Beat The GMAT

shanmugavel · Fri Nov 20, 2009 11:42 am

Hi,

I gave GMAT test today. Got a score of 470/800. With quants 41/60. (My practice test score was 41,40,43,49).
and Verbal 17/60. (My practice test score was 10,23,18,16). My scores were 500,530, 540 and 540. I was expecting a score around 600 + if i gave my best. But the scores are very low. I don t think i am not in the write frame of mind to test. I wrote my tests out of US(Non- US resident). I came to US as i thought International experience would be valuable to my GMAT experience. I am currently 3.6 years of exp (with one year of International experience). I am planning to give the exam next year.

My English is weak. and in maths i have to improve my Data sufficiency.
Normally, the number of questions correct on the english section is as below on all full test i gave.
Reading comprehension 2,8,7,8
Sentence correction 8,2,7,7
Critical reasoning 7,7,6,6

Please let me know in what ways i can improve my english scores. Shall i still continue in US to increase my international experience or can i go home and give the GMAT in my country of resident...
also, please let me know which month is good to give the GMAT exam.... and also provide any other suggestions to improve the scores.

Thanks,
Shan

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Paxton Helms - Kaplan · Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:32 pm

Hi, Shan--

Thanks for your note. I'm sorry that you were disappointed with your score --I know how frustrating that can be.

The English portion of the exam was always the easiest for me so I'm not sure that I'm the ideal person to answer your question but I do have a few thoughts:

- I'm not sure that living in the US (or any English-speaking country) is going to be the highest-yield way of improving your GMAT scores. The GMAT does not test verbal skills overall but, instead, a limited (and largely known) set of rules and approaches that YOU CAN LEARN. To be sure, they are tested in a million different ways but, the point is, focusing on mastering that finite body of knowledge will go a long way towards improving your verbal score.

- Reading profesionally written and edited newspapers and articles is very useful for developing a "sixth sense" about what is correct in written English. After a while, you can just "hear" what is correct and what is not --a very useful skill when moving quickly through an exam!!

- Study some basic English grammar. Yes, everybody hates this but it is not as bad as most people make it out to be. And, a basic understanding of formal grammar and syntax can go a long way to improving your scores.

As far as the best month to take the exam the best month is the month when you are prepared.

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shanmugavel · Mon Dec 07, 2009 5:44 pm

Hi Paxton,

Thanks for your response.can you please provide some inputs on the kind of the newspapers to look in?

and also name some Grammar books to improve the grammar score.

Thanks,
Shan

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Paxton Helms - Kaplan · Sun Dec 20, 2009 7:06 pm

You mights start with:

The Economist

The Wall Street Journal

The New Yorker

National Review (an opinion magazine but very well written and edited).

There are some classic grammar texts but I don't think that they would be as useful to you as just focusing on the grammar elements that are on the GMAT. A good study guide or course will help you with those.

Still, if you want a hard-core introduction to English grammar (which, again, I do NOT recommend for you and which I do NOT think will help your GMAT score) then try:

Warriner's (just look that up on Amazon; it's a textbook but classic).

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