510 (Q38,V23) - 620 (Q47,V28) - 660 (Q48,V33) - The Beat The GMAT Forum

My previuos debrief from 510 to 620.
https://www.beatthegmat.com/from-510-38q ... 25003.html

In February, 2009 I scored 660 with 48 in Math and 33 in Verbal. This was less than I expected, but this is not a bad score, isn’t it? I expect at least 4.0 for AWA.
660 is not a perfect score, especially for the person who scored at least 730 each time on each GMAT simulator. Actually, due to stress conditions and time pressure, I wanted 700 and this score would be perfect for me and to each school that I want to apply. However, I know one person from Harvard with 690, one person from Duke with 640 and one person from Stanford with 640! This means that my score falls into 80% range for selected schools and I will apply (hope GPA 3.9 will save me).

I remember a huge part of the questions. Math had average/mean, powers, remain-ders, rate/work, profit/cost/revenue, geometry, coordinate plane, variables, inequalities, very easy combinatorics, roots and simplify the equation questions. Sentence correction tested modifiers (I had dangling modifier problem), parallelism and idiomatic expres-sions. CR asked weakening, strengthening, support the conclusion, inference and as-sumption questions. RC had weird passages – economic passage about stocks, social passage about women rights, science passage about prehistoric era and one passage I do not remember because I ran out of time and guessed 7 last questions and 4 of them were RC.

General suggestions and tips
Preparation
• Study each day.
• Work on your weaknesses.
• Try not to solve directly each question but try to understand each question and what concepts/topics of each question tests.
• Make flashcards with formulas and new words.
• Time yourself. Try to spend not more than 2 minutes for each question.
• Try not to find correct answer but try to understand how correct answer can look like. Use this habit in all verbal questions, if you do not know how correct answer can look like, use POE.
• Before solving PS question take a look at answers. If you see there fractions – find fraction, not decimal. If you see integers – find integer, not fraction or decimal.
• Before solving DS problem write down a formula that this DS question tests. You will have some variables and then test each statement alone or both com-bined whether they give you sufficient information about values of these vari-ables.
• When you study RC do NOT spell the words while reading. This consumes a lot of time. Just look through the line and try to imagine the pictures that text de-scribes. After reading each paragraph make a small pause to rephrase the paragraph and to understand the main idea of each paragraph. Understand the structure of passage and its main idea. Do not try to remember all facts from the passage – you will only burn your memory, it will be better to check the answer. Because you already know where each specific detail is situated you will save a lot of time while finding it. In inference RC questions about some fact find the sentence which has the information about this fact and read 1 sentence before this sentence, this sentence and the following sentence and then make an inference.

Study materials
• Official guide series. Do all of them. This is a GMAT Bible.
• For CR and RC use LSAT tests. This test is not the same as GMAT but it worth to study. LSAT’s RC passages are more difficult than those in GMAT but ques-tions are a little bit easier. However, you will be able to read and understand faster after LSAT.
• Manhattan GMAT series. I love their Sentence Correction Guide. Others I did not used.
• GMATPrep Software. This soft has 2 test but do these 2 tests at least 6 times each because you will encounter more than 80% new questions.
• GMAT Cambridge ARCO CAT test. Skip Math – it is very easy but Verbal is a good one.
• Manhattan test. If you buy any Manhattan GMAT book you will have a pass-word for 6 CAT tests. Math is little harder than that in real test, but for studies it is perfect.
• GMAT Club tests. Math is good and tough. I hate GMAT Club’s verbal because I did not agree with a lot of official answers.

Test taking
• Take earlplugs - they will reduce noise and help you to concentrate on the test. I worked with Verbal when another guy began to type essays. The keyboard noise was terrible (Russian test center uses old computers) and earplugs reduced this noise dramatically.
• Schedule your test when you will be really sure in yourself.
• DO NOT do anything at last two days! Free your mind and this will increase your sense on the test.
• Take water and something to eat (chocolate or bananas). This will help you in breaks.
• In AWA use draft. I do not like to write a lot but even if you use structured draft you will get a good score.
• Each question matters. The fact that 10 first questions are the most necessary is a half truth half false fact in my opinion. Try to solve correctly first 10 and last 10 questions on GMATPrep – you will receive bad score. Oppositely, each question matters.
• Although GMAT has computer adaptive format and you expect more difficult questions when you answer correctly, sometimes GMAT gives you 200-level questions. I had such question in the middle of my test – I resolved it 4 times and did not found the trap. Sometimes you can encounter very easy question.
• The issues of experimental question is not an issue in my opinion. A had one experimental question at my first attempt (graph was inconsistent with the question) but in further attempts I have not saw any experimental question. Thus, I conclude that experimental questions can be given you only if you are going bad.
• Work fast! I finished math 7 minutes before the end of the section, and this saved me some time to relax before verbal section.
• Do not focus only on Math, do not forget Verbal part.
• Stay positive. You should love the test and it will pay you back.
• GMAT is not the most necessary thing in your life, there are a lot of good things beyond your GMAT.
• Do not lose your passion if you got low score. Result can be bad but experience is always positive. Instead or losing your heart try to understand your mistakes.