Need to Improve From Q41 to Q44-46

[JaimieG385]

Last night I took my third CAT. My score breakdown was Q41, V38, IR 3.1, (total score 650) I took this CAT under official test conditions.

My two previous CATs were GMAT Prep: Q39, V44, IR 5, (total score 680) with the caveat that I used the pause button some on the quantitative section, so the quant score may be inflated. I took this exam before doing any prep, to see what skill level I was at. The second one was GMAT Prep: Q44, V40, IR 4, (total score 700) with the caveat that I took this exam after buying a new computer and reinstalling the software, so there may have been some repeat questions. I also used the pause button some on the quant section. This CAT I took after going through all of the Manhattan GMAT quant guides, and doing the associated OG questions.

Looking at these score breakdowns, my verbal does seem to be all over the place, but I am hoping it will become more consistent after doing some prep. At this point my first priority is still quant, as I need a quant score in the 44-46 range to be competitive at my top programs. Verbal seems to be a strength for me, but quant is definitely a weakness and I do have a timing problem, which I have been trying to work on by developing a one-minute sense and learning when to cut myself off more quickly. However, on this most recent CAT I had a couple of questions that I spent far too much time on (one was a shameful 5+ minutes when I went over the test data, another two were 3+ minutes, and all of these were wrong), and as a result there were several questions that I got wrong which fell into the "way too fast" category.

I've concluded that, other than the timing problem, I have a couple of achilles heels in quant that are really holding me back, but I am not sure how to address these issues, since I have already tried practicing these problem types, and still end up getting stuck.

I am strong in problems that are more logic-based and do not have a lot of heavy calculation, but problems that are calculation-heavy and involve a lot of arithmetic tend to take far too long and throw me off track. I also find variable in the answer choice problems very, very difficult, and almost never get these problems right, whether in practice or when taking CATs.

The question that too 5+ minutes on my most recent CAT was a low difficulty level, and when I looked back over what I did in reviewing the problem, I had the right approach but got mired in the arithmetic and number of steps it took to finish the problem. I know that fundamentals are important, but I have practiced extensively and I think there is something more at work here, perhaps an organizational issue, but I am not sure how to fix it. The same goes for VIC problems - I have yet to find an approach that works for me.

So, while I do think that I should have cut myself off sooner when I encountered these problems, I want to round out my skill set so that, in the future, I can complete these problems when I encounter them. I had no trouble completing problems of a similar difficulty level under a different topic.

Lastly, how much of a time investment should I plan to bring my quant score up to the 44-46 level? Is there any way to predict this? My first deadline is in August, but I also need time to get the other parts of my application together.

[StaceyKoprince]

First, stop using the pause button. Never again. Unless your house if on fire. :)

Seriously, you've been training / reinforcing in a way that's actually working against you for the test.

Read this right now (don't even finish the rest of my post - yet):
http://tinyurl.com/executivereasoning

If your mindset isn't what that article describes (specifically, if you're still operating under the old school mindset of prioritizing # right over time spent), then it's unlikely you will get to 45+ on quant. It's crucial to change your mindset so that you are actually showing the test what it wants to see - which is NOT that you know how to do every problem it gives you.

The various details you describe make me strongly suspect that, while you may "know" that you're supposed to be getting some wrong, you still feel like you have to try to get everything right (or as much as possible).

problems that are calculation-heavy and involve a lot of arithmetic tend to take far too long and throw me off track.

You should be picking your favorite letter quite quickly on a number of these, leaving your time and precious mental energy available for other questions. You only need to answer about 60% of the questions correctly!

I also find variable in the answer choice problems very, very difficult, and almost never get these problems right, whether in practice or when taking CATs.

How are you trying to answer these? Are you using algebra or are you using the Smart Numbers technique? (Are you using our books? If so, which edition? You refer to VIC, a name we stopped using after the 4th edition. We're currently on 6th edition.)

How have you practiced VICs (now called Smart Numbers)? The best way is to practice the technique on a large number of problems, even easier ones for which you think the algebra is pretty straightforward. Learn how to use the technique on easier problems, then move up to harder ones.

This allows you to work through some of the thornier issues: how do you know when you can use it? How do you know when you WANT to use it? How do you know what would likely be good (and not so good) numbers to pick? What do you do if you realize, three steps in, that the number you did pick is making the math messy? Etc.

If you are struggling more with processes (both math processes and test-taking processes), then you may want to look into taking a class. I don't suggest that to most people (because I have an obvious conflict of interest when making that suggestion), but the specific things you are mentioning are exactly the kinds of things that are best taught in a live class setting. Assuming you find a good teacher. :)

I can't unfortunately give you an estimated answer for your last question yet. We need to figure out more about what's going on, and I also need to know more about what materials you have used and what you have already tried in getting ready for this test.

I'd also like to know whether you think you've started to master the 2nd level of study, as described here:
http://tinyurl.com/2ndlevelofgmat

Have you been studying in this way? Or would you say that you've been studying more at the first level so far?

[JaimieG385]

Thank you for the feedback! I took a GMAT Club CAT today, and your advice really helped me change my approach wrt priorities when the clock is ticking.


I have been using the 5th edition Manhattan GMAT guides, though I have also looked at several internet articles on topics, which is where I picked up the term VIC. As far as prep, I've covered all of the material in the quant guides, and done most of the OG problems listed in the back of those books (I am using the 13th edition of the Official Guide). I have also followed along with several Thursdays with Ron videos, and am using GMAT Club CATs to practice timing and working under pressure during the quant section.


Until pretty recently, most of my time has been spent mastering the quant material. But in the past 2-3 weeks I have been doing more practice problems, and analyzing them after completing them. I've been making flashcards with important takeaways after analyzing my mistakes. So I think that I am starting to go deeper into the process of learning from/understanding the problems, but it's a pretty recent development.

[StaceyKoprince]

Glad to hear it! How did the test go - were you able to lift your quant score? (It won't always change that quickly, of course, so you might not have gotten that far yet.)

Okay, keep going with that second level analysis and check back in with me in a week or two to tell me how it's going. If you're doing it right, you'll be able to tell - you'll see that you're increasing your ability to think your way through these things and have effective approaches for problems (including the approach of bailing and picking your favorite letter when that's your best move).

As you get better at that, you'll be getting closer to being ready to take the real test!