GMAT Strategy

Hi src_saurav,

You've described a pacing problem, but it's important to understand that pacing problems do NOT exist on their own - they are the result of OTHER problems in how you're approaching the Test. I have some questions about your CATs and about how you've been studying:

1) When you say that you have to guess on a bunch of questions just to finish the CAT on time, how MANY questions are you actually guessing on?
2) On the questions that you DO spend time on, how often are you spending MORE than 3 minutes (on a Quant question) and MORE than 2 minutes on a Verbal SC/CR question?

3) How many times do you normally have to read a question before you start trying to answer it?

4) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
5) What is your goal score?

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

Hi src_saurav,

Since you're guessing on so many questions, you're clearly spending way too much time on the questions that you DO try to answer. We have to figure out what you're doing with THAT time. For most Test Takers, reading the prompt over-and-over is one of the primary causes of 'lost time', but you say that you only read the prompt once. So WHAT exactly are you doing with your time?

You're going to find that most GMAT questions only require about 1 minute (or less) of real 'work'; the rest of the time is spent reading the prompt, taking light notes and labeling your work. You might be wasting time doing work 'in your head' or making little mistakes that you end up having to correct. You have to review your work and figure out what the specifics are. You should also try to re-do past questions with the goal to work faster, take better notes and NOT waste time. As a suggestion, doing work 'in your head' almost always takes LONGER than doing the same work on the pad, so DON'T do work in your head.

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

Hi src_saurav,

We really need to dig deeper into this information to figure out exactly how to help you speed up.

Here's a suggestion: from this last CAT, I want to you post the 5 questions from the Quant and 5 questions from the Verbal that you spent the LONGEST time on. You can also include any questions that you just could not figure out. Post them in the proper Forums and I'll be happy to take a look (and I'm sure that you'll get plenty of additional suggestions from the other Experts and Users here).

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

Hi src_saurav,

After re-reading your prior posts, it's not clear HOW you're approaching these questions. I understand that you read them and then try to eliminate answers (in CR and RC), but that's not really strategy - it's what most Test Takers do when they DON'T have a strategy.

1) What practice materials have you been using?
2) Do you have a series of 'steps' that you go through when solving specific types of questions? Do these tactics have a name and a source?

You might need to invest in some new study resources that teach you the tactics, patterns and secrets that you need to know to score at a higher level. From what you've described, I'm not sure if you know those things or if you just can't remember them.

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