Verbal Timing Issue & Exam Guideline Questions

[anthontd]

Hi,

I'm scheduled in to take the GMAT in 5 days but I scored a GMATPrep 630 on my last exam. My other scores were 720 and 710, with my target score set at 750.

My main concern is in verbal timing and accuracy. Specificallly with CR.

In order to improve on this, I take practice verbal sets of 30 - 40 questions, which is combined with SC and RC. I have even done so after long quant sets to improve on my test stamina. For the most part, I can finish within time constraints but when I take the practice exams, I completely go blank and find myself staring off into space.

What are some ways I can overcome these issues? Also, I was wondering if the verbal section has a specific question structure?
(For example, the majority of CR questions in the beginning of the test and SC in the end)

Honestly, I would hate to reschedule and pay the extra $300 or so dollars but it seems to be the best option. If I take the exam and am unsatisfied, do admissions take into account a cancellation or multiple cancellations?

Thanks for the advice.

Anthony

[StaceyKoprince]

Hi, by my count, you are taking or took the GMAT today. Just for future reference: don't use the forums for time-sensitive questions. As I'm sure you've figured out by now, we only check these folders a couple of times a week. Contact our office (gmat@manhattanprep.com) or your teacher directly (if you took one of our classes).

I hope things went well and you don't need my reply, but here it is. If you find yourself blanking or staring off into space, then you are experiencing mental fatigue. The real test is quite long (including essay and IR), so verbal (the last section) can suffer from quite a bit of fatigue.

Part of combatting this is not spending so much mental energy earlier in the test. Think of this test as a mental marathon. You have a limited amount of energy. If you go too hard for the first 3/4 of the marathon, you're unlikely to make it to the finish line.

Same deal on a long, hard test. You will actually have to make the call at times earlier in the test NOT to go for a hard question because you decide that question is not worth the mental energy that it's going to cost you. (This is also not something that you would have learned to do effectively in 5 days - it takes longer than that to retrain the basic way that you're approaching the test.)

You'll also want to make sure that you studied enough for essay and IR to get a decent score will using the minimal amount of mental energy possible. (Did you try to do that? If so, how?)

The test does not have a certain set structure in terms of when you will get various kinds of questions. Expect a general mix throughout, with some "clusters" of questions at times (but that clustering is random).

Admissions committees look at your highest test score, so it doesn't matter if you take the test multiple times. Since it was already too late to reschedule your test, my advice would have been to just go ahead and take it - you might as well, since you've paid for it and since there's no drawback to having multiple scores on your record.

So: did you take it? If so, how did it go?

If you want to take it again, start by reading these two articles:
http://tinyurl.com/executivereasoning
http://tinyurl.com/2ndlevelofgmat

You'll have to train yourself into that mindset before you take the test again. Also, this can help more specifically with timing:
http://tinyurl.com/GMATTimeManagement

And decision-making:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/2011/ ... you-crazy/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/2013/ ... -to-do-it/