stucked at 600, consumed all resources

[stucked]

Hi, I have been studying GMAT for about 3 years and given 6 official attempts. When I started I was stucked at 530-550 about 3 years ago. Last year I started afresh and scored a 640 in august 2014. then I re tried after a month expecting I have crossed the 600 barrier and touching 700 would not be that difficult. In last two attempts I score 590 :(
I have studied MGMAT, princton review, Kaplan 800, SC Aristole.

I know most of the stuff by now.. I know my weakness is application of concepts. Can someone please help me how to start again for the exam and cross the 700 barrier atleast, in 2 months. I can dedicate 1-2 hours weekday and 4hours per weekend.

[StaceyKoprince]

I'm sorry that you're struggling with the test - though I do want to congratulate you for working so hard and getting to 640!

I'll need more information from you in order to help you devise a study plan. From the details that you've given, though, it may be that 2 months is not enough time. It may also be the case that you're going to need some outside help in the form or a class or tutor. (Tutoring is typically extremely expensive, so I usually don't mention it, but for someone in your situation, it may be the case that a class is inappropriate - since you've studied so much on your own already.)

Okay, I'll need some data on your strengths and weaknesses, as well as how you've studied in the past.


First, read these two articles:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/2013 ... lly-tests/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/2013/ ... -the-gmat/

Think about how what you've been doing does and doesn't match up with that and how you may need to change your approach accordingly.

Then, use the below to analyze your most recent MGMAT CATs (this should take you a minimum of 1 hour):
http://tinyurl.com/analyzeyourcats

Based on all of that, figure out your strengths and weaknesses as well as any ideas you have for what you think you should do. Then come back here and tell us; 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!)

Do include in the above what MGMAT and official test resources you have and how you have used them.

[stucked]

Hi Stacy,

Thanks for the detailed response. I will give you my analysis on my strengths and weaknesses based on my recent score and my most recent MGMAT score.

Quant Verbal Total
Official GMAT 41 30 590
MGMAT 44 34 640

(My highest score in official GMAT is 640 though)
I struggle in IR section was well. In all the exams I have taken so far, I have never crossed score 3. Reading one of your posts regarding in it to win it, I realize that my weakness in this section has been not identifying which question type I’m most comfortable with and then letting 3-4 questions that I struggle the most. I believe if I understand this and strategize this section I can do a lot better. In essay I have been consistently scoring 4.5.

Now, I will breakdown my response into verbal and quant section.

Verbal:
I am able to perform good until I am getting 500-700 score range questions. As the questions from 700-800 questions appear my performance starts to decline in all 3 question types (SC, CR, RC). Among these 3 question types, my performance is much better in SC as compared to RC and CR.

Topic wise:
CR:
Weak Areas
Describe role, Find assumption, mimic argument

Stronger Areas
Strengthen/weaken, evaluate argument, explain discrepancy

RC:
Weak Areas
Specific Detail, Inference

Stronger Areas
Tone, Main Idea

SC:
Weak Areas
Modifiers, Verbs, Idioms

Stronger Areas
Subject verb, pronoun, parallelism

I think I need to learn advance topics of SC and learn idioms. I realize that I have studied the MGAMT SC guide but haven’t used it appropriately for advance topics and Idioms.
In CR, I often go out of scope and generalize. I do not stay within the underlying assumptions of the argument.
In RC, difficult passages I cannot comprehend them (primarily, English not being my native language)
Finally, I think I was using the practice questions and not analyzing them properly. I think keeping a track of CR questions and avoiding trap answers will improve me on this section. RC, of course I need to start reading more of good magazines and literature. SC I need to learn advance topics.

Quant:
I think from the day I started, I have improved a lot in Quant. I was taking additional college level math’s courses and I enjoyed those. I encounter the same issue as I have in Verbal section i.e. my accuracy is 100% until 500-600 level questions. This declines as harder questions approaches. I still do fine in PS, while DS sucks as I start to get 600-800 level questions.
Topic wise my weakest areas are inequalities, geometry, rate and overlapping sets, while I do fairly good in algebraic translations, work problems and fraction problems. I need some guidance on Data sufficiency, as I think I also psychologically get intimidated as the question appears on the screen.

Based on my analysis, I still think there are quite a few questions (in both sections) that I get wrong in the range of 600-700 and get quite a few correct in 700-800 range. I think my weaknesses are more within topics rather than difficulty level. Also, I get trapped in trick questions as well.

In terms of timing, I am good in finishing each section within time. The things I know I am able to finish them in less than 2 minutes. The harder ones, i try and if I am unable to finish in 3 minutes I guess and move on.

I am not sure if I was able to provide you with the information you requested but I would appreciate if you can help me advising on further steps. Also, let me know if you need any additional information.

Thanks and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Thanks,
Alishah

[StaceyKoprince]

Okay, I like your plan for IR.

Verbal

As the questions from 700-800 questions appear my performance starts to decline

It should. :) You're getting really hard questions, so you should be getting a lot wrong. The trick is not to use too much time or brain energy getting the too-hard questions wrong, so that you can still perform decently well on the others.

I also agree with your verbal analysis, although I wouldn't go to the advanced topics in SC yet. Unless you can lift your general performance across all 3 types, you won't see many of the advanced topics, so that's not a good use of your time right now - maybe later.

Use this to help you analyze / think through CR:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... reasoning/

And here's one for RC:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/2013 ... rehension/

Just remember, though, that this isn't about learning how to do every hard question. You will still get questions wrong. Your task is to make good decisions about where you do--and do NOT--spend your time.

Quant

Same deal - your performance should decline as the problems get harder. :) Okay, but you say that DS "sucks" as you hit 600+, so that's a problem. Why do you think you can do the math better when it's in PS form but not as well when it's in DS form?

When you review DS after, do you find yourself falling intro traps and making more careless mistakes than on PS? Or do you think you're messing up how DS works in the first place?

Here are some DS resources:
Intro:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/2013/ ... ncy-works/

Strategy:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... questions/

(The below isn't necessarily DS specific, but DS often does what's described here)
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -Problems/

Let's start there and worry about content areas later. (The weaknesses you listed aren't super-commonly tested, so that's good.)

Okay, I just saw that you do fall into traps. When you're reviewing after, what do you do when you realize you fell into a trap?

What you want to do is this:
What was the trap?
WHY did I fall into it? How did the language or set-up of the problem draw me into the trap?
How can I recognize this same trap on a different problem in future?
What processes / new habits can I build that will help me to avoid this kind of trap in future?

The harder ones, i try and if I am unable to finish in 3 minutes I guess and move on.

No!! Okay, this is a problem. You don't give the hardest stuff 3 minutes. You typically know by about the 1 to 1.5 min mark if you really can't do the problem - you just don't want to admit it. :)

By 1min on quant, you should know what they're asking and have a plan for how to solve. If you don't, STOP. This is when you make a guess and move on.

Read this (again, if you've already read it):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/2013/ ... -to-do-it/

When you continue to work on a problem that is too hard, you are using up not just time but mental energy. This will come back to haunt you later in the section (time) and later in the test (mental energy). Stop doing this!!

Here's more to help you on this time management stuff:
http://tinyurl.com/GMATTimeManagement

Pay particular attention to section 4 of the article.

Okay, go do it! Check in and let us know how it's going.