Need direction

[versatile801]

Hi Instructors,

I have been preparing for GMAT for the last 40-45 days now, i studied the strategy guides and then started working on problems.

for number properties , i took 25 Questions of your Question bank

I got 18 correct , out of 7 wrong - 5 are ( 600-700 level ) 1 ( 700-800) and 1 ( 500-600 ).

Now, i just want to evaluate as to where do i stand ? i mean this is an example of Number properties , i am doing the same exercise for each other books also.

So, how do i judge as to where do i stand in terms of prep on the basis of results of Qbanks.

and

How do i strategize myself for next step ?

thanks in advance for your reply

P.S. : i took the Qs in the time limit mode and completed all within the time.

[StaceyKoprince]

That's all really good. When you ask where you stand, though, my guess is that you want to know what that means for how you would score on the test? I can't say. You actually need to take a practice test to see how you do. :)

So go ahead and take a practice test under 100% official conditions (including essays) and see what happens!

When you're done, use the below article to analyze your results:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

If you'd like, you can also come back here and share your analysis with us and we'll help you figure out what to do from there. (Note: don't just post the raw data from your test; we want to see your analysis of the data, because that's a skill that we want to help you develop.)

[versatile801]

Hi Stacey,

Thanks for your reply.. and wish you a very happy new year.

I have already taken two MGMAT tests ( strictly under the real gmat conditions, including essays because i went through your suggestion for the same in quiet a few posts earlier )

First test - 12/4/11 === 620 ( Q - 43, V - 32 )
Second test - 12/31/11 === 640 ( Q - 44 , V - 33 )

Quant

PS - 57% accuracy - Average time 1:42 mins for correct answers and 2:51 mins for wrong answers ( total 40 Qs )
DS- 43% accuracy - Average time 1:33 mins for correct answers and 1:47 for wrong answers ( total == 30 Qs )

I got only 50% accuracy in 600-700 type Qs for both - DS and PS

I got 10 wrong out of 11 in DS for the (700-800), and I got 7 wrong out of 11 in PS for the same category ( 700-800 )

Do you think that it could be the trend that when I start scoring high, may be a difficult DS question pulls me down ?

I have exactly one month left..please suggest plan to improve quant to 49/50

for number properties , my accuracy with Q bank is higher, but it was only 56% in 2nd test. do you think the accuracy differs when we attempt same type of questions and when we attempt the same in test ?

Verbal

SC - 73% accuracy - Average time 1:00 mins for right answers and 0:47 mins for wrong answers ( 30 Qs )
CR- 46% accuracy - Average time 1:43 mins for right answers and 2:14 for wrong answers ( 24 Qs )
RC-46% accuracy - Average time 1:43 mins for right answers and 2:16 for wrong answers ( 24 Qs )

In the above case of verbal , I did 2/3 very silly mistakes during my second test ( i think i did the same under the condition that i may fall short of time ), so I know I will do well in SC.

In CR - my accuracy was 30% in first test , and improved to 46% in the second test, and I am still working on it , so I think I should improve on it as well. In CR my accuracy for 700-800 type Q was 50% ( 6 Q ) , but my accuracy for 600-700 was only 40%.

My RC varied a lot, in the first test I had 70% accuracy and in second test it was hardly 33%, so I sometimes feel there is nothing much I could do for RC.

Please suggest a strategy to improve verbal from 33 to 38/39

I know this is long reply, but just thought to give you as much data as possible

I am also confused about one Q, when i have one month left , how should i allocate my limited time - to work more on the strengths or to work more on my weaknesses.

I am looking to score 700+ , so need your insights for the strategy for the remaining days.

I am not sure if this could help , but i have a 73% accuracy in the Kaplan Qbank for the SC ( 150 odd questions ) and an average of 70-75% accuracy in grockit as well for SC , timing has never been problem for me in SC - i almost all the time completed the Q in a min.

thanks very much again

[StaceyKoprince]

Do you think that it could be the trend that when I start scoring high, may be a difficult DS question pulls me down ?

Yes, because that's exactly how the test works. No matter how good you are, the test will just give you something harder, and then you'll get it wrong. So don't think you're going to study enough to "beat" the test by getting everything right. That'll never happen (even at my level!). :)

Read this: http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... to-win-it/

Also, you have a significant timing problem. You're averaging nearly 3m on *incorrect* PS problems, which is causing you to get other PS and DS problems wrong due to speed errors (and it's probably more skewed toward DS, given the data).

So here's the real problem: you spend way too long on questions that you're getting wrong anyway, and then you have to rush on other questions that you could have gotten right if you weren't rushing (and making careless mistakes), and those other questions are lower-level questions (because when do we choose to speed up? when we think we know what we're doing, which tends to be easier questions), so now your score just drops in a big way because you're missing lower level questions.

The problem is not that you're getting the hard ones wrong. The problem is that you're not getting the hard ones wrong FASTER. :)

Read this and start doing what it says: http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... anagement/

Generally, it takes 4-6 weeks to fix timing problems - FYI.

do you think the accuracy differs when we attempt same type of questions and when we attempt the same in test ?

Yes, again, because the test is adaptive - this is how the test works. You would benefit from learning a bit more about how the test is actually scored and constructed. In the "In it to Win It" article, above, there are links to some other things and a mention of the Scoring section of our free e-book. Read that.

How has your timing been for RC?

Also, use this article to dig into the details of your tests more thoroughly - the level of data you've shown so far is only scratching the surface.

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

how should i allocate my limited time - to work more on the strengths or to work more on my weaknesses.

As a general rule, you work more on weaknesses up until about 2 weeks before (though you also work on strengths). Starting about 2 weeks to 10 days before, you start doing a comprehensive review and worry more about making sure you know what you know - you aren't going to fix any major weaknesses in the last 10 days (and you don't want to waste time trying).

Do you have a hard deadline because of a school application? Or is this just the deadline you've set for yourself? I ask because, given your timing problems and your goal score, my guess is that you will need more than 4 weeks - maybe 6 to 8 - so if you have the flexibility, you may want to consider postponing your test date. If you can't, then you'll just have to go for it in the time that you have remaining!

[versatile801]

Hi Stacey,

Thanks very much for your time and your insight.

I gave my third test and my score was 610 ( Q - 44 , V - 28 ), my verbal did not go well... and i almost lost my stamina by the time i was half way to verbal ( although there were reasons for it, i did not have sound sleep earlier night, but did not want to miss my mock because i do not get enough time other than sunday), but i really improved on my time this time, took 3 mins for 5 questions of Quant, but got 4 right out of these 5, so probably not bad deal ( still your opinion please )

1) My Quant has been consistent in three tests - twice 44 and once 43 - does it indicate consistency or you think that three tests are not enough to project consistency

2) My Verbal varied in three tests - i have studied the reasons for the same, and am working on it

Need your insight in my plan for next 10 days, i am taking my gmat now on 15th feb.

SC
I have understood that my SC is almost all the time same in terms of accuracy across different difficulty levels

Strategy for next 10 days ( all accuracy data as per the three mgmat tests combined )

SC ( Strength 70% accuracy with 0.56 min for right answer and 1.04 min for wrong answer, 600-700 category -- 18correct / 9 incorrect , i got only 1 700-800 level Q )
a) To study my own notes on all topics everyday for half an hour
b) To attack one type in a day with Grockit ( i take all the Qs of one type at one go, and bookmark all wrong answers to study later, then i analyze video explanations of all wrong answers and take a few notes to add in my notes for SC )
c) To analyze where i am + 1 min and - min ( question type wise)
d) I have not studied idioms much, do you advice me to go through idioms again and again ?
e) to work on OG 12 and verbal edition - SC
f) How do i study OG 10/11 after having studied OG 12, is there any resource from which i can understand which Qs are being repeated ?

CR ( potential strength, 48% accuracy , with 1.55 min for right answer and 2.15 for wrong answer, accuracy on 40% for 600-700 difficulty level )
I never devised own strategy for CR, i know how to solve CR problems, but to be honest with you... i do not have a strategy. Current accuracy is around 60%

a) to devise strategy for each type with 5 very simple points
b) to work on each type of problems thru OG archer.
c) to work on each type of problem over grockit ( the same way as mentioned for SC above )

RC ( Weakness - current accuracy 46%, worst at inference types and specific details types )

a) to devise a strategy for short and long passage or you think i should devise strategy Qs type wise.
b) to work on at least five passages a day

give your insights and suggestions on above mentioned plan for next 10 days ( i delayed my gmat from 1st feb to 16th feb ) or may be more than 10 days.

I want to increase my stamina for the verbal, i mean i am good when i practice only CR/SC/RC, but all combined at a stretch pose a challenge for me and i make silly mistakes

Please suggest me approach to increase my stamina for verbal.

For Quant and DS

PS - ( 55% accuracy after combining all the Qs or Quant, 2 mins for right answer and 2.25 mins for wrong answers )

500-600 level ( 10Correct/2Incorrect ), 600-700 level ( 14correct/14 incorrect ), 700-800 ( 9Correct/14 incorrect ) - timing was not much an issue in PS

my incorrect Qs are spread almost all areas :( , so what should my strategy be now ?? what i have planned is for next 10 days outlined below

a)identified weak areas on the basis of the tests, and am working on it
b) Reduce time on choosing wrong answers

DS ( only 44% accuracy , correct answer 1:36 and wrong 1:48 mins )

500-600 level - 6correct/1 incorrect, 600-700 level - 11correct/8 incorrect , 700-800 level - 3 correct/16 incorrect

I noticed that i am weak in terms of identifying DS types and working on it.. so will rework on strategy .. please suggest me something to improve on my DS.. it is really pulling me down :(

Thanks very much again for your time and valuable insights.

Also suggest me links for guessing strategies, or any other tips for guessing strategies in quant and verbal.

[StaceyKoprince]

took 3 mins for 5 questions of Quant, but got 4 right out of these 5, so probably not bad deal ( still your opinion please )

Not terrible (potentially - I'm assuming 3 min really does mean 3 min and not, say, 3m 55 sec), but still a problem. It doesn't matter to me whether you got them right or not. :) What I read is: I lost a total of 5 minutes on these 5 problems. And then I think: where did that time come from and what did you miss because you made a careless mistake because you were rushing?

The problem is that almost nobody says "Oh, I'm 5 minutes behind, I'll guess randomly on two questions right away and save 4 minutes by sacrificing only 2 questions." Instead, they say, "Oh, I'm 5 minutes behind, I'll just start speeding up in general on the next 5 or 6 or 8 or 10 questions..." and now you're giving yourself many opportunities to make careless mistakes.

When people have this pattern, they come to me frustrated because their CAT scores fluctuate and they don't know why. And I have to tell them it's because they're basically relying on luck not to make too many careless mistakes. When there are fewer, the score is better, but when there are more, down goes the score... (hey, I just rhymed and I didn't even try to!) :)

Okay, so now what? You did get many of the Qs right. Can you learn how to get them right in 2.5m instead of 3m? Go back and figure that out. Which parts took you long? Why? What do you need to do in order to be more efficient next time? Etc.

And if there are some where you say - nope, I'm never going to be better than 3m30s on this one, even though I know I can get it right... well, then, get it wrong in 1.5 or 2 min instead (learn how to make an educated guess!). Because the potential harm in spending the time is too big. (Plus, think about this: when you have to spend 3+ minutes on a problem that really does have a 2m solution - but you don't know what it is - then what are the chances that you're going to make a mistake or get tangled up and miss it even if you do actually know how to do it and might sometimes get a Q like that right?)

Yes, 3 tests is enough to indicate consistency (assuming that you did mimic official testing conditions).

Okay, now I'm getting into your detail. I have a high-level question for you: are your practice scores at the level that you want on the real test? If so, then the last 10 days should be spent reviewing, not trying to get better. These articles will help:

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... game-plan/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... game-plan/

If not, then you should instead be thinking about postponing your test. Your score level 10 days out is about what you should expect on the real test. If there is variation due to stamina or timing issues, then you should expect the possibility that you score at the lower end of your range. It's very difficult to see a lot of improvement or fix timing or stamina problems in only 10 days.

Re: increasing stamina, you need to:
(1) take practice tests under 100% official conditions, including essays and length of breaks
(2) study in 2-hour blocks where you do not stop or get distracted or check your email or anything else for the entire 2 hours (except for one 10min break in the middle); plan out the entire 2 hours before you start so that you never even have to stop to figure out what to do next
(3) make sure that you're eating and drinking something on the breaks during the test (and while studying)
(4) practice sitting for an hour without getting up; when you do get up on a break, walk around, stretch, have something to eat and drink

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

Educated guessing:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/07/ ... s-on-quant
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/e ... verbal.cfm