GMAT Math

Hello, new to the forums. I am scheduled to take the GMAT on dec. 9th. I have been going through Manhattan fundamentals and the 2016 official guides. I just sat for the oct. LSAT test so I am fine for verbal but need some guidance on how to best learn the math concepts in a short amount of time. I have been going through rules and formulas to rack up my arsenal. I have read other posts about this topic but I really need to use my time wisely. I only need a 600-640 to get into my school of choice. Please give thoughtful but realistic advice and know that it is greatly appreciated. I learn fast but I need a game plan or I will be wasting my time.

Thanks!

I have taken a practice test and it basically said I need to brush up on math. My verbal was in the 70th percentile but my math significantly less. I took it through the economist trial course. I appreciate the insight on what concepts are tested on most. As far as timing and endurance I am not worried. The LSAT is much more demanding and the time constraints are halved. I am confident that with the right focus I can get my verbal in the 70-80th percentile. Do you know what I would need in the math to score a 600-640 with those verbal scores?

[email protected] wrote:Hi nordeend,

Have you taken any of the Official GMAC CATs? If you have not, then you should download those CATs from www.mba.com and take a FULL CAT (including the Essay and IR sections) sometime soon (perhaps this weekend.

With an Official Test Date on December 9th, you have about 3 weeks of study time remaining, which is not much time. While your score goal is reasonable, we still need to define your current strengths and weaknesses.

1) Do you have the flexibility to push back your Test Date?
2) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
3) Do you know which Schools you plan to apply to?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Thank you for the reply. I am applying to University of Michigan-Dearborn online MS-Finance. Their GMAT range is 530-640 with an average GMAT score of 583. My diagnostic through The Economist was a 520. This was with zero math prep. I am applying to start in the winter semester which is why my test date is rushed. I have been in contact with the school a number of times to find out where I fit in the admissions and it seems that I have a good chance of getting in. I have secured 2 excellent LORs, scored well above their average for the prerequisite classes and am confident in my ability to write a great essay. I want to start ASAP which is why I am rushing. I know this is not ideal but I have chosen to go this route.

As far as the IR and AWA...I asked about them and was told that they are not a top priority. I will be fine on the essay and with a little prep for the IR I should be fine on that as well.

I will take a full length practice exam this weekend (probably tomorrow).

Strengths and weaknesses....I don't need any assistance on the verbal section (maybe sentence correction if anything). With the math, I kind of struggle across the board. I am going through the diagnostic sections of the 2016 official guide and finishing that tonight so I will know more after that. I think I struggle with fractions, geometry concepts and working with large numbers the most.

Thank you so much for your help! And please keep helping/asking questions if you don't mind.

[email protected] wrote:Hi nordeend,

but we need to know how you respond to taking a FULL Test (and whether your performance dips in the Quant and Verbal sections because you're tired or not).

You should post back here with your next CAT result (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores) and we can talk through what you should focus on.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

I will post back my scores ASAP. As far as endurance/fatigue are concerned I mentioned before that I recently took and have been preparing for the law school admission test. The time constraints and demands of this test are, in my opinion, considerably more demanding. Although my diagnostic test did not include IR or AWA I finished with 20 minutes left in the quant (mainly because I had to make educated guesses) and 6 minutes left in the verbal.

At any rate, I appreciate the guidance and will post back my score.

Thanks!

[email protected] wrote:Hi nordeend,

I'm not concerned with your ability to handle AWA or IR, but we need to know how you respond to taking a FULL Test (and whether your performance dips in the Quant and Verbal sections because you're tired or not). Given the score range that the School has quoted to you, you could very well score in that range on Test Day (even if it's less than 3 weeks away). That range is relatively 'modest', so you might just be able to study as you see fit and be fine.

You should post back here with your next CAT result (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores) and we can talk through what you should focus on.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Please find my attached GMAT practice score as we discussed. Just in case the pic doesn't work...overall score of 580 with 37 verbal and 33 quant. I'm thinking I should really focus on number properties and algebra. What other suggestions do you have?

So the pic is sideways. Oh well. Thank you both for your help. If I can get my quant score up just a bit then I should have an excellent shot at my school of choice. Like I said in that last post, I think number properties and algebra are good to focus on. Geometry would be good to study as well. Do either of you want more info as far as what questions I struggled with or anything else?

Doing this drill could help you with quant. Even if you do 1 - 100 just once, you will be much more comfortable with working with prime factors, which tend to show up consistently as components of GMAT questions.

https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2011/07/ ... r-problems

Beyond that, realize that GMAT quant is more a game than a math test. So your preparation ideally will involve not just learning about concepts and doing a few questions but rather learning about concepts and working on dozens of topic focused questions carefully, seeking to learn to hack your way to answers and achieve a fairly high hit rate. To get lots of algebra questions, you could do an internet search on "GMAT algebra questions." For more number properties or geometry questions, you could do similar searches.

To get better at geometry, make sure you are clear about the special right triangles and how to work with them and about things like how to get from the area of a circle to its radius.

Probably you could get better at verbal just by going back over your GMAT Prep practice test and figuring out how you could have gotten the right answers to the questions you missed. Getting right answers to verbal questions tends to be all about noticing key details and seeing clearly the logic of the questions and answer choices. I bet with a little review you will get a better sense of how to make those things happen and lock in your current verbal score or even score a little higher. If you do more verbal practice questions, do some slowly, on an untimed basis, and practice hacking them, seeking to get to right answers whatever it takes.

I say don't burn yourself out, but during this next week do as much playing of the GMAT game as you can without burning yourself out. Like kids who get good at video games by playing them constantly, you can increase your score on this test by playing it.

Well....I earned a 620. 39 verbal (89th) and 36 quant (35th). I'm sure with more time my quant score can go up (it's so low) but, given the circumstances, I'll take it. Thank you for all of your help and if you need me to do anything for you on this forum (reviews, thank yous, etc.) please let me know. I should get in now to my school of choice and start getting promoted at my company.

THANKS!!!

Sweet. Nice job pushing your score up that much in that short time period.