or did the timing get messed up at any point? Were there any other differences, no matter how small, between your 700 test and your 640 test?

[Guest]

I am the one who started this post.

Thanks a lot Stacey!!

I have recently taken GMAT Prep-1 and scored a 710 (Q 49, V 38) in it. I've been reading in MGMAT forums that GMAT prep scores usually have a deviation of 30-40 points.

After analyzing my tests I realized that I needed to go back to the basic concepts of SC & CR. My accuracy in RC is also on a lower side thus I am trying to work upon all of these aspects.

For the coming last 3 days:

I've been studying ADVANCED GMAT PREP- KAPLAN and I plan to finish this book. I also read tht there are very minimal chances of improving scores in last few days but I think hope never dies.

Q1 I'd like to know whether you recommend your classroom pupil to keep following a text books, even at the last moments, or not?



I am left with GMAT Prep-2 and MGMAT-6.

Q2 Do you think it'd be right for me to take 2 tests in such a short span of time?
[/i]

[StaceyKoprince]

I think you're taking the test tomorrow, so my advice might be a bit too late, but I still want to address your questions.

I really discourage my students from taking a practice test within 5 days of the real thing. There are several reasons for this:
- you run the risk of tiring yourself out (who runs a practice marathon a few days before the real marathon?)
- you run the risk of psyching yourself out / killing your confidence (what if you have a poor performance on the practice test)
- there's no upside to taking a practice test that close to the real test: you don't have time to analyze and incorporate what you learn into your test-taking processes (which is the point of taking a practice test)

Re: your other question, I'm a bit unsure exactly what you're asking. I can interpret the question a couple of different ways:
1) Do I recommend that people continue to study from books that they have not yet finished for the first time? Not so much, no. The final few days should be for review of things you've already studied / learned.
2) Do I recommend that people continue to review from the books they've been using? Yes.