Math - score stagnant despite getting harder questions

[neehamujeeb]

I've been studying since January and I feel more confident, but my grades aren't getting any better - especially quant.
For the last three tests I got 48th percentile, 52nd percentile and 44th percentile for quant. However, with each test I am facing more and more 700-800 level questions.
I was under the impression that the more difficult questions you face and get correct, the better your score gets and although I am seeing the difficulty and the amount of difficult questions I'm getting right is increasing, my score isn't increasing. Any ideas why that might be?

[StaceyKoprince]

That's one requirement for getting a better score... but not the only one. :) Take a look at your progress throughout the section - in particular, how do things go at the *end* of the section?

Your score is not calculated after the test is over; it's calculated at every step along the way. In the end, then, your final score is whatever level you are at when the test ends: where you end is what you get. You could lift your score to a high level in the early or middle portions, but if your score drops again by the end... then where you end is what you get.

This often happens due to timing issues: people spend too much time earlier on and then start rushing to catch up towards the end. As a result, their scores go down. Is this happening to you?

Use this article to do a thorough analysis of your test results:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Then come back here and tell us the results of your analysis and what you think you should do based on that analysis. 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!)

[neehamujeeb]

Ok so I've done the analysis as you asked. Looking at the progression of tests it seems like I'm getting a string of wrong answers in a row which ends up hurting the most and that I spend too long on the questions I end up getting wrong.

Looking at the ones that I specifically got wrong or right within the expected time I wasn't surprised to see what I saw - topics I'm not too comfortable with despite practice ended up in the wrong sections or the getting right but too slowly sections. Its a little disheartening to see that as I've spent the most time practicing these topics in particular.

As next steps I feel I should
1. come up with better strategies of guessing - this has always been my biggest weakness - it takes me just as long to do the problem as to make an educated guess which defeats the purpose of guessing - any tips?
2. be more aware of spending more than 2 minutes per question - if there are certain topics which I am getting wrong consistently and too slowly - is it better to just skip them or should I attempt?

I'm planning to take the test in the last week of April. I took it once in November last year and scored a 640 but every practice test I've taken since I've scored lower, with my last test coming out to a 580. I can't decide whether I need more time or whether I'm just as ready as I'll ever be. Any advice?

[StaceyKoprince]

Good, now we know what's going on.

Read these two short articles to help you get into the right testing mindset:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... to-win-it/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -to-do-it/

Then dive into this long time management article:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... nt-part-1/

Start doing what it says in Section 4 right away. There are also two articles on educated guessing (one for Q, one for V) linked within that big time management article.

For your 2nd question, the time management article will help, but in general: try any problem for at least 30-45 seconds, but if you know you have no clue and it's an area of weakness, make a guess and move on.

If you know you're terrible at something that is also very infrequent (eg, combinatorics), feel free to skip that one question immediately.

If you know you're behind, skip a couple in your areas of weakness - again, immediately, so that you save all that time.

It typically takes people about 4-6 weeks to deal with these kinds of timing issues, so you might need more time, yes. If you've already signed up, you can change the test date for only $50 as long as you do so more than 7 days in advance. If you haven't, then go ahead and give yourself some more time. :)

Check back in with us and let us know how it's going!

[SarahHTBarton]

I am having a similar problem! After over 3 months and 5 practice tests, my math score has remained a 45. My very first practice test score was a 45. Since then, I've done all of the Official Guide problems (and reviewed all the answers, and re-tried each one I got wrong, and did flashcards and error logs for them), read every single strategy guide, did all of those problems, took notes, etc. I feel like I am MUCH more knowledgeable on all subjects than I was 3 months ago, but my test is in a week, and my score has not improved at all. Any advice? Do you see this often? What can I do in my final week? I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of the topics, and I've done well on OG problems.

I followed the advice you already gave the person who started this forum and read through your evaluation blog. Analyzing last weekend's test: I never got more than 2 questions wrong in a row, and my timing was pretty on point (I spent just over 3 mins on 4 problems, the rest were good). I do spend longer on the wrong ones, but it seems that if I am ever going to get one right, I get it right in less than 2 minutes, giving me some extra time to try the weaker ones. I actually got more wrong in the first half of the test than the second half. Number properties is a huge weakness and always has been.

I have only 1 week left and want to use it wisely. Thank you in advance for the help!

[StaceyKoprince]

Hi, I'm sorry I'm only seeing this now (after a week). The forums aren't the place to go when you have an urgent question - for future, do contact our office directly.

I would have told you, first, that I needed a bit more detail on your strengths and weaknesses and, second, not much is going to change in a week. As a general rule, what we score one week out on a practice CAT taken under 100% official conditions is also in the range we should expect on the real test.

Also note: I would have told you to start your own thread - I like to keep each person's "case" separate so that I don't mix up the details from different people. I'll respond here this time, but if you want to discuss further, please start a new thread. You can cut and paste our conversation so far into your first post so that we have everything in "your" thread.

If you had only 4 questions above 3 minutes and those were just a little bit above (within 3m15s?), then that's not too bad. How many times, though, did you make careless mistakes? How many questions did you get wrong in less than about 1m15s each? Which ones of those were problems you did know how to do but made a mistake? (vs. ones that you knew you didn't know how to do, so you gave up quickly)

Doing well on a test like this is all about striking the right balance. It is okay to spend 2.5m on some quant questions because you will have others that you answer in 1.5m. BUT you need to make sure that you aren't making too many careless mistakes on those ones you're answering more quickly - otherwise, spending more time on those harder ones is actually hurting you.

Okay, so I don't know whether you took the test and, if so, what happened - let me know. If you haven't taken it yet or plan to take it again, then go back over the incorrect questions and figure out WHY you got each one wrong. Make a list. These are the major categories:

Careless mistake: I already completely knew how to do this but I messed up somehow. How? Why? Did timing / rushing play into this at all? (If you answered it in less than 1m15s, then you were rushing.)

Didn't recognize what was being tested but I do actually know how to do this - if someone had said, "This question is really about XYZ" then I probably would've gotten it right. In this case, the weakness is that you haven't learned well enough how to do GMAT-format questions, including "translating" GMAT-speak into normal-person-speak so that you can solve.

Skills were weak. I generally knew what the problem was testing but I didn't have the math skills to do the manipulations necessary (either at all or in an reasonable amount of time).

Knowledge was weak. I didn't know what they were testing and, even once I read the explanation, I still felt pretty shaky with it. This one I really should've just gotten wrong and the only issue is to make sure I don't spend too long getting it wrong!

Finally, for your comment on Number Properties. It's important to strive for an "average" level in certain topics but others don't matter at all. The important topics are divisibility & primes, odds and evens, positives and negatives. The not-at-all-important topics are combinatorics and probability.

Okay - so start a new thread and let me know what your current status is. If you didn't take or want to re-take, give me some more details on your strengths and weaknesses so that I can give you more detailed advice. This article will help on number properties:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -gmatprep/

[neehamujeeb]

Hi Stacy,

My exam is in a week and I know I can't expect much improvement in a week but I can't help but be concerned about how much my scores are fluctuating.

March 18 - MGMAT - 580 Q37 V32
April 7 - GMATPrep - 710 Q45 V42
April 13 - MGMAT - 660 Q42 V38
April 21 - GMATPrep - 660 Q43 V38

Was the 710 just a fluke? All the tests were done in a positive and awake frame of mind. I usually don't study directly before them either, so that I'm a bit more relaxed. I'm not sure what to do now. I took the official one back in November and scored a 640 and just don't want to believe that 4 months of targeted studying has only improved my score by 20 points.
Any final tips before I take it?

[StaceyKoprince]

Without more information, I can't guess why you hit 710 and then dropped to 660 twice in a row. Timing problems can cause score fluctuations. Holes in your foundation can do the same (when you happen to get a few more questions in your areas of weakness vs. strength). Etc.

You'd need to go back through the exams and analyze them thoroughly in order to figure out why - and I do recommend that, because this will help you figure out what (if anything) you need to do to try to get yourself closer to the 710 end of the range.

Use this article to do a thorough analysis of your test results:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Compare the two (you won't have the data to analyze GMATPrep) and tell me what you found.

Also, yes, as you said - there's not much you can do in a week. You may decide that you want to postpone for a few weeks to have the time to deal with whatever your test analysis uncovers.

[neehamujeeb]

Hi Stacey,

Just back from my exam, scored a 700 (90th percentile). Q43 (61st percentile) V41 (93rd percentile)
Obviously I am relieved since it is a great improvement than the 640 I got last time (Q44 V34). However, I do realize that my quant score hasn't improved even though I have worked on it just as much if not more than verbal.

At this point, I'm not sure whether I should keep studying, since I'm not sure what I can do differently, or whether I should just be happy with this score as I feel I might have touched my peak and might not get much better than this.
Any thoughts?

[StaceyKoprince]

Nice job!

I'd actually recommend that you talk to an admissions consultant next - they'll be able to best advise you about whether your 61st percentile score is fine for your target schools or whether you'll need to do more.

If you're one of our students, you have a free 30-minute consultation with MBAMission - just look in your student center to access it. (And, actually, I think they'll give the free 30-minute consult to anyone - look on their website. :)

If you then decide that you do need to do more, let me know and I'll help you figure out a plan. (Note: I will want you to do the analysis I described in my last email, so make sure you post that if you do come back!)