MGMAT Tests

[jahnavi_p]

Hi,

I started with the GMAT PREP 01 a month back and had 580 (Q47 V26). I aim for atleast 700. After 2 weeks, I gave the first free MGMAT and scored 600.
I brushed up my SC skills and CR a bit and gave the second test last weekend. The score was 670 (Q44 V38).
Today, I started with the MGMAT 2 and scored 640 (Q42 V36). I was surprised with the Quant score and found the verbal a bit harder.

Now I have 2 weeks till the exam. Is it possible to achieve 700 or in a range of 680-700 with these scores? What should I do?
Is it advisable to take MGMAT test everyday and review the incorrect questions. Apart from the above, I plan to do the OG questions again (go over my error log).

Please advise. Thanks.

[StaceyKoprince]

You have made some great progress in the past month - nice work. Ideally, your practice tests in the final two weeks should reflect the score you hope to get on the real test. Standardized tests have wide standard deviations, so a 670 is in range of a 700, but a 640 is not.

Most people would need more than 2 weeks at this point (though, obviously, different people are different). Overall, most people starting where you did will study for 3-4 months to reach 700; it's tough to do this in 6 weeks.

It's actually a bad idea to take tests every day, or even more than once a week. CAT exams are really good for (a) figuring out where you're scoring right now, (b) practicing stamina, and (c) analyzing your strengths and weaknesses. The actual act of just taking the exam is NOT so useful for improving. It's what you do with the test results / between tests that helps you to improve.

Instead, use the assessment reports to analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Use whatever materials you have available to help you improve the weaknesses. When reviewing your timing, ask yourself whether you generally move steadily through the test, giving appropriate time and attention to each question? (2m for quant, 1 to 1.5m for SC, 2m for CR, 2-4m to read a passage, 1m for general RC questions, 1.5 to 2m for specific RC questions) Or do you have to rush at times and possibly make random guesses? If you do have to rush and/or make random guesses, on how many questions would you say you do / did that? Did you do it on a lot of questions in a row or were the guesses scattered? Alternatively, did you move too quickly and finish with a lot of time (>3min) left over?

When reviewing the individual test questions, answer these questions for yourself:

Was I able to CATEGORIZE this question by topic and subtopic? By process / technique?
Did I make a CONNECTION to previous experience? Or did I have to do it all from scratch?
Did I COMPREHEND the symbols, text, questions, statements, and answer choices?
Did I understand the CONTENT being tested?
Did I choose the best APPROACH?
Did I have the SKILLS to follow through?
Am I comfortable with OTHER STRATEGIES that would have worked, at least partially? How should I have made an educated guess?
Do I understand every TRAP & TRICK that the writer built into the question, including wrong answers?
Have I MASTERED this problem? Could I explain every aspect, fully, to someone else?
How will I RECOGNIZE similar problems in the future?

Essentially, at this point, your task is about mastery - a deep analysis of the problems (and your weaknesses) such that you can recognize what to do on a new problem in the future and have the skills to follow through. Your task is NOT about quantity of practice problems or tests.

[jahnavi_p]

Thanks for a great assessment of my situation.
I took another MGMAT TEST and got 640 again (Q44, V33). I find that I made mistakes on a lot of 700-800 level ques in Quant but did better than the last test (q42). I thought I was doing well in verbal and was quite cool this time but somehow ended up with V33 vis-a-vis V36 last time. In both the exams I guessed on 3-4 questions. However, this time, particularly in CR, I ended up with 2 choices and then picked the wrong one!! It was so disappointing.

Do you think I should practice more CRs. I have already read MGMAT CR and did the OG questions. I have also read the Powerscore CR bible. I dont have probs in OG but when I am taking the test, I loose out on that extra needed concentration. What should I do to improve on the CR skills. As for SC, I have really improved over the last month and pretty happy about it.

As for the Quant, I really need some practice on those 700-800 level ques (Probability, inequalities, speed, geometry). I am fine with the 500-600 and most of 600-700 level questions. Is there a source where I can just concentrate on those harder questions?

I have 3 tests remaining for the real test and have 2 weeks' time. How should I practice with the tests and the frequency now?

Thanks again for the advice. Now in these two weeks, I really need to do whatever I can (within the available time limit) to come up to atleast a 670-680 range).

thanks.

[StaceyKoprince]

For verbal in general (not just CR), try articulating:

- why was the wrong answer so tempting? why did it look like it might be right? (be as explicit as possible)
- why was it actually wrong? what specific words indicate that it is wrong and how did I overlook those clues the first time?
- why did the right answer seem wrong? what made it so tempting to cross off the right answer? why were those things actually okay - what was my error in thinking that they were wrong?
- why was it actually right?

You can do this even when you get the right answer - just pick the wrong answer you think would be the most tempting. This can really help you to understand the thing that's making you fall down right now on CR: how to distinguish between that really tempting wrong answer and the right one.

(Oh, a side note re: narrowing down to 2 and picking the wrong one. You may have picked the right one sometimes when doing this, but not noticed because you concentrated on the ones you got wrong when reviewing. It's important to review everything you got right as well - make sure you got things right for the right reasons. Also, you may think of some easier / more efficient way of doing a problem after you've already done it and gotten it right!)

Re: quant, spend at least some of your time making SURE that you won't lose points on sub-700-level problems. You can get all 700+ problems wrong and still hit your 670/680 goal. If you get enough sub-670 problems wrong, though, then you won't hit your goal. In particular, watch out for instances of careless mistakes - where you know what to do but get it wrong anyway. When you spot a careless mistake, ask yourself WHY you made that mistake and what habits you could either implement or break in order to minimize the chances of repeating that careless mistake.

In general, the questions get harder as the numbers get higher in OG - so focus more on the mid-to-high numbers. You can also try GMAT Focus (www.gmatfocus.com) but be forewarned that this is adaptive - you actually have to lift yourself to the higher levels by getting lower-level questions right first. This more closely simulates the real test experience, though, so it's better than doing only hard ones.

I still wouldn't take a practice test more than once a week. I'd take one 2 weeks before the real thing and the last one 1 week before the real thing, at the same time of day as the real test, and under full, official test conditions.

[jahnavi_p]

Thank you again for your advice and dealing with CR questions.
I took an MGMAT CAT4 this weekend and scored a 680!! This was encouraging as I had a consistent 640 in the last 2 tests. Now, as you said, I will practice with the sub 600 level and 700 level quest in Quant and verbal from the Previous MGMAT Tests and go over the methodology and reasons on why I got wrong those questions.

I will take another test this Saturday and see how well I do for the real test next Saturday!

I am not planning on any new material now but would concentrate on going through the OG questions (second half) and the MGMAT tests and the taken GMATPrep questions which I had wrong. Do you think I am planning for the right material in these last 2 weeks before the test. Please advice on a methodology or a study plan in these 2 weeks to optimize my time and efforts.
thanks

[paruloberai]

hello,

i am placed in New Delhi in India and i want to buy the manhattan tests, in india. can you please help me that how can i buy them.
Also, are these tests online or in a CD format. can i reset them and give them altogether again.

as my test is in 2 weeks time , i want to buy them as soon as possible.

parul.

[ganurag83]

Parul,
These are online tests that can be purchased from the manhattangmat site. You will need to go to the MGMAT Store to purchase these tests. These are online tests and once purchased you can write these tests on any PC with an internet connection. There are 6 tests in all and once you finish writing these 6 tests you can reset them but once you reset the tests the questions might get repeated for the tests you write after resetting.

Thanks,
Anurag

[paruloberai]

Parul,
These are online tests that can be purchased from the manhattangmat site. You will need to go to the MGMAT Store to purchase these tests. These are online tests and once purchased you can write these tests on any PC with an internet connection. There are 6 tests in all and once you finish writing these 6 tests you can reset them but once you reset the tests the questions might get repeated for the tests you write after resetting.

Thanks,
Anurag

thnaks anurag. can u also tell me that if i would buy one of Manhattan startegy guides most probabaly CR then i would be getting the online tests free. this would cost cost effective for me.

[cfaking]

Yes..you are right

you can buy any of the books and can take CAT 1-6 during one yr of registration, twice
regds
Nitya
==============

thnaks anurag. can u also tell me that if i would buy one of Manhattan startegy guides most probabaly CR then i would be getting the online tests free. this would cost cost effective for me.

[paruloberai]

[quote="cfaking"]Yes..you are right

you can buy any of the books and can take CAT 1-6 during one yr of registration, twice
regds
Nitya
==============

thanks nitya that means that if i am polling with another perason then only we two can take the test one after the other by resetting them.

and yes ofcourse u can b my study partner. when is ur date of GMAT.

PARUL.

[ganurag83]

Why didn't I think of this cost effective measure??...I bought the tests already and now I'm planning to buy the Strategy Guide for SC... :(

btw..I need a study partner too..(i'd prefer someone who is good with SC :))

[paruloberai]

Why didn't I think of this cost effective measure??...I bought the tests already and now I'm planning to buy the Strategy Guide for SC... :(

btw..I need a study partner too..(i'd prefer someone who is good with SC :))

hi anurag,

when is ur date of GMAT. i think we can talk over gtalk. thats a better way 2 communicate. u can mail me ur id at paruloberai@yahoo.co.in and i would add you in my frnd list.

[jahnavi_p]

Thank you again for your advice Stacy on dealing with CR questions.
I took an MGMAT CAT4 this weekend and scored a 680!! This was encouraging as I had a consistent 640 in the last 2 tests. Now, as you said, I will practice with the sub 600 level and 700 level quest in Quant and verbal from the Previous MGMAT Tests and go over the methodology and reasons on why I got wrong those questions.

I will take another test this Saturday and see how well I do for the real test next Saturday!

I am not planning on any new material now but would concentrate on going through the OG questions (second half) and the MGMAT tests and the taken GMATPrep questions which I had wrong. Do you think I am planning for the right material in these last 2 weeks before the test. Please advice on a methodology or a study plan in these 2 weeks to optimize my time and efforts.
thanks

[StaceyKoprince]

thanks nitya that means that if i am polling with another perason then only we two can take the test one after the other by resetting them.

I'm not 100% sure what you're saying here, but it sounds like you're suggesting that you and another person can both take the tests on one account. One account is supposed to be for one person, not multiple people. If one person buys an account and shares with others, and that happens enough, we literally won't be able to afford to keep making good tests, writing new questions, updating our research, etc. Yes, we actually do have to make money in order to keep providing you with good materials! :)

[StaceyKoprince]

Jahnavi, thanks for re-posting your post so it didn't get lost in the above conversation.

That's exciting - nice job on your practice test! You have 2 weeks left. You can still try to improve your weaknesses during this next week, but the final week should just be more of a review. At that point, we just have to acknowledge that our weaknesses are what they are and let them go.

So, in the first week, pick the weaknesses that are the most commonly tested on the exam (and if you aren't sure which of your weaknesses are the most commonly tested, ask us). In each 2-hour study session, concentrate on one area of content (eg, number properties) or one type of question (eg, CR). If there are lessons you want to go back and review in your books, do so. Also do some TIMED sets of practice problems - make sure to leave yourself approximately two to three times as much time to review the problems as it took you to do the problems in the first place. For example, if you spend 20 minutes doing 10 quant problems, spend 40 to 60 minutes to review those problems. And, of course, think about all of those things we dicussed earlier in this thread.

Take your final practice test about 1 week before the real thing. Take it at the same time of day, and just mimic the whole test experience as much as possible. Spend a few days reviewing that, and ask yourself: what do I want to do in the same way on the real test day and what do I want to do differently on the real test day? Assume that you can't substantially change your weaknesses at this point so, for example, if you got a question wrong, you might say "on the real test day, I want to recognize more quickly that I can't really do this one and make a guess before I spend too much time." And then practice doing that. Alternatively, you might say "I did know how to do this one but made a careless mistake: I forgot that the problem told me X was even. On the real test day, I'm going to write down every detail in a math problem so that I make fewer careless mistakes." And then practice doing that.

The day before, do a small amount of high-level review only (no more than 2 hours). Get everything ready for the next day. Then go see a movie or do something that will take your mind off of the test.