tip of the day

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logitech
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Topic: tip of the day
PostMon Nov 17, 2008 7:05 pm
Tip of the day:

Try to mimic your practice test as close as to real test.

1) If you will take the GMAT in the morning, take your practice test in the morning.

2) I hate to write AWA for my practice tests! But it is a MUST. When you reach the verbal questions, it really matters whether you spent 60 minutes and feel exhausted.

3) Breaks are 10 minutes, not 11 or 15 but "10"

4) Eat and drink whatever you are planning to eat on the test day

5) Test room is quite and almost like a prison cell. Do not listen to the music, or eat something or leave the IM or your window open.

6) Put a DONT DISTURB sign on your door. Dont let the people come inside your room and make fun of you Laughing

7) And have fun!!
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logitech
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PostWed Nov 19, 2008 8:03 pm
Lets use this thread to add some tips for the GMATers:


1) Carry your study to the computer screen. Working on SC and RC questions is a different experience when you try to solve the questions on the screen.
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marouan
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PostThu Nov 20, 2008 4:45 am
If you will take the GMAT in the morning, take your practice test in the morning.
YEs
YEs
YES
logitech You're the best !!
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logitech
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PostThu Nov 20, 2008 3:14 pm
Studying someone else's notes and flash cards is GOOD
Studying your own notes and creating your own flash cards is PRICELESS! Very Happy
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PostThu Nov 20, 2008 4:57 pm
Yeah, I think it's really important to practice on a computer screen. This is going to sound dorky, but what I do when I'm using the OG is to stand the book upright (or lean it against something) so it feels more like looking at a screen. Can't hurt, right?
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PostThu Nov 20, 2008 5:03 pm
logitech wrote:
Studying someone else's notes and flash cards is GOOD
Studying your own notes and creating your own flash cards is PRICELESS! Very Happy
logitech, you are a very wise man. Smile
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marouan
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PostFri Nov 21, 2008 7:07 am
PPP wrote:
Yeah, I think it's really important to practice on a computer screen. This is going to sound dorky, but what I do when I'm using the OG is to stand the book upright (or lean it against something) so it feels more like looking at a screen. Can't hurt, right?
This might help you
Use an excel File to amrk your answers: exple first column YOUR ANSWER, second colmun the right answer that you got from the OG.
So here you are reading oonly from the book but practicing with the screen.
I might upload my excel file where I git all answer from the OG, with a cnditional formatting color when I get the answer worng + other usefull columns like the type of errors and is it a question that I wanna review after or not? ( so with a simple filter i can get the answer that I need to check again )..
I will upload it soon ! Wink
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logitech
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PostFri Nov 21, 2008 9:50 am
From a fitness magazine:

"I hope you now realize that the only way to get improve your muscle size and muscle strength is to allow adequate recovery time between performing exercises with the same muscle groups"

Same concept applies to GMAT prep:

Take breaks during your studies.

GYMs are full of people trying to figure out how come they are not in good shape although they work out 4 hours everyday.

Don't be one of them! I found that 75 minutes study + 10 minutes breaks are the best for me. Did you remember this 75 minutes from some where ?

LOL Wink
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logitech
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PostSun Nov 23, 2008 1:49 am
There are many strategies for timing but I find the following method very useful. ( I came across with this method in this forum)

For Quant:

For every 5 questions, you should be at or around the following minutes:

5 66
10 56
15 46
20 36
25 26
30 16
35 6


For Verbal:

For every 5 questions, you should be at or around the following minutes:

5 67
10 58
15 49
20 40
25 31
30 22
35 13
40 4
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Last edited by logitech on Sun Nov 23, 2008 9:36 am; edited 1 time in total
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mals24
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PostSun Nov 23, 2008 5:03 am
BE ALERT WHILE READING THE QUESTIONS.

As easy and cliched this tip may sound, its in fact quite a challenge to be alert. You can do the following things to make sure you don't miss the finer points.

For maths, ALWAYS double check what the question is asking and what is given.

For DS question make sure if the question is a yes/no question or what is the value question. Write down the information given in the question. Many times we forgot to double check if the numbers we plug in do actually satisfy the given equation.

Also not only for maths, even for CR always check if the question is an Except question or not.

For RC, ALWAYS write something down. This is the best way to keep you awake and alert. Write anything the main scope, transitions words, tone, but do write something down. It'll avoid your mind from wandering around and the information, no matter how complicated and technical, will make some sense to you.
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PostSun Nov 23, 2008 9:52 am
Oh forgot to add the most important tip.

TRY TO STAY AS CALM AS POSSIBLE.
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logitech
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PostSun Nov 23, 2008 8:57 pm
Only study from "reliable" sources.

Stay away from 1000 series. Official answers might be wrong.

As lunarpower once said about a 1000 SC question:

"if this problem is taken from a source that indicates (b) as the correct answer, run, don't walk, away from that source. run for your life.
if you can set fire to it while simultaneously running for your life, all the better."

I can not agree more!
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logitech
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PostMon Nov 24, 2008 12:24 pm
"Without a strong grip on the basics, it is almost impossible to beat GMAT using shortcuts and other tricks"

The best strategy is to focus on the basics first!
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mals24
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PostMon Nov 24, 2008 12:26 pm
Quote:
"Without a strong grip on the basics, it is almost impossible to beat GMAT using shortcuts and other tricks"
I AGREE 100%
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logitech
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PostTue Nov 25, 2008 10:45 pm
Stacey Koprince wrote:
In short, not enough people pay attention to the timing and don't realize what a major impact it has on performance. I'm glad that you did this analysis and are starting to think about this stuff. Others, notice logitech's analysis: spending extra time doesn't do a whole lot to help, but it does cause declining performance towards the end of the test and your score is the level around which you're scoring at the end, not in the middle! This is exactly why we keep preaching to spend roughly equal time throughout. Smile
I can not agree more!
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