Practice tests close to the real test to improve timing?

[krusemark204]

I am taking the GMAT on January 8th. I am planning on doing my third MGMAT CAT on Friday and possibly another next Monday morning. My last CAT was about a week ago and I did an analysis of my tests (I've done 2) and did a loose variation of the article on prepping in 14 days. Basically targeting problem areas and redoing questions I got wrong.

I really just want a 670 on the real exam. I got this score on my second/last practice test. My speed on SC is about 30 seconds with 80% accuracy. That was my problem area and I've learned to recognize patterns from doing so many OG problems. Should I slow down to try and get 90% accuracy? It saves me more time for the CR and RC, which take more time.

I want to work on my speed so that I can think quickly on the test. I also get anxiety when taking a timed exam, but it lessens as I've been taking the practice tests.

So should I do the practice test on Monday when my exam is on Saturday? Or is that too close to the exam? What if I skip the AWA to save my stamina but still use the time constraints for the other two sections?

I am also finishing the essays in 15 minutes each. Should I just keep working to make them better until the 30 minutes are up? Or proceed to quant? Or sit there and let the time run out and rest?

I took the exam before on December 3. Got a 590, 5 on AWA. I did poorly on quant because of timing. Verbal was 70 percentile, and quant was 48 percentile (bad, I know).

[StaceyKoprince]

Taking a last exam on Monday when you have a Saturday test is okay. You have my approval. :)

For SC - for the ones you're missing, are you missing them because they're too hard? Or are you missing them because you're making careless mistakes? If you're making careless mistakes, could you avoid them if you slowed down a bit - that is, are the careless mistakes due to rushing?

If they're just too hard, then that's fine - those are the ones you should be getting wrong anyway; don't bother to try to slow down. If you're making careless mistakes because you're rushing, though... then, yes, you might want to be a bit more careful. For verbal, I like to put my finger on the specific word (or phrase) that tells me, "Yep, this choice is wrong RIGHT HERE." I note that on my scrap paper (you keep track of your answers / thought process on your scrap paper, right?). Then I know I'm being systematic and I'm less likely to make a careless mistake.

For the essays, did you do them in 15m each last time on the official test (when you got a 5)? If so, do the exact same thing this time - there's no reason to go for a 6! I'd rather you saved your energy for the multiple choice part.

Re: timing, pretend you're playing tennis. You don't expect to win all of the points when you play tennis, right? Sometimes, you just say, "Nice shot!" and get ready for the next point. The GMAT's the same - try to keep that mindset and it'll make it easier to let go when the computer has "won the point."

[krusemark204]

For SC, they are the 700-800 level questions that I miss. In verbal, the only questions I am missing now in all sections are the 700-800 level and one or two 600-700 level critical reasoning.

For my previous GMAT, I did not study for the essays. So it took me about 25 minutes for each. Since I've been doing them now, it is only taking me 15 minutes in my practice test. I am approaching the analysis of an argument like a CR question and do the T chart for it. Then I use that to pick apart the argument. It takes so much less time than just reading the prompt like I did on the actual GMAT. I also think it makes my essay stronger.

I had timed essay responses for exams in a class last semester, so I'm used to writing fast and under pressure. It was a business ethics course so they were similar to the issue essay. I think that helps me with speed.

So my main question is...do I end the essay early when I finish at 15 minutes OR do I sit there and let the time run out to rest my brain for the next 15 minutes? So my 8 minute break becomes 23 minutes?

I'm just trying to figure out the smartest strategy.

[krusemark204]

Just took my third CAT and got a 700 (Q 44, V 40).

I really need to improve my quantitative because I keep struggling in the same exact areas despite targeting them since the last practice exam. They are geometry (by far the weakest...only 1 right out of 4 questions) and number properties.

Just keep doing practice questions and reviewing the MGMAT books on those two subjects? Any particular reccomendations to focus on these weak areas?

[StaceyKoprince]

Sorry we're only getting back to you now - we weren't around over the holidays.

Re: what to do if you finish the essays early, that's really up to the individual. Some people like to sit there and totally clear their minds or think about something else. Some people like to sit there and mentally review a bunch of stuff for quant. Some people like to move ahead immediately in order to get to the multiple-choice portion sooner.

If you're not sure what would work best for you, try out different scenarios on practice tests and see what you think works the best. If you're too close to the test to do this (and I think you are, yes?), then just go with your gut.

Generally speaking, I recommend worrying less about weaknesses the closer you get to the test. Within a week of the test, your weaknesses are what they are and you're not going to do a lot to change them at the last minute. You can think about how to make educated guesses and how to move on in a timely manner so that you don't lose time on those questions - close to the test, that's the best way to think about weaknesses.

If you are losing points because you are making careless mistakes, you can try to figure out WHY you're making the careless mistakes and see if there's anything you can do to minimize them. I had a student once you constantly mixed up the formulas for area and circumference of a circle, but if she saw BOTH formulas together, then she knew which one was which. So I told her to write both formulas every time she needed one - and that way she avoided the mistake most of the time.

Good luck!