How to Improve in Quant Section ?

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canbtg: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 46; Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2013 5:42 am; Thanked: 4 times

by canbtg » Thu Feb 20, 2014 10:54 am

Hello Experts ,

I have been trying to learn and improve Gmat quant from 42/44 range to 48/49 , but it seems I am not making much improvements .

There 're certain sections I am weak at and I am trying to improve in those areas ( combinations , Word problems , Algebra) .

Now my question is - is it a good idea to repeat the questions I have got wrong in 1 / 2 attempt(s)?
Isn't it like mugging up the question ... repeating over and over the same problem?

Please suggest me an efficient way to improve my score to 48/49 in two weeks ?

I am using MGMT and official GMAT question only .

thanks in advance

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Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy | Thu Feb 20, 2014 10:54 am

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[email protected]: Elite Legendary Member; Posts: 10392; Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pmFollowed by: 511 members; Location: Palo Alto, CA; Thanked: 2867 times; GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Thu Feb 20, 2014 3:01 pm

Hi canbtg,

Your Quant Scaled Scores show that you're really strong at "math" questions, but you're still missing points because you're not great in certain areas (perhaps the ones you mentioned, perhaps others) and you're not looking for Number Properties, patterns and opportunities to TEST Values.

Two weeks is probably not enough time for you to radically change your approach the Quant section, but you can still see examples of all of the tactics I've mentioned in this Forum (most of the questions in the Quant Forums come with explanations that showcase multiple approaches). Going back to redo some of your prior questions while focusing on these other approaches could help you to improve a bit.

Could you push your GMAT Test Date back a month? That extra time would give you a far greater opportunity to improve all of your skills.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Contact Rich at [email protected]

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Brent@GMATPrepNow: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 16207; Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pmFollowed by: 1268 members; Location: Vancouver, BC; Thanked: 5254 times; GMAT Score:770

by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Sat Feb 22, 2014 9:04 am

Hi canbtg,

To improve your quantitative score, I believe that you should compartmentalize your learning and take the time to master each topic (e.g., percents, ratios, exponents, statistics, etc.). This means that, for each topic, you should:
1) Learn the underlying concepts (rules, attributes, notation, etc.)
2) Learn GMAT-specific strategies related to that topic
3) Practice dozens of questions all related to that one topic.
4) Don't stop working on that topic until you have mastered it
Then, and only then, move on to the next topic.

To help you focus on one topic at a time, you can use BTG's tagging feature. For example, here are all of the questions tagged as statistics questions: https://www.beatthegmat.com/forums/tags/ ... statistics
See the left side of that linked page for more tag options.

While completing questions from the Official Guide (OG), you should you use an Error Log (aka Improvement Chart). You can find a free downloadable Improvement Chart here: https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-error-log. This will help you identify and strengthen your weak areas.

You should also spend a lot of time reviewing the responses from the Experts on this site. They model the steps one should take when tackling math problems.

In addition to learning the core concepts and GMAT-specific strategies, be sure to work on your endurance and test-taking skills (e.g., time management) by taking several practice tests. If you're interested, we have a free GMAT time management video at https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gener ... es?id=1244

Finally, you might consider signing up for Beat The GMAT's free 60-Day Study Guide (https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide).
Each day, you'll receive an email with a series of learning activities that guide you, step-by-step, from Day 1 to test day. This will ensure that you will cover everything that the GMAT tests.

Here's an outline of all 60 emails: https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide-outline

Cheers,
Brent

Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com

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dabral: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 134; Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2009 1:23 pmFollowed by: 15 members; Location: California; Thanked: 59 times

by dabral » Tue Feb 25, 2014 6:35 am

I don't recommend redoing GMAT problems. The reason is that once you have seen the solution to a GMAT problem, they become significantly easier. One of the main factors that makes GMAT problems tricky is that they tend to seem unfamiliar when you encounter them for the first time, this is the case even when it is an easy problem. This is why I recommend practicing with new official GMAT questions. And this is the only way to get accustomed to that initial shock of a GMAT question.

Best wishes,
Dabral

Free Video Explanations: 2021 GMAT OFFICIAL GUIDE.

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iongmat: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 193; Joined: Tue May 24, 2011 5:14 amFollowed by: 1 member; Thanked: 6 times

by iongmat » Tue Feb 25, 2014 9:59 pm

Also, what I have experienced is that a revision of fundamentals from High school arithmetic books comes in handy, before directly jumping on to the practice questions. Also, another source I have found very helpful is the BTG forum for Data sufficiency questions.

Somehow I feel that while Problem solving is more about concepts, Data sufficiency is more about practice.

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MartyMurray: Legendary Member; Posts: 2135; Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 9:26 amFollowed by: 140 members; Location: https://martymurraycoaching.com/; Thanked: 955 times; GMAT Score:800

by MartyMurray » Sat Aug 01, 2015 5:06 pm

Hi.

Here are a couple more ideas.

One of them is to go here, https://bellcurves.com/, go to the GMAT section, and set up a practice account. Then you can access the quant part of the question bank, which has thousands of questions, and dozens or even hundreds of questions in the categories you mentioned.

Not all of the questions are perfectly written or explained, but you can get a LOT of targeted practice by using this question bank. The algebra section is nice and tricky, and the combinatorics section has many questions which incorporate a variety of angles.

Another nice source of questions is the Veritas Question Bank.

When practicing, you may want to at first go slowly and work to develop form and accuracy. Figure out cool, efficient ways to handle the questions, and really seek to get a high hit rate, above 90 percent. As you get accustomed to handling the questions optimally you can speed up to get to or close to that 2 minute average.

Marty Murray
Perfect Scoring Tutor With Over a Decade of Experience
MartyMurrayCoaching.com
Contact me at [email protected] for a free consultation.

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