GMAT Strategy

I'm LONG overdue for an update. I apologize for the delay for those following this thread. I have booked my test date for June 5th! (INSERT NERVOUS TENSION HERE)

The last month of prep has been filled with some more UP's and DOWN's. After coming off of some rough Kaplan CATs I decided to focus back towards verbal, mainly sentence correction. In between I've been studying flash cards, and I've also started taking some weekly "Challenge Tests" to keep my Quant fresh.

I should note the last following CAT results.

MGMAT #4: Q45/V34 (650)
PowerPrep #1: Q35/V22 (480)
GMAT Prep #1: Q39/V25 (530)

As you can see I've been all over the board. I went crazy when I landed a 650, but then realized that I blindly guessed correctly about 5-6 700+ level questions. After going from my highest the next week I dropped to one of my lowest. A big emotional blow. My hope was to have broken 600 on GMAT Prep with 5 weeks to test- I'm behind my goal.

I’m looking to refocus and finish the last 4 weeks strong. At this point I’ve completed all the MGMAT books (will finish reading comp tonight), so I feel comfortable with the basics. I believe now I need to work on repetition of problems. Quant has been on a slow consistent climb and I’ve been pleased with the steady but slow improvements. I expect to be scoring consistently in the low-mid 40’s shortly. Verbal has been ALL over the place. Difficulty in C.R. and Reading Comp have greatly affected my score.

Has anybody else noticed MGMAT verbal to be easier then GMAT Prep/Power Prep tests? I had been fairly consistently getting in the mid 30’s on MGMAT, and the “Preps” were about 10 points lower. Much harder reading comp and sentence correction from what I’ve noticed.

Any recommendations on how to prep for the last 4 week push are greatly appreciated. Thanks all!

ROUNDS 6/7/8- The fight is getting nasty. Dealt a lucky blow to the GMAT with a 650, but got knocked back with a 480 and 530. Still more fight in me.

Hey dt_stop_blving,

You should try GMAT Prep1 now. Save GMAT Prep2 for probably the week after next. Its a good idea to get a sense of the type of questions GMAC tests on the fair scale. I am sure your score on GMAT Prep will be better than the Kaplan score.

Let us know how it went. Cheers !!!

Thanks for the input! Do you know if the GMAT Prep 1 is an Adaptive Test? Trying to see how it (and the results) will compare to my MGMAT tests I've been taking.

dt_stop_blving wrote:Thanks for the input! Do you know if the GMAT Prep 1 is an Adaptive Test? Trying to see how it (and the results) will compare to my MGMAT tests I've been taking.

Yes, GMAT Prep is adaptive. Whatever score you get on these tests is a true reflection of what you will possibly get in the real exam. So, give your best shot.

Kaplan is great for students aiming for 500-650. However, students trying to score higher should use a different source of prep such as Manhattan GMAT.

It has been over 3 years since I started this journey, and looking back it has been one of my life's biggest regrets how it ended. After months of studying and preparation I wasn't hitting my goals and rescheduled my test out two months. In that two month period I met my future wife, was swept off my feet, and never even showed up to my rescheduled test.

I return to this forum to finish what I started. To remove the regret. To give my best effort and face this test again.

I have enlisted some of the best help and signed up for a Manhattan GMAT course. The courses thus far have been very helpful, and the structured (intense) curriculum is pushing me forward. Last Sunday I took my first CAT test since 2009. I feared how much I would have regressed since all my initial efforts. While not great, I was pleased to see I'm starting this adventure where I was on my third CAT test in 2009 at a 560 (around 100 points ahead of my first test last time).

Tons of work still to be done. I'm shooting for a late January test which gives me around 8-9 weeks to make a 100+ point gain.

I'm back... and it's time to make this happen! Welcome to part 2 of my GMAT showdown.

MGMAT CAT #1: 560 (Q40, V28) - 11/11/12