My GMAT Story

[bish]

Hi,

Need your advice. I gave my GMAT (2nd attempt) on 5th Aug and did very poorly without any score improvement from last year. What can I do now?

Real test
First Attempt - Aug 2012 - 600 (45/28)
Second Attempt - Aug 2013 - 600 (44/29)

Mock Scores
GMAT Prep Score (1 week before the GMAT) - 690 (47/38) - 8 SC / 3 CR / 1 RC wrong

http://tinypic.com/r/f0td95/5
http://tinypic.com/r/w1vifb/5

GMAT Prep that I took 3 weeks before the GMAT - 640 (39Q/38V) - I realized I did some very silly mistakes in Quant in the this test and was determined to avoid them for the next.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2ujma9y&s=5
http://tinypic.com/r/2z4b913/5


During the verbal section of the real test I started feeling the SC to be a lot tougher from the very first question. Time kept slipping away. CR felt a bit uneasy too, I could just remember one question now that I am trying to remember the questions. RC felt tougher as well, couldn't even read and complete the last passage which came somewhere between 30 and 41. I remember seeing 3 mins left when I was at Q#30 in the Verbal section.

I am determined to do better and my target score is 700.

Here is my OG stats from OG Archer -

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=5wm6tz&s=5

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2100t5h&s=5

Timing is certainly my nemesis. I felt I was good at content but now my beliefs are shaken.

Other data points:
Prep time - 2 month 10 days (I realize I did a mistake here and should have prepared for some more time). Last year I prepared for less than a month and took the test and wouldn't count it as a real attempt as I was not so serious about doing an MBA back then.

Future plans (?):
I want to retake the exam as the college I am targeting requires a competitive score and I am willing to fight hard.

Big Questions

Would be grateful if you could give some suggestions here -

1.) Why did the SC's on the real test feel so hard. I wasn't able to decide between the last 2 answers (this has been the case in solving GMAT Prep & OG 13 as well). How do I get better on SC?

2.) How to tackle the Verbal section as I felt tired during the exam in spite of taking at least 3 mock tests in strict exam conditions (at home but followed all timed breaks and completed the AWA & IR sections). The SC started the damage and pulled down my otherwise strong areas of CR and RC in the test. I want to score a 38/39 and I feel I am capable of that.

3.) How to improve in Quant from here - I want to score a 47/48.

4.) When to take the exam next?

Thanks!

[StaceyKoprince]

I'd be happy to advise you! Please note that we don't go through the data for you. We make you try first to analyze yourself and then we'll tell you whether we agree with your assessment. (It ultimately helps you much more if you figure out how to analyze this stuff yourself.)

Also, if you took our course or one of our Guided Self-Study packages, then you're eligible for a free Post-Exam Assessment (if you haven't done it already). This is a phone call with an instructor to figure out what went wrong and come up with a plan to re-take the test. If this applies to you, please send an email to studentservices@manhattangmat.com and request the Post-Exam Assessment.

First, we have to figure out how much of a drop your real test scores actually represented. The 690 GMATPrep was the 2nd test, which means that you saw the same IR section you'd seen on the first test. It looks like you took the first test only 2 weeks earlier, so there's a pretty good chance that you remembered at least some of the questions. Was this the case?

The more you remembered, the easier it was the second time - and the less you were actually tiring your brain out before you got to Q and V. On the real test, you would never have this advantage of course.

Also, did you do the essay on that practice test? If not, that would have given you even more of an artificial advantage.

One of the major signs of mental fatigue is feeling that the material is much harder than usual and that you can't even understand what you're reading. You'll read a sentence and realize you have no idea what it said and you have to read it again. Does that sound familiar?

If so, you may have been struggling with mental fatigue.

You also almost certainly had timing problems - everyone does. The question is just what kind of timing problems.

First, read these two articles:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... lly-tests/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -the-gmat/

Next, use the below to analyze your most recent MGMAT CAT(s):
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. When analyzing, keep in mind the stuff that you read in the first two articles, above.

We'll then tell you what we think about your analysis and advise you further. (Note: do share an analysis with us, not just the raw data!)

For SC, you mention being able to narrow to two answers but then getting stuck. You can use the below during your review of any verbal Q (not just SC):

Identify ALL of the questions on which you narrowed to two and guessed, even when you guessed right. Answer these questions:

1) why was the wrong answer so tempting? why did it look like it might be right? (be as explicit as possible; also, now you know this is not a good reason to pick an answer)

2) why was it actually wrong? what specific words indicate that it is wrong and how did I overlook those clues the first time?

3) 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? (also, now you know that this is not a good reason to eliminate an answer)

4) why was it actually right?

Your next question has to do with mental stamina. You're always going to feel some mental fatigue by that point in the test, of course, but there are things you can do to minimize it. Part of that has to do with having a very systematic process for each verbal question, so that you don't have to think quite as much about what to do next.

For example, you read the question stem first for CR. That tells you the kind of question you have, which then tells you what to expect from the argument (eg, whether it will have a conclusion). It also tells you the kind of analysis you're going to have to do eventually, which makes it easier (not easy, but easier) to pick out the most-likely-to-be-useful details when reading the argument.

First, read this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... you-crazy/

Next, here are some resources for each of the 3 verbal Q types:
CR: https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... reasoning/

RC: https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... rehension/

SC (note: the below article focuses on more advanced sentence structures; it assumes that you already know everything in our SC Strategy Guide):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... orrection/

For quant, tell me what you think based on your analysis. Pay particular attention to timing - I'm betting you have some timing issues that are pulling your score down.

For your last question, I have no idea when you should take the test again. :) Don't even think about that. (Okay, you're probably looking at a minimum of 6 weeks and more like 8 to 12, or more.) You don't need to decide anything right now; just get to work!

[bish]

Hi Stacey,

Thanks for the detailed reply and the link to the wonderful articles. I did write the essays on both GMAT Preps. You are correct on the IR part for GMAT Prep 2. Since I had reviewed the IR questions after the GMAT Prep 1, I could easily identify them on my 2nd mock.

I could so identify with the feeling of "not caring any longer and be done with it" on the verbal section of the test as mentioned in your decision fatigue article. I experienced it during verbal section of the real GMAT last year as well. I did not experience that during my GMAT Prep mock exams though (I took the mocks under exam conditions, wrote the essays and completed the IR section; IR was repeated on GMAT Prep 2!). How do I avoid repeating this situation?

I read the articles you shared and I must say I had read them all earlier, but when I re-read them I could identify my mistakes.

Mistake # 1 - Timing ! This is a very broad topic and this is where the bulk of my problem lies.

I took a MGMAT CAT last week (12-Aug) and got the same score I received on the real test on 5-Aug (590 - q44/v29). I analysed the test according to your article and here are my findings -

SC - OG13 avg is 2:02 mins (accuracy 73%)
Way too slow -
7 (2 Wrong / 5 Correct) - 20 mins
Remaining 8 - in 8 mins (3W - including 2 easy 600 level questions that I missed due to rushing / 5C)

CR - OG13 avg is 2:41 mins (accuracy 81%)
Way too slow -
3 (2 Wrong / 1 Correct) - ~10 mins - All 700-800 level questions
Way too fast -
4 (3W/1C) - 2 easy questions (500-600 & 600-700) missed due to rushing

RC - OG13 + Verbal Supplement avg is 2:13 mins (accuracy 83%)
Way too slow -
2 ( 2 W ) - Both inference questions and both were first question on the passage ~11:30 mins
Way too fast -
3 (3 W) - This is the last passage (Q# 34-36) which I couldn't even read (the same thing happened with the last RC on the real GMAT!)

Quant - PS OG13 avg is 2:05 mins (accuracy 83%) / DS OG13 avg is 2:41 mins (accuracy 73%)
Way too slow -
8 (5 W - 3 PS / 2 DS ) - ~31 mins (Problem!) - All these were 700-800 level questions (I need to learn to recognize and let go - What is the best way to do that?) .

Mistake # 2 - Reviewing CR - I followed the Powerscore CR Bible and since my OG13 stats on CR was high (81%), I did not bother to review these questions. My avg time was 2:41 per CR question (problem right there!). Now my questions is how can I make sure that my timing reduces on CR ? Is it by repeating the problems again and reviewing the answers?

In order to correct the above identified mistakes, I am willing to give adequate time to my preparations (12-14 weeks). I will be grateful if you could guide me on the following questions -

Strategy Questions -

1.) I followed the MGMAT strategy guides during my prep. I read the chapters on each guide (not the advanced ones), solved the problems at the back of each chapter and solved the OG13 problems after that. I followed this for Quant (one guide each week) & SC (one topic each week). Doing this however doesn't leave me with much time to review each and every OG question. I reviewed the questions I got wrong. Should I repeat the same for my second round of preparation?

2.) I am having problems understanding which problem to let go in SC & CR and in that process I am taking more time on the harder questions. Does this skill come with more practice and review? In general how does one get better on timing (& on timing for harder questions which are within my reach) ? I can solve relatively easy questions within 1:30 for SC and within 2 mins for CR. If I re-do and review the OG questions again will my timing on them come down? In other words will the hard become easy with more practice and review?

3.) Is there anything like letting go on RC. Since we invest a lot of time in reading the passage, should we really miss a question? If yes, how to decide which question to guess?

4.) Another thing that I noticed on my RC section is I am weak on Main Idea & Inference Questions since I take too much time (OG stats - 80% accuracy on both type of questions; takes 3:15 mins & 2:00 mins respectively though which I now realize is a problem). I couldn't internalize the note taking on RC passages. I feel I waste too much time on the passage when I take notes which drags up my overall time on RC's. When I did the OG13 and GMAT Prep questions I was able to complete the passage and questions within 6 mins for short passages and 8 mins for long passages with relatively good accuracy (~80% overall RC). Should I continue with this strategy?

Thanks

[StaceyKoprince]

Re: stamina, part of it is what you read in that article: learn / study in a way that helps you minimize decisions made and brainpower used. Stop trying to do the hardest problems - that really tires you out before the test is over. Etc.

Next, let's say that you're going to sit down for a 2-hour study session. In advance, figure out what you're going to do for the entire 2 hours. In fact, plan extra, just in case you finish early. Then GO for 1 hour without stopping. No checking email, no chatting with a friend, etc. Take a 10-15 minute break, then GO again for another hour, no stopping.

Then stop. Don't do the above for 4 hours straight. It's actually a lot more mentally fatiguing to study than to take a test. When studying, you're both recalling existing memories and trying to create new memories to use in future. When taking a test, you're only trying to recall existing memories.

So if you try to study for 4 hours straight, you'll be so mentally fatigued for the last couple of hours that you won't make very good memories... and your study time will be very inefficient.

In your SC stats, here's the fascinating thing. You did 8 in 8 minutes and got 5 out of 8 right. You did 7 in 20 minutes and got 5 out of 7 right.

Chances are you are spending (wasting!) time agonizing back and forth between 2 or 3 answers and that's adding a ton of time to your questions. But notice that you're still mostly getting them when you have to do them faster. So go with your gut faster - stop agonizing back and forth, trying to make the "perfect" choice!

For CR, the picture is different - you're mostly getting them wrong when you spend too much time, so cut yourself off faster. If you're going to get a hard one wrong anyway, you might as well get it wrong in <2m.

Were the two too-slow RC questions actually slow due to the questions? Or was the read-through itself what slowed you down?

And math - yep, you've got to let those go faster!

So how do you know when to let go? On math, by the 1 minute mark, you should know what they're talking about and have a plan to solve. Maybe you've started to solve or maybe not - but you at least have a plan and are about to start solving. If not, you're done! See whether you can make a guess (spend up to about 30-45 seconds, if educted guessing looks promising), then pick and move on.

On CR, you should know the Q type and have deconstructed the argument by the 1m mark. If you don't know the conclusion (if there), don't know whether there is a conclusion, don't understand what the argument is saying, etc, then again, you're done. Ditto for RC specific detail questions - you know what the question is asking, where you need to look, you've looked at the necessary sentences in the passage all by the 1m mark. If not, it's over. (Re: your other question about missing / letting go of an RC question, yes! You'll get hard RCs just like everything else, and you will have to let go of those sometimes too!)

On SC, you should have eliminated at least 2 answers by the 1m mark; if not, you're done. Ditto for RC main idea.

For all of verbal, once you're down to 2 answers, you compare those 2 answers directly ONCE. Only once. Then you pick and move on.

See this for CR:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... reasoning/

And RC:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... rehension/
(That resource includes stuff about how to read and take notes. Note-taking will slow you down if you try to take notes the way you would for a class in school - but that's not the goal on this test. Take a look at the above resource for more direction on how to take notes.)

Re: your questions at bottom. You are *not* going to go through every page of every book again. Your review will be based specifically on the weaknesses identified when taking practice tests or doing practice problems.

You ask whether the hard will become easier or faster with review. Yes, with REVIEW. You talk about DOING them again - that's different. The review is what you do after you are done doing the problem in the first place - and this is what you told me you don't have much time to do.

Do NOT just keep doing mounds of problems! That is not how you learn. You learn by reviewing in the manner described in the articles I gave you last time. Do *fewer* problems but ask yourself those questions from the How To Analyze article so that you can learn how to streamline your process and get through questions more efficiently.

And don't forget that you should be pulling the plug a lot faster on some questions - that will fix most of your timing problems! Stop trying to get everything right - that's not even what they want!

[bish]

Hi Stacey,

Thank you for the suggestion. Glad to report that I received my official score report -

AWA - 4.5
IR - 7
Quant & Verbal - Remains the same :)

To answer your question -

"Were the two too-slow RC questions actually slow due to the questions? Or was the read-through itself what slowed you down?"
- I was slow in the Inference questions. Reading the passage take s around 2.5-3 mins for me (without taking the notes)

I have started working on timed sets of questions every day (~ 12 verbal question in 20 mins - 6 SC; 3 RC; 3 CR; ~ 10 Quant questions in 20 mins - 6 PS; 4 DS) and l intend to analyse them at greater depth even if I get them correct the first time (this includes referring back the text whenever necessary). I am practicing guessing (grammatically incorrect?) on questions in these timed sets so that I finish the sets on time and also trying to build up my 1 min sense on these questions.

What do you think about this strategy? Do you have any suggestions on how best to create these sets (how to pick questions etc.) ? Should I mix and match higher numbered (harder) and lowered numbered (easier) questions or should I proceed sequentially? My ref guide for now is OG13.

I was also wondering whether re-setting my OG Archer would be a possibility? That way I can track my progress on the OG archer and get some kind of overall stats along the way. Would I need my old OG Archer stats for any analysis in future?

And most importantly, when should I start taking practice test again?

[StaceyKoprince]

Nice job, especially on IR!

I love your problem-set strategy. One 20-minute set should then take you several hours to fully analyze (because that includes going back into your books when needed, looking up explanations in OG Archer, looking stuff up on the forums, everything!). So you may not always be able to do a set every day. Take the time you need to analyze fully, even if that spills into the next day.

Do mix and match higher and lower numbered problems, since the questions get harder as the question numbers get higher (for everything except RC).

Re: Archer, I would imagine that Student Services could help you to clear the old stats if you decide you want to do that. I'd recommend saving all of the data yourself first, though, just in case!

You take a practice test when you feel that you have made substantial progress on the major issues identified on your last test (including "meta" issues such as timing). That might be 2 weeks for one person and four or six weeks for another - so you'll have to decide. Take it when you feel like you are going to have different results this time around because you've actually addressed the major issues that were holding you back last time. (Not everything 100%, but the major issues.)

[bish]

Hi Stacey, How are you. After more than a year and 1 convert and 1 reject, and dropping the admission that I secured, I am back again starting from scratch. Since its more than a year I took the exam, I would start with the basics again, this time doing mixed problem sets and analyzing them in detail before I move to the next topic. Hoping to keep you updated.

[StaceyKoprince]

Hi, good to hear from you. One suggestion: start with a practice test. You will have remembered some stuff and forgotten other things, and there's really no way to tell which is which. So take a test and use that to help you set your starting study plan and priorities.

Then, use the below to analyze the test:
http://tinyurl.com/analyzeyourcats

If you'd like to share your analysis with us, please do so! Also tell us what you think you should do and we'll discuss.