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Post GMAT Plan

by sgraves » Mon Jul 18, 2016 4:16 pm
I took the GMAT last week and got a 500(Q36, V23). Not super ecstatic but not completely disappointed either. My CAT scores were around that score so being honest with myself it isn't a surprise despite being hopeful that you make catch a break on test day in your favor. That was my second attempt at the GMAT. The first time I took the GMAT was in October of last year and I got a 440 so definitely an improvement. My goal score is a 650. I think it is feasible,but I need some help figuring out my next steps. I have yet to get a score higher than 540 on a CAT. The 540 was on a Veritas test but I noticed that when I took the most recent GMAT prep CAT (460: Q29, V24) to get ready it felt more difficult. I bought the 7 CAT pack from Veritas and started getting used to the format of questions. Ex: Mostly all of the CAT's had at least one symbolism question and one function question. So I ended up focusing on topics I knew I would see in the next cat that I would take that I was getting wrong.

I know going forward I'm going to try to stick to OG practice tests and OG GMAT books only to better simulate this I could see. I have been using Empower GMAT which has been helpful as far as strategies go but I seem to be stuck at this point.I'm applying this fall so I'm thinking about scheduling my retake in Oct/Early November.

Any advice would be appreciated.

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by [email protected] » Mon Jul 18, 2016 5:03 pm
Hi sgraves,

I've sent you a PM with some suggestions about how to best continue studying and improving.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
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by naresh17d » Tue Sep 13, 2016 10:08 am
You prep. your gmat exam online visit: GMAT Plan
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by Scott@TargetTestPrep » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:33 am
Hi sgraves,

I'm sorry to hear about your GMAT struggles. Since you have been studying for the GMAT for quite some time without the success you are looking for, there may be some fundamental issues in your study approach that are hindering you from significant gains in your GMAT knowledge. As I am constantly reminding my students, if you continually approach your study in the same way again and again, it is foolish to expect different results. So - we need to figure out what you've been doing - both right and wrong - and get you on a better, more productive path.

Remember, what makes the GMAT such a challenging exam is that there are relatively few questions asked in a given exam, yet those questions come from a huge topic pool. Thus, the best way to get a great GMAT score is to have a thorough understanding of all the topics that may be tested on the exam. To develop such mastery, you want to strive for linear and targeted learning and follow that with focused practice. In other words, you want to master one topic before you move to the next. Have you been able to study in this way?

For example, when studying verbal, focus on learning one section at a time: reading comprehension, sentence correction, or critical reasoning. When learning about critical reasoning, for example, you want to be able to learn about all aspects of critical reasoning: strengthen and weaken the conclusion, resolve the paradox, find the conclusion, must be true, etc. Follow up your learning with focused critical reasoning practice, so you can determine your specific weaknesses within that topic. You should do the same for sentence correction and reading comprehension.

Follow a similar routine for quant. If you are learning about Number Properties, you should learn everything possible about that topic: LCM, GCF, units digit patterns, divisibility, remainders, etc. After that, be sure that you practice with a lot of questions (50 or more) just on Number Properties. The results of that practice will help you to determine how well you have truly mastered that topic. Continue this process with every quant topic.

To help diagnose your GMAT quant strengths and weaknesses, I welcome you to take my free 37-question quant diagnostic. After completing the diagnostic, you will be provided with a detailed analysis of your proficiency level of all GMAT quant topics, as well as an opportunity to discuss your diagnostic results with me or another TTP instructor/coach.

If your current resources do not allow for such focused learning and practice, you may consider using a more robust resource, such as a self-study course. If you do not know which GMAT study resource to use, you can check out the course reviews here on Beat The GMAT.

If you have any further questions about how to get moving with your GMAT prep, feel free to reach out to me directly.

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder and CEO
[email protected]

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