Welcome! Check out our free B-School Guides to learn how you compare with other applicants.
Login or Register
 

Choosing between two choices

This topic has 2 expert replies and 3 member replies
sam2304 GMAT Titan
Joined
26 Apr 2011
Posted:
1239 messages
Followed by:
24 members
Thanked:
228 times
Test Date:
26/06/2012
Target GMAT Score:
720
GMAT Score:
680
Choosing between two choices Post Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:23 am
Whenever I practice problems in a timed manner, I often end up confused with two choices in CR and RC and choose the wrong answer most of the time. Before I start reviewing I would check for the right answers and most of the time the one I chose will be wrong and the one I avoided will be the right one. Most of the time my first instinct or intuition will be right. How should one go about rectifying this problem ?

_________________
Getting defeated is just a temporary notion, giving it up is what makes it permanent.
http://gmatandbeyond.blogspot.in/

Need free GMAT or MBA advice from an expert? Register for Beat The GMAT now and post your question in these forums!

GMAT/MBA Expert

Bill@VeritasPrep GMAT Instructor
Joined
29 Mar 2012
Posted:
1002 messages
Followed by:
138 members
Thanked:
389 times
Target GMAT Score:
800
GMAT Score:
780
Post Thu Apr 19, 2012 12:15 pm
You could always use the Costanza strategy Very Happy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKUvKE3bQlY

When I get down to two answers that I think are pretty good, I try to refocus on what's important. If it's a Strengthen question, for instance, I reread the conclusion. The answer choice that more directly supports the conclusion is the correct one. If you have to justify an answer (i.e. "well, if x is true, then y, and then B supports the conclusion"), it's probably not the one you're looking for.

I think trusting your first instinct is important as well. It's really easy to overthink and talk yourself out of an answer.

_________________
Take your GMAT prep on the go!

For the first time, you can complete a full GMAT prep course on your mobile device. Download each of Veritas Prep’s 12 GMAT lessons directly on your iPad and iPhone.

Download the Veritas Prep GMAT On Demand App Free

Thanked by: sam2304
Access The Veritas Prep GMAT Simulator™- for FREE! Veritas Prep has launched their new GMAT Practice Test. Sign up to access the realistic testing environment and challenge yourself today! Get Started Now.
GMAT Kolaveri Really wants to Beat The GMAT!
Joined
23 Mar 2012
Posted:
286 messages
Followed by:
6 members
Thanked:
59 times
Target GMAT Score:
730
Post Thu Apr 19, 2012 8:56 pm
paraphrasing your own version on the answer in CR will definitely help you save time in narrowing down the options and finding the correct one.

_________________
Regards and Thanks,
Vinoth@GMAT Kolaveri
https://www.facebook.com/GmatKolaveri
http://gmatkolaveri.tumblr.com/

Click the thank you button if you like my reply Smile

sam2304 GMAT Titan
Joined
26 Apr 2011
Posted:
1239 messages
Followed by:
24 members
Thanked:
228 times
Test Date:
26/06/2012
Target GMAT Score:
720
GMAT Score:
680
Post Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:33 pm
GMAT Kolaveri wrote:
paraphrasing your own version on the answer in CR will definitely help you save time in narrowing down the options and finding the correct one.
I don't have trouble with strengthen, weaken and assumption. Most of these mistakes happen with inference questions and they are difficult to paraphrase. The same happens with RC as well.

_________________
Getting defeated is just a temporary notion, giving it up is what makes it permanent.
http://gmatandbeyond.blogspot.in/

GMAT Kolaveri Really wants to Beat The GMAT!
Joined
23 Mar 2012
Posted:
286 messages
Followed by:
6 members
Thanked:
59 times
Target GMAT Score:
730
Post Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:32 pm
The best source for inference concepts is the Must be true chapter in powerscore CR bible.

Inference question answer options should be derived from the premise only. We should not broaden the topic of discussion.

Practicing/reviewing/reading the solution of inference question will help you.

Breaking down the argument and removing the fluff in CR also helps.
http://www.beatthegmat.com/the-answer-to-this-question-surprised-me-please-help-t110793.html#467125

_________________
Regards and Thanks,
Vinoth@GMAT Kolaveri
https://www.facebook.com/GmatKolaveri
http://gmatkolaveri.tumblr.com/

Click the thank you button if you like my reply Smile

GMAT/MBA Expert

Post Sun May 06, 2012 2:12 pm
i received a message regarding this thread.

we hear this sort of thing a lot -- the "i always choose wrong when i'm down to two choices" thing -- and, well, it's probably not true.

what's probably happening is this:
* your review concentrates, primarily or exclusively, on problems that you got WRONG.
* so, the problems on which you guessed correctly between two choices get marginalized (or, if you're only going over the wrong answers, get ignored altogether).
* therefore, it starts to appear as though you always blow the choices between 2 options.
as an extreme (and obvious) illustration, if you are only reviewing the problems that you got wrong, then it's going to look as though you choose the wrong answer between two options 100% of the time.

try this: do some problems, and actually write down, at the time, whenever you guess between two options. if you do this, you'll almost certainly find that about 50% (or more) of those guesses are right.

_________________
Ron is a Director of Curriculum Development at Manhattan GMAT. He has been teaching various standardized tests for almost 20 years.

He wears white after Labor Day, gets 55% of his calories from protein, and takes standardized tests for fun.

Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron o en inglés o en español.

If you send Ron a private message, please allow 1-2 weeks for a response.

Learn more about ron

Thanked by: sam2304
Free Manhattan GMAT online events - The first class of every online Manhattan GMAT course is free. Classes start every week.

Best Conversation Starters

1 varun289 43 topics
2 greenwich 30 topics
3 sana.noor 21 topics
4 guerrero 20 topics
5 killerdrummer 19 topics
See More Top Beat The GMAT Members...

Most Active Experts

1 image description Brent@GMATPrepNow

GMAT Prep Now Teacher

202 posts
2 image description GMATGuruNY

The Princeton Review Teacher

143 posts
3 image description Anju@Gurome

Gurome

134 posts
4 image description Jim@StratusPrep

Stratus Prep

86 posts
5 image description David@VeritasPrep

Veritas Prep

41 posts
See More Top Beat The GMAT Experts