Thorough analysis. Okay, the big question is your score / scoring level. As a general rule, you should expect to score in the same range on the real test as you are scoring on practice tests a week or so before the real test. (And assuming the practice test is a good one and is taken under 100% official conditions. Also note that the "range" I mention is pretty wide - 30 to 50 points in either direction.)
So you had 520 on your most recent GMATPrep, but this was a repeated exam. Did you see questions you'd seen before / Qs that you remembered? If so, how did you handle them? Did you make sure you spent full time? Did you get any really hard ones wrong on purpose even if you remembered the answer? If so, you minimized score inflation. If you took less time and/or got things right that you might not have gotten right if they'd truly been new Qs, then your score might be inflated.
If we assume you are in the 520 range right now, can you get that above 550 by the end of the month? Yes, that's possible. There are no guarantees of course, but you may be able to in that timeframe, yes.
I think during the practice test, I'm usually a little fatigued from the previous days of studying.
That's normal and you should use that as a lesson while you're gearing up for the real thing. The closer you get to the real thing, the
less you do, so that you don't burn yourself out / tire your brain out too much. Think of an elite athlete - you're a "mental athlete" for this test. :)
Re: careless mistakes vs. true weaknesses, it's easier to deal with careless mistakes, so prioritize those higher. I can't remember whether I linked to this article before, so I'll give it to you again:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/error-log.cfmFor your quant weaknesses, these are the areas that are more commonly tested:
divisibility and prime
algebra - VIC
geo - angles and lengths
sum / mean / median
Probability and interest aren't that common. By "formulas w/symbols" do you mean formulas with weird symbols? Not that common. And coord geo - maybe one.
And, yes, you're right about needing to study methods for educated guessing. Take a look at these two articles:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/07/ ... s-on-quanthttp://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/e ... verbal.cfmFor verbal, good reading sources include:
http://magazine.uchicago.edu/ - particularly articles in the "Investigations" tab
http://harvardmagazine.com/(And
www.sciam.com for science-based passages; I know you didn't ask for science stuff, but others reading might want to know.)
Most of the verbal areas you listed are common, so those all need work. Some articles on the various topics are below, but first let's talk about timing. Managing your timing is trickier than on quant because it partially depends upon where the 3 or 4 RC passages begin. The below assumes that one new passage starts within each quarter of the test (Q1-10, Q11-20, Q21-30, Q31-41).
Q10: 56 min left
Q20: 37 min left
Q30: 19 min left
You may have to adjust the above if the passages don't start in the way described above. For instance, if by the time you get to Q10, you've actually had 2 passages start, not just one, then you should expect to have fewer minutes left - maybe 53 instead of 56. If, on the other hand, you get to Q10 and you've had no passages start, then you should expect to have more - maybe 59 left.
Every time a new passage starts, I keep track with a tick mark on the first page of my scrap paper. If you're worried about losing that or having to flip back to find the tick marks, then keep track on your hand - maybe with dots, so that you don't have as much skin to scrub later. :)
Okay, content.
SC modifiers / long underlines:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2011/03/ ... sc-problemhttp://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2011/03/ ... -problem-2CR:
assumption:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/CR-assumption.cfmweaken:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/01/ ... cr-problemexplain situation:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2011/01/ ... cy-problemRC infer:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/a ... estion.cfmAnd I just want to comment on what you said about not recognizing the "explain a situation" CR. One of your tasks in general is learning (ahead of time!) how to recognize the different kinds of questions. Each type is asking you to do a different thing, so you want to make sure that you know (a)
how to identify each type, and (b)
what you're supposed to do for each type.
Finally, I just want to make sure that you're not planning to take 6 practice tests over the next 3 weeks. 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 on content (though it can help with practicing timing). Mostly, though, it's what you do with the test results / between tests that helps you to improve. Once a week is plenty.