GMAT Strategy

Again: I do think it's useful to use GMAC tests for evaluative purposes. The Veritas expert here can offer you explanations for their test questionsand why you might have answered what you did (what traps you fell into).

It might be helpful to go back into you LSAT study materials and reignite the memories of using that material. Then hop back over to GMAT> LSAT material IS harder than GMAT.

In terms of Math: geometry, probability, and most of the DS questions being issues I'd consider the following: Geometry - a higher yield topic. You can and should nail this. Probability. less important (but can be fun). Get a few things down with this but a low yield topic. DS. super important. It's less likely about the math and more likely about approach and critical thinking. These are skills that you can improve upon with practice. Bring in some of your LSAT critical thinking prep of the 'games' section. It will come in handy.

Also important issue is your timing. If you're not scoring a 700 and you have time to spare. You're going to fast. Period.

If your SC tanked, you're going to need to identify what your issues are with those questions. I highly recommend you check out our book on SC which provides comprehensive treatment of SC - - among the most to date. It will also identify if you're needing to 'memorize' or 'trust your gut' when it comes to these question types. The challenge with treatment of this section in many books is that there are blanket statements about what to do and they don't delve into exceptions....and it's the exceptions that often delineate those who get top scores. Since SC is the easiest of the question types to improve - - it's behooves you to learn all the rules, and the exceptions. It, and some problem solving in Math, are really the most finite part of the test. Here is the link for you to check out https://tinyurl.com/TPNYSC . Dr. van Hoek, another expert here with TPNY/TPSF was the co-author.

We can also provide you with a more in depth evaluation of what you're doing, specifically with SC, wrong. I have a quiz for SC we send to people. Send me a Private Message (or here, it doesn't matter) telling me which of the following are incorrect:

1. Never have I heard such a thing.
2. So determined was he to succeed that he invested every penny of his fortune in the endeavor.
3. Had I known that there was a problem, I could have addressed it.
4. It's essential that he be there on time. \
5. Only once did I mention it to him.
6. Few people knew of the tragedy, for the president's aides had decided to keep it a secret.
7. He said but one word: "Rosebud."
8. Should any problem arise, don't hesitate to tell me.
9. The volatile businessman was widely believed to have grown up in a tough neighborhood.
10. The senator has two offices, one of which is located in his home state.
11. That Rhode Island is not, in fact, an island comes as a surprise to some people.
12. A sample to be tested for botulism must be sent to the correct laboratory.
13. Controversies over genetically modified foods are particularly intractable in that the parties to the controversy typically have vastly different levels of scientific expertise.
14. The more than 36 million people living in California represent an astonishing diversity of ethnicities, languages and religions.
15. The man arrested for burglary was found to be an upstanding citizen.

(anyone can do this...)

Keep us all posted.

Hi Dondarrion,

You've made some nice progress over the last few months; raising your practice scores from 470 to 600 is a solid improvement).

Back at the end of July, my advice to you was to not worry about your SPEED, since accuracy has to come first. That is a common issue for many Test Takers, especially in the early phases of their studies. Now that it's 3 months later, and your GMAT is in about 6 weeks, you'll have to be a bit more disciplined about your overall pacing (and how much time you're spending on individual questions).

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

Hi Dondarrion,

It sounds like you're attacking these areas with a pro-active mindset, which is good. It's important to be flexible with your thinking. Part of why you're still having some problems with DS and CR is that you 'see' these questions a certain way - you need to adapt that mindset and learn to see those questions (and respond to them) differently. Thankfully, most DS and CR questions can be beaten with a bit of note-taking and a step-by-step process.

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

Yes: you should plan on taking the test 2 - 4 times, ideally 2- 3 times.

But taking it once is rare.

Practice with an eye to understanding what isn't working, then shift that.

Hi Dondarrion,

As you score at higher and higher levels, the GMAT becomes more 'sensitive' to silly/little mistakes, so you have to do your best to keep those mistakes from happening. By your own admission, there are LOTS of questions that you could/should have gotten correct on this CAT, but didn't. What COULD you have done differently to get those questions correct (hint: in many cases, the answer is 'take more/better notes')? With a week to go, you can 'fix' this issue and potentially score 700+ right now, but you have to proactively make these changes happen.

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