Re-take GMAT study stratergy

[coolkarts]

Hi,

I joined MGMT online classroom and started my GMAT preparation around April, and gave my GMAT on August 20th , 2010

Here is my GMAT score
620 (Q48, V28)
I was expecting to score better in Verbal .

I am planning to take GMAT test again and would like to request your guidance/feedback on what I would need to do to work on my weaknesses and improve my score. And how long would I have to study before taking a exam date.

I am aiming for a score around 710-740 to apply to the business schools of my interest.

Here are my practice test scores

08/18/10 GMAT Prep2 680(Q47, V36)
08/07/10 GMAT prep1 670(Q47, V35)

MGMT test scores
08/14/2010 CAT 1A - 740(Q46, V45), retake, most questions were repeated.
07/31/2010 CAT 6 - 610(Q40, V34)
07/18/2010 CAT 5 - 570(Q42, V27)
06/18/2010 CAT 4 - 600(Q37, V35)
06/01/2010 CAT 3 - 620(Q41, V34)

Here is the summary of the MGMT assessment report

Problem Solving 109 57 50 2 52% 2:05 2:25 650 680
Data Sufficiency 75 33 42 0 44% 1:42 1:51 650 690

Sentence Correction 75 43 31 1 57% 1:30 1:33 700 690
Critical Reasoning 70 44 26 0 63% 1:56 2:23 650 690
Reading Comprehension 60 32 28 0 53% 1:35 2:14 650 690

Quantitative Analysis

Problem Solving 109 57 50 2 52% 2:05 2:25 650 680
300 - 500 6 4 2 67% 0:45 0:05
500 - 600 20 15 5 75% 1:26 1:41
600 - 700 35 14 20 40% 2:03 2:17
700 - 800 48 24 23 50% 2:43 2:55

Data Sufficiency 75 33 42 0 44% 1:42 1:51 650 690
300 - 500 2 2 0 100% 0:49 NA
500 - 600 12 8 4 67% 1:18 1:00
600 - 700 29 11 18 38% 1:41 1:43
700 - 800 32 12 20 38% 2:09 2:08

Verbal Analysis

Critical Reasoning 70 44 26 0 63% 1:56 2:23 650 690
300 - 500 6 5 1 83% 1:31 2:46
500 - 600 9 7 2 78% 2:16 0:29
600 - 700 21 13 8 62% 1:52 2:10
700 - 800 34 19 15 56% 1:58 2:44

Reading Comprehension 60 32 28 0 53% 1:35 2:14 650 690
300 - 500 2 2 0 100% 1:17 NA
500 - 600 11 8 3 73% 0:59 0:49
600 - 700 20 9 11 45% 0:59 2:37
700 - 800 27 13 14 48% 2:26 2:15

Sentence Correction 75 43 31 1 57% 1:30 1:33 700 690
300 - 500 3 2 1 67% 1:17 1:05
500 - 600 5 2 3 40% 1:00 1:42
600 - 700 21 12 8 57% 1:43 1:03
700 - 800 46 27 19 59% 1:28 1:45

I feel my weakness is timing, I tend to take much time at the begining and then rush at the end making guesses.
For quantitative , both problem solving and data sufficiency seem to be my weak point in 700-800 level questions.
Also in verbal I tend to falter in 600-800 level questions more so for all SC,RC and CR

Can you please advise on how I should proceed. Let me know if you need more data.

Thanks

[StaceyKoprince]

On your real test, your quant score was consistent with your GMATPrep practice test scores but your verbal score really dropped. We need to figure out why that happened.

Did you take your practice tests under 100% official conditions, including the essays? If you did deviate from official conditions in any way, tell us what that was.

Use this article to analyze the data from your last MGMAT test that didn't have repeated questions:

http://www.beatthegmat.com/a/2009/09/23 ... tice-tests

Then come and summarize that data for us here. I'm asking you to do this both so that you'll learn how to interpret the data yourself and so that we'll have results only from the most recent, relevant data (what you put above covers multiple tests, possibly all the way back to the beginning of June).

You mention timing problems, so this article may be helpful:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2009/12/ ... management

You would probably also benefit from reading this article about how to study a practice problem:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/a/2009/10/09 ... ce-problem

And I would also recommend that you read the Scoring section of our e-book The GMAT Uncovered. Just log into your student account; it's already in there. :)

[coolkarts]

Thanks for the excellent articles.

The GMATprep test were taken in exam conditions ,including the essays.
The MGMT CATs were taken without essays.

Here is the analysis of the last non-repeated MGMT CAT.

1.Timing is surely an issue. In both Quant and Verbal, I am rushing through the last 5-10 questions with a success rate of less than 50% . I noticed this trend in the previous tests too.

In Quantative ,
Total "too slow problems(>3mins) is around 10 , of which around half are correct. The difficulty levels for these questions are mostly 700-800, a few in 600-700 level.Most time spent in Overlapping set , probability,exponent and roots questions.

Total "too fast problems(<1 min> are 9 , including the last 7 questions.Success rate is less than 50%.

Problem area is Data Sufficiency, avg correctness is 33% , difficulty levels 600-800 levels.

In Verbal,

Total "too slow problems(>3mins) is around 10 , of which around half are correct. The difficulty levels for these questions are mostly 700-800, a few in 600-700 level.

Total "too fast problems(<1 min> are the last 7 questions.Success rate is less than 50%.

Reading Comprehension is my biggest weakness.I tend to make mistakes in mostly Inference type and few specific detail questions. Difficulty levels 500-800. Timing seems to be fine in RC.

Other Biggest weakness (< 50 % correct and > 3 mins) are CR questions with difficulty levels 700-800. I tend to spend too much time on these questions.

Kindly advise how I should proceed from here. I was thinking I should concentrate more on RC initially.

Thanks again.

[StaceyKoprince]

Timing is definitely an issue - you've got to cut out the 3+ minute questions - see how much they're hurting you?

Problem area is Data Sufficiency, avg correctness is 33%

What's the actual problem, though? Are those 3+ minute questions mostly PS? If so, what's your timing like for DS? Is there a correlation between spending too little time on DS and getting those ones wrong? If so, then it might not be the case that you're bad at DS itself; you're just not giving yourself adequate time.

Or are you spending normal (or more!) time on DS but still falling short? In that case, the problem is more with DS itself. Do you feel like you know what you're doing and are then surprised when you look at the answers after? Maybe careless mistakes are bringing you down. Or do you feel less comfortable in general with DS and know that you're less confident with your answers, etc? Then the actual process and content are more problematic.

Let me know on the above.

Here are some articles that can help you with various other issues you described:

Timing
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2009/12/ ... management
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/07/ ... s-on-quant
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/08/ ... -on-verbal

RC:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/04/ ... mp-passage
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/07/ ... rc-passage
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/02/ ... e-question

CR:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/05/ ... -reasoning
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/01/ ... r-question