MManhattan Prep CAT exams vs GMAT prep software preptest

[TanyaK77]

What is the difficulty level of the Manhattan prep exams? Because in the first 2 test i got 590 and 580 (which was recent), whereas in had got 640 in the GMAT software test (much before i actually started real training- months ago).

I'm feeling disheartened.

What is the true actual indicator of what the GMAT exam would be like?

[StaceyKoprince]

The standard deviation on our tests is about 50 points. The standard deviation on the real test is about 30 points. I would assume GMATPrep is either the same as or a little worse than the real test - so 30 to 50 points.

Our test, though, will push you harder on timing and taking advantage of shortcuts, especially on the math section. If you are trying to do too much, or hanging on too long, you will get punished more on our test - because we're trying to make sure that we train those bad habits out of you before you get to the real test.

I will also mention that a lot of people go down on test 2 for one big reason: on the first test, they know they don't know a lot of stuff, so they just guess and move on. On the second test, they keep thinking, "Oh, I studied this. I should know how to do it!" And then they hang on too long (because they don't really know how to do it all), and then they have to rush on others to catch up, and then they make careless mistakes...and then their score goes down. Could that have happened to you?

Time to analyze your results to see!

First, read these two articles:
http://tinyurl.com/executivereasoning
http://tinyurl.com/2ndlevelofgmat

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 MPrep 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. Your analysis should include a discussion of your buckets - you'll understand what that means when you read the last article. 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!)

[TanyaK77]

Thank you for your reply, Stacey.


After reading the articles, I'm pretty sure there is a problem with my strategy in terms of time management as well as my preparedness. (quant).

Here is what I've found out after my reading of my CAT test analysis:

Quant:

while I haven't gotten stuck on any questions for too long, there are about 7 questions where I've spent 3-4 minutes.
Higher percentage of mistakes are made in data sufficiency.
In general making more mistakes and missing out on small details which would not have under non-pressure conditions.

Verbal:

Definitely spending more time on questions than should, resulting in hasty mistakes towards the end. Have a major problem letting go.
Made most mistakes in CR although, never before has much trouble with it. (probably because this is harder)
Reading speed is very slow and my patience level with RC is really low and I tend to get very restless.

So ideally, i need alot more practice in quant and RC (to improve reading speed) but more so i need better time management, and in order to manage time better, I'll definitely have to let go of some of the harder questions. Although how well that works out, (or if i am able to identify which questions to let go at the right time) i'll only know once I've given another test.

What do you think?

Also, another question I wanted to ask is, I've already been practicing some quant. And intend to do a little more (focusing on DS) and I'll do a little more of RC and some CR. So the question is when should I give my next prep test, considering they're a limited resource and I've already used up 2.

Thanks for your time,
Tanya

[StaceyKoprince]

while I haven't gotten stuck on any questions for too long, there are about 7 questions where I've spent 3-4 minutes.

That is too long!

>3m on one quant question = a bad ROI (return on investment), because it takes away opportunities elsewhere. Plus, that problem has a solution that can be done in 1-2 min...but you're not finding it. That means your chances of making a mistake / not figuring this one out = much greater PLUS you're blowing time and mental energy that you could use elsewhere.

AND you said this:

In general making more mistakes and missing out on small details which would not have under non-pressure conditions.

Yep, that's part of the consequence of spending 3+ min on 7 problems. Stop that.

Read this, right now:
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... -the-gmat/

Then come back here and tell me why I told you to read it right now.

Next

Higher percentage of mistakes are made in data sufficiency.

Is that because you're actually weaker at DS? Or is that because you're tending to spend extra time on PS and then making it up by rushing on DS... and falling into traps?

I'll definitely have to let go of some of the harder questions. Although how well that works out, (or if i am able to identify which questions to let go at the right time) i'll only know once I've given another test.

Yes to your first setnence. NO! to your second sentence. You actually need to start studying from this point of view. You're not just studying math formulas and grammar rules. You are studying how to make decisions under testing conditions. Your study habits need to be designed to help you learn how to do better on the GMAT. Adjust the way that you're approaching your study.

By the time you take your next test, you should know the kinds of questions that are "immediate blow off" questions for you. (For me, combinatorics and 3-D geometry. Ugh.)

You should also be starting to know the kinds of characteristics that are annoying enough to you that, if the pile too many on the same problem, you'll bail on that problem. Read more about this here:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2015/09/ ... gmat-quant

You should know how to make educated guesses. Etc. This is all stuff you actively study.

So the question is when should I give my next prep test

When you feel that you have made significant strides on the main problem areas you identified from your last test.

As you said, good practice tests are a scarce resource, so you don't want to waste them. More, you don't want to waste your own study time. Practice tests are good for two things:
(1) To get used to testing conditions, and
(2) To analyze your strengths and weaknesses so that you know what you need to go study for the next 2-4 weeks

You don't get better while you're taking a CAT. You get better between CATs (hopefully better!). The CAT is just telling you whether or not you learned what you needed to learn.

One more thing: you're getting restless during verbal because you are mentally fatigued by that point in the test. (We all are. It's a long test.) I'm going to spin back around to the first topic in this post: when you spend 3+ min on 7 quant questions, not only are you using up valuable time that would likely be better spent elsewhere in the quant section, you are also using up valuable mental energy that you cannot get back until after the next time you go to sleep. The decisions you make during quant about how to spend your time will affect your ability to perform on verbal. Make sure you are taking that into account!

In addition to taking all practice tests under 100% official conditions (including essay and IR), you can also do the following in order to build mental stamina:

For some study sessions (maybe 2 or 3 per week), plan out what you're going to do over a 2-hour* period. Then GO for 1 hour, no stopping, no checking email, no getting up for something to eat, etc. Take a 10-15 minute break, then GO again for 1 hour. Then take a more substantial break.

(Note: I'm specifically NOT recommending that you do what I just described for 3-4 hours. It's actually *more* mentally taxing to study than to take a test, because when you're studying, you're trying to create new memories, not just access old ones. Do not do the above for more than 2 hours on one day.)

*I actually plan out enough for 3 hours, just in case I finish an exercise faster than I think I'm going to. The point is that, once I start, I'm only going to get that one break in the middle and that's it.

Okay, think about all of that and then tell me what you think!

[TanyaK77]

Hi, Stacey. You're absolutely right. The more I read the articles, the more I'm finding gaps in my study plan. I've been trying to incorporate the time factor into my recent study sessions and attempting to make decisions with better ROI in mind. I'm definitely doing better time but there's still a long way to go.

The reason you shared that article is exactly what I need because of my trouble in letting go of questions that I "think" I can still get, ending up in that trap and then I feel like I did something wrong, and then there's this cycle of trying to overcompensate which really costs me. The whole idea of feeling bad about choices is SO ME. And I need to do better in that aspect.

Anyway, another thing is, when I practice from other resources like The official Guide and the GMATPrep app, I don't find it as troublesome as I did with the Manhattan CAT tests. I find them rather easy, and thus time management is not as much an issue. (and since I've already solved most of the questions now, doing them again won't project my growth correctly)

What would you suggest are the right books for me to invest in that are a challenge where I can practice with the new mindset? And any more sources of good GMAT tests? The reason I ask is, I live in India, and books in Dollars are pretty expensive against the unfortunate depreciating value of Rupees, so I want be thorough before I invest.

(Till now I have bought and studied with The official guide - the main one and the Manhattan book for IR and essays only).

Again, thank you so much for your help and guidance. It has been extremely encouraging.

[StaceyKoprince]

Think about when you're at work and doing whatever it is that you know best how to do. Someone asks you to do something or asks you to make a decision about something. You make a decision and that's it, right? If someone says, hey, should we do XYZ and you think the best answer is no, you don't feel badly telling your colleague, "No, that's not a good use of our time." (Or whatever.)

Same thing on the GMAT. Just because they give something to you does not mean you have to do it. It's not a school test. You're in charge this time.

Okay, resources. For quant, my favorite practice resource for this kind of thing is GMAT Focus. It's a product from GMAC (the makers of the real test) - it's basically a mini-quant section (24 questions instead of 37 - but still fully adaptive). They do charge for it - I think it's about USD30 to do one 24-question set, so it's not cheap. (You can get a bit of a per-set discount if you buy 3 sets at once, FYI.) Check out the details at www.mba.com to see whether you might want to try this.

On verbal, you said you need the most practice with RC. Official materials are the best / most like the real test, but the online way that the official materials handle RC is really bad. (They don't give a passage with 3 or 4 questions at once. They just give one question at a time. It's very weird.)

So for RC, you want to work from the physical books. Did you use just the big OG so far? There's also a Verbal-only official guide that contains about 300 verbal questions (across all 3 question types). That's the next place I'd go for RC.

Re: practice tests, we have 6 in our set and GMATPrep has 2 free ones. GMATPrep also has two more that you can add on for about USD40. That's 10 tests total - if you're using practice tests wisely, you shouldn't need more than that. How many have you taken so far? (Remember what I said last time: you don't get better when you're taking a CAT. You're just assessing how much progress you've made since your last CAT. You should be able to come up with at least 3 weeks' worth of work to do based on your analysis of one CAT.)

We also have a Reading Comp strategy guide and it's available in less-expensive e-book versions (iOS, kindle - maybe some others). I think it's only about USD10 as an e-book. Take a look at the articles in the series below:
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... rehension/

If you like the way that the material is written, then you may also want to consider getting our RC guide. It will give you more practice and instruction as to how to handle these passages and questions.