T-minus 30 days: need MG review advice

[jenna1nyc]

Hi, am 30 days away from the big day and need some advice planning!

Over the past couple months, I've reviewed all 8 Manhattan Gmat strategy books and OG guide. I have also take Prep exam #1 and 4 MG CAT exams. Scores range climbed steadily from 610 - 690. Then I retook the Prep exam #1 and got 630 and 760 (may be due to the fact that I saw the same questions).

I'm worried about the inconsistency even after covering all the topics. I still get stumped on math tricks even though I think I get the basics of each Math concept.

I plan to review the MG strategy books again and take a few more practice. Please provide your feedback on HOW I can get the most out of review and be ready in time! Thank you for any advice~

[StaceyKoprince]

For the last set of two tests, did you mean to write 730 and 760? Or was that accurate - 630 and 760? I ask because you do mention inconsistency, but you don't say "How is it possible that my score dropped so much?!?" so I'm wondering whether there was a typo. :)

If you saw repeated questions on the 760 test, that almost certainly means that your score on that test was artificially inflated. Did you also see repeated questions on the 630 test (if it was 630)?

If your score did drop that much, yes, we need to figure out why.

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ent-wrong/

Read this and come back to tell me what you think might have happened.

You don't mention your goal score. 700? 680? 730? That affects the advice I'd give (because I don't know whether you're already at your desired scoring range or whether you're still trying to improve further).

Before the last 2 weeks, your focus is on improving major weaknesses. What are your major weaknesses? You can use this article to analyze your most recent MGMAT CAT(s):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Once you hit the last two weeks (can be compressed to 10 days if needed), your focus shifts more towards reviewing everything (and just acknowledging that you have certain weaknesses and that's that). For the last two weeks of study, here's what you do:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... game-plan/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... game-plan/

[jenna1nyc]

Thank you Stacey for the feedback. After reading your links, I do think that 760 is inflated. I did not do the AWA and basically re-took the same CAT twice, aka I knew the solution to many questions.

I have analyzed my timing on previous CAT and do notice that i take too long to make errors and take too long to get answers right. I don't think its an issue of analyzing PS vs. DS, as it is an issue of just getting all math knowledge down.

My goal is 750 and having climbed from 610 to 690 only to fall back down to 630 *which is definitely due to lack of time in Quant section* is pretty scary....I just took another CAT yesterday fully and timed and got 690. My verbal is on point with ample time left, but Math is completely a scramble to get in the 2minutes per question. I did well on the first 10 question and then after overspending time on one question, began to be lagging 4-5 questions behind time. Then, I started to panic since I couldn't spend enough time on the upcoming questions. It is just a vicious cycle as soon as I fall behind timing.

Am getting stressed about my lack of time left until the big day...

[StaceyKoprince]

If you're going for a 750, then you really can't set yourself a hard deadline for the test date. That's SUCH a high score that you're going to have to assume that you'll just take whatever time you need to take. Progress isn't typically linear on these kinds of things and that's especially true at very high scoring levels.

(Over the years, I have spoken with many people who are trying to score 760+ in order to teach with us - which is really the only reason why anyone would absolutely need a score that high. :) Most of these people are already in the 720 to 750 range - real test scores. And many of these people have taken 3+ months, sometimes 6 months, just to get that last 10 to 40 points - and some people never make it.)

Read this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/7 ... erence.cfm

Next, it's good that you've identified time management as a major roadblock for you. Read this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... to-win-it/

And then read this and start doing what it says:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... anagement/

It typically takes a good 4 to 6 weeks to fix significant timing problems. I'm telling you this so that you can think about how you're going to decide what to do if it turns out that you need more time than you have currently given yourself. Is it more important to take the test when scheduled (maybe because you have a deadline)? If so, you may have to decide to be content with a lower goal score. Or is it more important to get the score, in which case you may have to decide to postpone the test?

You don't have to decide that now, but you should think about what's important to you so that you can make a good decision if it comes down to that.