Not getting desired score in verbal

[ashutosh_cabm]

Hi,

I have been preparing for GMAT for more than 4 months now. I know that i am good with concepts but i am not able to use them properly during the test. I have gone through MGMAT classrooms and all strategy guides so concepts are not a problem. I have taken GMAT prep tests (scored 670-690). I have also purchased MGMAT test series. I took my MGMAT test-2 yesterday and to my surprise score in the test was just 630 (Q48, V30). I am not able to improve my verbal scores. I have done thorough analysis of my verbal score and i have found that at the time of test i am not able to concentrate completely on each and every question. I do not give my best shot at each question and because of this most of my questions get wrong in this section. Please note that when i review wrong questions, and reattempt then before looking at the correct answer, i am able to solve more than 50% questions which i got wrong during the exam. I am not able to overcome this problem since last one month.

What should be the reason for this problem..?? Do students normally face this kind of the problem..?? My exam is after 3 weeks. Please suggest a strategy to overcome this problem.

Thanks in advance.

[StaceyKoprince]

There might be multiple reasons why this is occurring. You might have timing problems. You might have mental stamina issues. You may also have nerves / anxiety affecting your performance.

You can use this article to analyze your most recent MGMAT CAT:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

This will help you to identify any timing problems, as well as content shortcomings. After you're done, come back here and share your analysis with us. (Note that I said "analysis," not "data." We want to know what you think the data means - we don't just want the data itself! :)

In terms of mental stamina, have you consistently done the essays on your practice tests? Do you limit yourself to two 8-minute breaks at the appropriate times? Are you making sure that you take the test at the same time of day you'd take the real test, and that you're not studying for hours and hours before you take the test? (Or doing anything else that would tire you out in the couple of days before the test?)

When you review these problems afterwards, what do you notice about the mistakes that you made? Are they completely careless mistakes, of the "I can't believe I did that!" variety? How are they characterized? Did you miss important details because you weren't reading carefully? Did you skip right over a word that made a huge difference? Did you mean to pick B but you selected C instead?

Or are the mistakes more meaningful? The first time you read it, you really did think B was the answer, but now, with hindsight and a second read-through, you thought about it more deeply and realized that C is better? Or you remembered some rule that you'd forgotten before? Something like that.

Give us a sense of the kinds of mistakes you find on these ones that you can answer when you look at them the second time.

Finally, I just want to note something. Ideally, you don't pick a test date and say "I must be ready by this date." Ideally, you take the test when you're ready. I say "ideally" because obviously things don't always work the way we'd like them to, but if you have flexibility to change your test date, then you may need to do so. You don't mention your goal score, but your verbal score is fluctuating right now, and generally, you want to get it to be more steady before you take the real test - which may take longer than 3 weeks. (It may not take that long - but it may - so you don't need to postpone the test date right now, but you should be ready to do so if needed.)

[ashutosh_cabm]

There might be multiple reasons why this is occurring. You might have timing problems. You might have mental stamina issues. You may also have nerves / anxiety affecting your performance.

You can use this article to analyze your most recent MGMAT CAT:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Thanks Stacy for your reply. Appreciate you a lot for this. I am a big fan of manhattan gmat and i have already gone through this article.

This will help you to identify any timing problems, as well as content shortcomings. After you're done, come back here and share your analysis with us. (Note that I said "analysis," not "data." We want to know what you think the data means - we don't just want the data itself! :)

I have analyzed my test. And according to the category in which i fall as per the analysis is: Category 2: I got it wrong roughly within the expected timeframe. But the reasons cited there do not apply on me. This category talks about fundamental problems, weakness in a particular area. That is not the case with me as i am able to solve the question afterwards.

In terms of mental stamina, have you consistently done the essays on your practice tests? Do you limit yourself to two 8-minute breaks at the appropriate times? Are you making sure that you take the test at the same time of day you'd take the real test, and that you're not studying for hours and hours before you take the test? (Or doing anything else that would tire you out in the couple of days before the test?)

Well, i do not do that. I just take Quant and verbal sections and breaks are less than 8 minutes. Also i do not always take test at the same time as my scheduled time.

When you review these problems afterwards, what do you notice about the mistakes that you made? Are they completely careless mistakes, of the "I can't believe I did that!" variety? How are they characterized? Did you miss important details because you weren't reading carefully? Did you skip right over a word that made a huge difference? Did you mean to pick B but you selected C instead?

Or are the mistakes more meaningful? The first time you read it, you really did think B was the answer, but now, with hindsight and a second read-through, you thought about it more deeply and realized that C is better? Or you remembered some rule that you'd forgotten before? Something like that.

Give us a sense of the kinds of mistakes you find on these ones that you can answer when you look at them the second time.

My mistakes are mostly careless. So they are for example in RC: i did not comprehend passage well so missed the correct answer. In SC, i know the concept but i did not apply at the time of the test but applied it while reattempting a particular question.

Finally, I just want to note something. Ideally, you don't pick a test date and say "I must be ready by this date." Ideally, you take the test when you're ready. I say "ideally" because obviously things don't always work the way we'd like them to, but if you have flexibility to change your test date, then you may need to do so. You don't mention your goal score, but your verbal score is fluctuating right now, and generally, you want to get it to be more steady before you take the real test - which may take longer than 3 weeks. (It may not take that long - but it may - so you don't need to postpone the test date right now, but you should be ready to do so if needed.)

I believe my problem is not that my fundamentals are weak but it is more about the strategy and focus during the exam. So i should be able to improve it. One way i am planning to overcome it is i want to take just verbal test daily by skipping awa and quant section and try to overcome this issue by practice. Is that a correct strategy. Also i realize that even though i can not increase my verbal score much, i am strong in quant and can raise my score to upto 51, which is 48-49 now. What do you suggest would be the best strategy going forward for rest of the time to maximize my score.

[StaceyKoprince]

That is not the case with me as i am able to solve the question afterwards.

You could have weaknesses with process, or weaknesses in terms of falling into traps. When you look at those problems afterwards, what's the difference between the first time and the second time? Why did you get it wrong the first time and why were you able to correct yourself the second time? (There are likely multiple reasons. Give me as many as you can think of! Go look over the old problems to help you brainstorm. Be as clear and detailed as possible in articulating the reasons why.)

Okay, you need to do the essays from now on (on practice CATs). I know you don't care about your essay score - neither do I! - but we do care about your mental stamina.

Also, you might want to read this; does any of it sound familiar?

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... you-crazy/

My mistakes are mostly careless. So they are for example in RC: i did not comprehend passage well so missed the correct answer. In SC, i know the concept but i did not apply at the time of the test but applied it while reattempting a particular question.

WHY do these things happen? Are you reading too quickly? Are you getting distracted and skipping over words or parts of sentences? On SC, are you not noticing a certain difference - just skipping right over it? Or are you noticing it but applying the rule incorrectly? Do you see the difference but you're not sure which rule that's testing, but then you realize what it is the second time? Etc.

One way i am planning to overcome it is i want to take just verbal test daily by skipping awa and quant section and try to overcome this issue by practice. Is that a correct strategy.

Possibly - but I can't really say until we figure out WHY you're making these careless mistakes or why your process is faulty. If there is a stamina issue, then doing only verbal (without essays or quant) doesn't really help, since you don't get to verbal until 2.5 hours in, which obviously has a major effect on mental stamina.

Your first task is to figure out why. If you can do that, then you'll know (and we'll help you to figure out) what to do to fix the problems!

[ashutosh_cabm]

Hi Stacy,

Thanks a loooott for your reply. I can see that your posts are helping me out a lot in figuring out the problem.

That is not the case with me as i am able to solve the question afterwards.

You could have weaknesses with process, or weaknesses in terms of falling into traps. When you look at those problems afterwards, what's the difference between the first time and the second time? Why did you get it wrong the first time and why were you able to correct yourself the second time? (There are likely multiple reasons. Give me as many as you can think of! Go look over the old problems to help you brainstorm. Be as clear and detailed as possible in articulating the reasons why.)


Okay, you need to do the essays from now on (on practice CATs). I know you don't care about your essay score - neither do I! - but we do care about your mental stamina.

Also, you might want to read this; does any of it sound familiar?

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... you-crazy/

My mistakes are mostly careless. So they are for example in RC: i did not comprehend passage well so missed the correct answer. In SC, i know the concept but i did not apply at the time of the test but applied it while reattempting a particular question.

I think the reasons which you specified are precisely the ones in my case. In case of RC, it is because of i am reading too quickly because of the time constraint and because of this i miss comprehending well. In case of SC: sometimes i apply rule at wrong place (for example last time i applied rule when to use gerund and when to use noun ie constructing vs construction in case of gerund and infinitive and selected gerund which was wrong). Sometime i fell into traps by thinking too much. In case of CR it is selecting an answer without finding out category of the question and just selecting an answer (for example in case of a causation question not able to figure it out and selected one other answer) and when i do it after the test, i am aboe to figure out the correct category.

One way i am planning to overcome it is i want to take just verbal test daily by skipping awa and quant section and try to overcome this issue by practice. Is that a correct strategy.

Possibly - but I can't really say until we figure out WHY you're making these careless mistakes or why your process is faulty. If there is a stamina issue, then doing only verbal (without essays or quant) doesn't really help, since you don't get to verbal until 2.5 hours in, which obviously has a major effect on mental stamina.

Your first task is to figure out why. If you can do that, then you'll know (and we'll help you to figure out) what to do to fix the problems!

I have realized RC as one of my weak points now. I have already completed OG and verbal guide. Which source should i take up now. I have exactly 3 weeks now. What should i do to overcome above issues..?? I have quite good notes of SC which i made myself while studying. I am planning to go through them. What resources should i consider doing now. I have list of all the OG questions which were wrong when i did them. Should i do only those wrong questions again..?? I have joined manhattan test series. How should i take tests (weekly or twice in a week). Kindly suggest me a good strategy to maximize my score with the given circumstances. Also i want to practice 700-800 quant question. Which is the best resource for practicng those questions.

[StaceyKoprince]

There's really never a good reason to take practice tests more then once a week.

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. It's what you do with the test results / between tests that helps you to improve.

*But more than once a week just tires you out without making anything appreciably better.

For RC, I've linked to some resources below. I have to tell you that RC is one of the slowest area to improve if the particular problem is the reading itself. You can't really rush or cram anything when you're trying to improve your reading comprehension - so just be aware that you may need more than 3 weeks, or you may need to decide that RC is a weakness and you'll do what you can in 3 weeks, but then that's it.

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... p-passage/
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/07/ ... rc-passage

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... rehension/

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... n-problem/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... g-problem/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/a ... estion.cfm

Re: SC, try this exercise. Go back into old OG problems that you've already done. Cover up the question stem. Compare the answers and try to uncover EVERY grammar or meaning issue that's being tested, just based upon the differences that you see. Then check to see how close you got. If you missed anything, or if you thought a difference signaled one kind of issue when it was really signaling another, go back and study that difference again - what is it, how does it work, how am I going to remember next time that this type of difference = this type of grammar rule or meaning issue?

Also notice that for RC and CR, a lot of what you're telling me is: I'm going a bit too quickly and not following the process, so then I make a mistake. And then you say "But I go back after and I can do it just fine!"

Of course you can! You don't have the same time pressure afterwards! It doesn't count anymore, even if you're timing yourself (because you're not going to get a score at the end). You're letting the time pressure cause you to loosen your process. That's a bad idea. Far better to say, "When I see what I think is a really hard question, I'm going to guess quickly and move on. I'll do this a few times throughout the test and then I'll have plenty of time on all of the rest without having to pressure myself to move so quickly."

You can do that as long as you aren't going for a 95th+ percentile score on verbal. :)

So note that a lot of this really is about process so, no, don't just go do a bunch of tests or a million new practice problems, not if you're going to keep doing them with your same old process. Change the process. Then practice it on new questions or tests.

Here's your CR process:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... g-problem/

And SC:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/06/ ... on-problem

For SC, you might also want to go onto our blog and read some of my posts over the past 6 months about meaning and other issues in SC.

For some quant practice, you might want to try GMAT Focus (www.gmatfocus.com). You aren't guaranteed 700+ questions - you're only guaranteed whatever you earn, since that produce will adapt to your level. But you should be practicing at whatever your level is anyway, so that's fine.

[ashutosh_cabm]

Thanks a lot Stacy for your time. I will work on these and will keep you posted about my improvements.

[StaceyKoprince]

good luck!