How can I improve my 430?...:(

[fpces]

Hi Stacey:

I am very sad and depressed after my huge failure last september on the GMAT. I have searched and searched the web for people who got similar scores to mine and apparently I am the dumbest people on the planet. I dont know what I am doing wrong, I dont know if I am really stupid or if my 430 score can be improved.

I must say that I am 36 and that I had not studied algebra, geometry or anything like that in over 20 years which made it even more difficult. However, before the test I studied all the concepts for over 3 months. I must say that even though I studied the concept, I failed to study for the test itself(that is strategies).

Right now I am studying again, this time for the test , I have bought the whole series of GMAT Manhattan (8 books) and spending about 5 hours a day (I am unemployed right now, so this is also a big help). Can you advise me on hoe to improve my poor score? Like I said, I already bought all the Manhattan series. I would like to at least better it by 150, is that possible?..thanks !

[StaceyKoprince]

Yes, it is possible! The fact that you didn't actually study how to take the test put you at a big disadvantage the first time. This time, you just need to make sure that you are both systematic and thorough - timing is a MAJOR factor on this test, not just the concepts. Here are some additional resources for you to use.

First, go to this page:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/freegmatlearningforum.cfm
and download the "Official Manhattan GMAT Course Syllabus [pdf]" (under the "Highlights" section on the above page)

This is the same syllabus we use in the course, so it will give you a good idea of how to work through the books. The syllabus also includes other things that you may not have (such as the online labs) - just ignore the things that you don't have. (Or, if you are interested in some of the other resources, you can look on our web site for details.)

Further down on that same page is a section called "GMAT Strategy." There are some very good articles here that can help you learn more about how to take the test. In particular, I'd recommend reading "How the GMAT Finds Your Score" and "Strategic Time Management."

Finally, here are some articles on how to study and how to evaluate your practice tests:

http://www.beatthegmat.com/a/2009/09/23/evaluating-your-practice-tests
http://www.beatthegmat.com/a/2009/10/09/how-to-analyze-a-practice-problem