Stuck around 610 because huge weakness in verbal, any help ?

[charljulien]

Hi all,

This is my first post, because I really need insight from GMAT students about verbal.
The point is that I get easily 44 or more on quant but I am stuck at around 30 in verbal, despite my efforts, and I can't find out why.

Here is my study history:
Early 2012, I was unfamiliar with the Gmat although I covered most of the MGMAT 7 strategies and scored a mere 570 (q44, v23).

Over the past 2 months I decided to repass the exam for a better application. I was already familiar with the exam and aware of my weakness in verbal.

- Early January 2013, I did the Gmatprep before anything to check where I stand. Ok, 570 (q40, v27). Here is where I stand, no panic, I didn't study anything anyway, but still this obvious weakness in verbal.

I covered again the 7 strategies from Manhattan, practice some verbal on forum and I decide first to destroy some CR and SC question banks. Ironically, on training (without timing), I score easily above an average of 17 /20 in random SC and CR questions from the OG. So what is wrong ? Then I suscribed for the 6 Mgmat CAT exams and went over the question bank for better quality content. I took the first cat exam: 630 (q40, v35). Ok, it's well known quantitative is harder in Manahattan, however what this v35 meant. Is verbal easier in Manhattan or did I really improve ?

Then, I tried the second Gmatprep to really check the validity of verbal score in the previous CAT exam. And here we are: 610(q47,v27). What a hell ? I worked quant just a bit and improved of 7 and insisted on verbal for no improvment at all ?

Let's see what is going on in verbal in this test:
RC around 1 in 2 correct,
SC, 2 in 3 correct
CR, 1 in 3 correct.

Finally I insisted the next day with a try with Mgmat Cat: 600 (q44, v30). I covered easily 700-800 levels questions in quantitative with guessings. I am not from a Scientific field, Engineering or anything (Economics actually) and I was not particularly at ease with math at high school. But what a heck is wrong with verbal again ?

Students who scored above 700 from the Business School I want to apply told me "verbal is easy, just practice, practice and practice...."
But so what ? I kept on practising and nothing came out ? I know if only could kick off a decent 37 or 39 in verbal, along with my appearing (but for me unexplicable) strengths in quantitative, I would be able to get easily above 670.

But here the situation, it's mid feb, my application is due by mid March, and, more than ever, I feel hopeless, despite my struggles.

Any help from common experiences ? Or maybe any one know an efficient strategy (not only "practice, practice, practice....") to knock out the verbal ?

Thanks a lot for your help.

Cheers

[StaceyKoprince]

I'm sorry you're having a tough time studying - you're not the only one.

The first thing I noticed is that your verbal scores are fluctuating a lot. Many times, that indicates a timing problem or a mental stamina problem (or both).

Did you do these tests under 100% official conditions, including essay and IR? Skipping either earlier section (or taking it less seriously) will allow you to have more mental energy on the last section of the test - verbal.

Did you stick to the timing for the breaks and for the sections themselves?

(Just a note: you mentioned doing really well on OG questions when you don't time yourself. We all do better when we don't time ourselves - that's one of the reasons the timing is so important, and so infuriating, on this test!)

What kinds of timing issues did you have during each section? (Note: you do have timing issues. Everybody does. The question is just how significant they are and what they are.)

You can use the below to analyze your most recent MGMAT CAT(s):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Unfortunately, GMATPrep doesn't give you any data. Did you happen to time yourself per question by any chance? (We recommend that people do this - but I don't know whether you might have seen that recommendation before you took GMATPrep.)

Anyway, then come back here and tell us the results of your analysis and what you think that analysis means. 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!)

One last question for you. Several times, you referenced using the "7 strategies" from Manhattan. What version of the books do you have? It has been many years since our primary bookset consisted of 7 books - it now consists of 8 books (the RC and CR book was split into two separate books long enough ago that I can no longer remember exactly when it happened), so I'm worried that you're working off of very old material...

p.s. I forgot to add: read these two articles and start doing what they say:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... to-win-it/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... nt-part-1/

Once you tell me your test analysis and I know which specific areas of verbal are giving you the most trouble, I can recommend other resources for you.