390 to 620! I beat the GMAT (in my own way)!

Find out how Beat The GMAT members tackled GMAT test prep with positive results. Get tips on GMAT test prep materials, online courses, study tips, and more.
This topic has expert replies
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2016 2:11 pm
Thanked: 1 times

by kashc2 » Mon Mar 28, 2016 1:44 pm
Rich,

Will do. I have a question for you and anyone else that wants to chime in. Is it better to focus strictly on Quant first and then Verbal? Or is this just dependent on personal preference?

Thanks

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Elite Legendary Member
Posts: 10392
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pm
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Thanked: 2867 times
Followed by:511 members
GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Mon Mar 28, 2016 9:22 pm
Hi kashc2,

Rather than commit to an 'all of one, then all of another' type of study plan, you'll likely find it beneficial to do some Quant and some Verbal each week. Remember that this is a long process; you shouldn't expect to master any concepts too quickly, so review will be a big part of the overall process.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2016 3:12 am

by erumsayyar » Wed Apr 06, 2016 7:11 am
@smclean23 How long did you prepare for the exam when you re-took it? Moreover what was your quant. & verbal score when you first took the exam? I felt exactly the same way when I saw my score too. Your post gives me hope as I'm in the same situation. How many mock tests did you give before giving the actual exam?

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2016 2:11 pm
Thanked: 1 times

by kashc2 » Sun Apr 10, 2016 4:28 pm
Hey Rich,

I just wanted to post back here with my 2nd CAT Exam result. I took a GMATPrep exam and got a 500 (30 Q 28 V). My last exam was a 390 (19 Q 26 V). I didn't expect my quant to jump so high within two weeks. I guessed on 6 questions. I think what really helped this time was that I didn't spend more than a minute on a question I had no idea how to answer. If I didn't know how to solve it after a minute I just guessed and moved on.

I think my verbal could have gone much better. I started well in that section but got interrupted three times throughout the beginning and the middle of that section by family and lost focus for about 25 minutes. Next time I plan on going to the library and reserving a room.

Also, my IR section was god awful. That was the first time I took that section and completely bombed it. Didn't even get 4 answers questioned so I need to familiarize myself with the types of questions there and the timing. I've completely neglected studying for this section.

It looks like my schedule is working for me but I know I have a long way to go still. It is reassuring to see that my hard work seems to be paying off.

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 2131
Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 9:26 am
Location: https://martymurraycoaching.com/
Thanked: 955 times
Followed by:140 members
GMAT Score:800

by MartyMurray » Sun Apr 10, 2016 5:45 pm
kashc2 wrote:Also, my IR section was god awful. That was the first time I took that section and completely bombed it. Didn't even get 4 answers questioned so I need to familiarize myself with the types of questions there and the timing. I've completely neglected studying for this section.
You don't need to answer every IR question to get a high score. In fact, you can score 7 or 8 by getting just 8 or 9 questions right, as long as the ones you get right include some of the more difficult ones.

Be sure to learn to use the sorting function when working with tables. Doing that can save A LOT of time.
Marty Murray
Perfect Scoring Tutor With Over a Decade of Experience
MartyMurrayCoaching.com
Contact me at [email protected] for a free consultation.

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Elite Legendary Member
Posts: 10392
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pm
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Thanked: 2867 times
Followed by:511 members
GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Mon Apr 11, 2016 10:58 am
Hi kashc2,

This latest CAT score is a nice improvement over your original diagnostic score. You've also made some nice adjustments to how you 'respond' to the Test (dumping hard questions frees up time that you can then spend on the 'gettable' questions; that Tactic is useful at ALL score levels).

Many Schools have publicly stated that they do not use an applicant's IR score as part of the application review process, so you shouldn't worry too much about that score. IR is really similar to Verbal CR (with a bit of math thrown in occasionally), so your that score will likely improve as you get in more Quant and CR practice.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2016 2:11 pm
Thanked: 1 times

by kashc2 » Mon Apr 11, 2016 5:19 pm
Marty Murray wrote:
kashc2 wrote:Also, my IR section was god awful. That was the first time I took that section and completely bombed it. Didn't even get 4 answers questioned so I need to familiarize myself with the types of questions there and the timing. I've completely neglected studying for this section.
You don't need to answer every IR question to get a high score. In fact, you can score 7 or 8 by getting just 8 or 9 questions right, as long as the ones you get right include some of the more difficult ones.

Be sure to learn to use the sorting function when working with tables. Doing that can save A LOT of time.
Thanks for that tip. During the exam I was focused on trying to answer every question and guessed through the last 4-5 questions. When I was reviewing my answers today I definitely made a lot of dumb mistakes and I see what you mean by the sort function. Will keep that in mind next time.

@Rich, thanks for the words of encouragement!