Need help in strategy

[Abhilash12jan]

Hi,

I took My first GMAT on 15 Jan'14 and got a very low score of 560(Q50,V17). was very disappointed with my verbal score then again started my preparation in full flow for my second attempt. Find out my weak areas and started working on those areas.

Weak areas, my approach towards improving in those areas and now what are the problem m facing are stated below :

RC : RC was my weak area then i started practice with ARISTOL RC 99. Prior to my first attempt i do not make any notes while solving RC probs. although after practicing with notes my performance and accuracy improved(Approx 70%), now i am facing timing issue so started solving que without making notes and with almost same accuracy. Please suggest should i continue this practice or its better to solve RC que with the help of notes.


SC : I had very low accuracy(<50%) in SC probs, but worked on official problems with complete understanding and read all the explanation given by all the MGMAT Instructor(Specially RON and STACEY ) and it helped me a lot. Now i have achieved a decent accuracy(Approx 80%), but after knowing so much concepts and still discovering more I am feeling frustrated and lost in SC. Please suggest what should i do from now.

Quant : MY quant has always been my strong point as u can seen in my first attempt my quant score was decent. Although i always have timing issue in quant and some time i was left with approx 10 ques short on time, I always scored more than 47 in quant apart from MGMAT tests. Now not sure how much practice is sufficient for quant and what is the best material to use at this point. I have completed OG 12 and 13 and Manhattan quant probs. Available material for practice is OG quant advanced, Math bible nova, MGMAT advanced quant and some collection of 700+ quant probs. Please suggest me the right approach and how much efforts is sufficient for quant part.

My test scores are following

before my first attempt :

MGMAT(free) 450

GMATPrep 1 540

GMATPrep 2 640

GMAT : 560(Q50,V17)

After my first attempt :

GMATPrep1 : 710
MGMAT 1(Free) : 600(Q39,V34)(timing issue spcly in quant)
MGMAT 2 : 630(Q43,V33)(timing issue spcly in quant)
MGMAT 3 : 630(Q43,V33)(timing issue spcly in quant)
MGMAT 4 : 590(Q38,V34)(Worst timing)
MGMAT 5 : 600(Q43,V31)(timing issue spcly in quant)
MGMAT 6 : 630(Q40,V36)(timing issue spcly in quant)
MGMAT 1a : 750(Q48,V45) (Many repeated after reset)
GMATPrep 2 :710(Some repeated)

Planning for my second attempt in first week of July, please suggest me what should i do now. My target score is 740. would appreciate much needed help.

[StaceyKoprince]

How often are you taking practice tests? I ask because you said that you saw many repeats after resetting the tests - but most people would only remember that many questions if all the tests had been taken pretty recently. As a general rule, it's not a good use of study time to take a CAT more frequently than once every 2-3 weeks (minimum).
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... many-cats/

Next, you mention serious timing issues. Is this your mindset when studying for and taking the GMAT?
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... lly-tests/

If not, then you will need to learn / internalize that before you get in there again.

Have you been studying in this way?
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -the-gmat/

Again, if not, you're going to need to learn to study in that way in order to hit a 700+ score.

Finally, you mention that you plan to take the test in early July and want a 740, but your practice scores are in the low 600s. Most people would need longer than one month to move from ~600 to 700+. It would be a good idea to set yourself a more realistic goal - either a lower score in one month or a higher score in a more reasonable timeframe.

If you want to hit 740, then you're going to need a top score on your stronger area; for you, this means you need to hit 51 on quant. The great news is that you've already hit 50 on the real test, so you should be able to hit 51 if you can fix your timing problems. Use this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... nt-part-1/

For RC, you mention:

so started solving que without making notes and with almost same accuracy.

Is that the same (better) accuracy that you were achieving when taking notes? Or is that the same (lower) accuracy when you weren't taking notes before?

If the former, then it's fine to continue to do what you're doing (not take notes) as long as your current RC performance is good enough for you. If you want to improve, however, then you will have to figure out how to do so - which might involve taking some notes. (I'm guessing you want to get better, yes?)

For SC (for everything, actually), first, don't expect to know / learn everything. No matter how much you study, when you get to the test, you'll still see some things that you don't recognize or know how to handle. This is okay - just make a guess and move on.

In order for us to discuss specifics, I need some data from you. Use the below to analyze your most recent non-repeat MGMAT CAT (this should take you a minimum of 1 hour):
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... ts-part-1/

Figure out your strengths and weaknesses as well as what you think you should do (and what your priorities should be) based on that analysis. 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. 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!)

[Abhilash12jan]

Thanx STACEY for ur prompt reply.......

I have taken test too frequently bcuz my targeted date was 20 May but as my Mgmat score was not reflecting my targeted score so i postponed it till first week of July to overcome the lack. I am targeting for fall 2015 and need lot of work on application process that why i think. i can not extend my date beyond mention.

Last Mgmat was taken on first of this month and thing is that i have analyzed each and every question in such a way that i would remember it even after 2-3 weeks. Now just want to know should i wait even more for my next test or need to buy some other test, because now I am not able to judge my progress. I have worked a lot on my SC, RC and quant weakness so please suggest whats the good way to know where I am landing now.

Now what I am feeling with my preparation is that i have more than sufficient knowledge and done sufficient practice just i need to streamline all the thing with right approach and need to work on timing. I am exhausted with all the OG probs so please suggest me should i need to get back to OG probs and need to get most out of them or try new probs while getting most out of them.

Apart from my study thing, i want to share some thing and i dont know is this the right place to ask opinion on my future plans so if u find it not appropriate then let it b.

After not getting my targeted score in any Mgmat test I am not confident that i will be able to get admission in my dream clg and as i am targeting for fall 2015, so can not delay my gmat test further. I have taken counselling from various sources and come up to point that as i have already spent so much time on the preparation of gmat so just need to finish it with my second attempt. After my second attempt if i did not get my targeted score i will go for GRE as it is easy compare to Gmat. Now i have only 2+ year of experience and come up with the information that it is not sufficient for major good univ and not have such a solid profile to over come this lack. After doing my MS and with the work experience of 1-2 years(Total 4-5 years including present) then i can get a call from good univ with the score of my second attempt as Score will be valid for 5 years. Just want to know is am i on a right track or doing some thing wrong.

Extended effort to help me would be appreciate.

Thanx in advance...

[StaceyKoprince]

In general, don't expect significant progress within 2-3 weeks (not enough to make it worthwhile to take another test).

You say that you have studied the test questions enough that you remember them. Could you explain to someone else not only how to do them, but why to do them that way? That is, what are the clues that trigger a certain kind of solution process?

If you just know what the solution is but couldn't actually explain why it should be done that way (and how someone would know the *first* time they see the problem), then you need to change your study focus. What you're doing is essentially memorizing how to do the practice problems - but you won't see these same problems on the real test.

What you need to do instead is learn how to know what to do when. What specific clues or what type of problem set-up would trigger a certain kind of response? And these triggers cannot be the entire problem (when I see this entire problem, I do this), because you won't see that exact problem on the test. Rather, it has to be "When I see these 2 or 3 clues - in ANY problem - then I'll do XYZ."

So whether you should look for new OG problems or keep working on the old ones depends on whether you have actually learned what I'm describing above. If you haven't, then doing new problems won't help you, because you still won't be learning what you need to learn.

What do you think?

Re: your question about your schooling plans, I want to make sure I understand. You're thinking about possibly getting an MS first and then going for an MBA? If you have only about 2 years of work experience right now, then it's true that most b-schools will consider that on the lower side, making your job harder. And, as you said, if you switch and go for your MS first, and then end up applying to b-school within 5 years of taking the GRE, you'll likely be able to use that score, as many b-schools now accept the GRE.

You may also want to discuss this with an admissions consultant - my area of expertise is really the exams themselves, not the entire admissions process.