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650 to ? - Strategy Advice Needed

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650 to ? - Strategy Advice Needed

by tnbizgal » Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:47 pm
I have been lurking on the forum for a couple weeks and have seen quite a few strategies for increasing verbal scores. My situation is the opposite.

I took my first GMATprep test yesterday. I was extremely pleased to see an overall score of 650 but I was very disappointed in my math results. Many of the problems might as well have been in a foreign language. What is the best strategy forward from a 37 Math / 42 Verbal split?

I have a fairly demanding (and rewarding) job with very limited hours to study during the week. My original goal was simply to take the GMAT before the end of the year and apply to Executive MBA programs in the spring of 2015. I am targeting the top tier EMBA programs and was advised that a stronger than average GMAT score will be needed to balance my application since I only have 4 years of managerial experience.

I have looked at several different programs but since all are highly touted, I have been left more confused than motivated. Any help is appreciated!
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by [email protected] » Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:30 pm
Hi tnbizgal,

A 650 is a fantastic starting score. You've correctly assessed that you're likely going to need to pull up your Quant subscore though (the Q37 isn't going to impress anyone). After reviewing your practice CAT, would you say that most of your wrong answers came down to silly mistakes, not knowing the specific formulas/rules needed to answer the question or because the questions were too hard? The frequency of each of the 3 issues will help to determine what path you should take to improve.

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by tnbizgal » Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:57 pm
Thanks Rich. I feel that a lot of my mistakes were from simply not remembering formulas that I learned 10+ years ago. I have never had an occasion where I have needed the FOIL method at work or even dealt with exponents or plotting lines. With the advent of the calculator, I am barely remembering my multiplication tables! I also ran out of time as I sat and puzzled on some of the questions and I was rushed for my last 8 or so questions. I started looking through some of the Khan academy math lessons to review the basics. Are the Manhattan books the best for the GMAT focused math approaches? I must admit that quite a few of the data sufficiency questions boggled my mind.
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by [email protected] » Thu Jan 23, 2014 2:18 pm
Hi tnbizgal,

While the Quant section does require you to do lots of basic math (including formulaic math), the section is actually more about tactics, pattern matching, number properties, etc. than you might realize. Data Sufficiency emphasizes lots of skills that are not, strictly speaking, math skills (organization, accuracy, attention-to-detail, following instructions, dealing with multiple possibilities, etc.). Khan Academy is a great free resource to relearn all of the necessary math skills, but you're going to need lots of tactical training/practice to go along with the math practice that you're currently seeking. While a book (or books) might be enough to help you succeed, you might find it more valuable to enroll in a GMAT course.

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by tnbizgal » Sat Jun 28, 2014 6:15 pm
I took a couple months off from my GMAT prep due to getting married. I have quite a bit of time to prepare as I am not under any time limit to take the test. I did sign up for Magoosh to help supplement the OG 13 and Manhattan books. I jumped back into study mode a week ago.

Here is my new issue: I have just taken my first Magoosh practice test and I am reeling from the results! After scoring a 650 on the offical GMAT Prep test I only received a 470 on the Magoosh exam. Many of the questions seemed extremely hard and I received a 24Q / 32V split. Has anyone else had experience with the Magoosh tests? How accurately are they scaled?

I do plan to go through all of results question by question, but if the Magoosh tests are not scaled properly, I will use my other sources for testing and measuring my progress.
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by VivianKerr » Sun Jun 29, 2014 1:01 am
Here's the thing: there's no such thing as "scaled properly" because all private companies can only guess at the exact algorithm used to score the GMAT. I don't have a ton of familiarity with Magoosh's product, but I wouldn't equate their CAT scores to the GMAT in any way, shape, or form.

The closest and most reliable CAT scores to the actual GMAT has always been the GMATPreps 1, 2, (and now) 3, and 4.

You say you got a 650 on the GMATPrep, do you mean the GMATPrep 1? In general, I find most students score better on the GMATPreps 1 and 2 than they do on the GMATPreps 3 and 4, but that's still fairly reliable of your actual GMAT score. I also "overshoot" it -- making the assumption your actual GMAT score would be a bit lower due to stress/new, more challenging questions. So just based on the 650, it looks like you're in the low 600's at worst! Congrats!

As for Magoosh, the 470 does not seem reliable, as far as I'm concerned. BUT their material (like all CATs) is extremely valuable to the extent that it helps you identify WHAT questions you're getting wrong and WHY. Are you keeping an independent Error Log for ALL of your practice tests? How was your pacing on the Magoosh exam? Did you complete all questions? If you left strings of questions blank or missed a bunch of them back-to-back it could've negatively impacted your score. But again, you got a 650 on the GMATPrep. Magoosh's score is irrelevant, but your incorrect questions are worth their weight in gold.

Since you already have the MGMAT books, then definitely start going through them -- I'd start with Number Properties since those are so heavily tested in Quant. You really need to work out a way of dealing with Data Sufficiency questions -- identifying Yes/No versus Value questions, and how you can use your scratch pad to properly move through the statements. You might need to work with a tutor at some point.

Re: the Quant "formulas" and concepts you don't know. Again, go back and 'Error Log' your GMATPrep and most recent Magoosh exam (and other recent incorrect questions). What concepts are they testing? Why did you get them incorrect? You might find it helpful to use the attached template. Identify and study your worst Quant concepts work, then use the MGMAT material to target it.

Good luck!
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Vivian Kerr
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Former Kaplan and Grockit instructor, freelance GMAT content creator, now offering affordable, effective, Skype-tutoring for the GMAT at $150/hr. Contact: [email protected]

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by [email protected] » Sun Jun 29, 2014 11:43 am
Hi tnbizgal,

From your original posts, it appears that you scored that 650 over 5 MONTHS ago (which is also the last time that you posted). In that time, your skills could have "faded" a bit. With this latest CAT result, you might just have had a "bad day."

That having been said, a full question-by-question review of this CAT is warranted. Assessing WHY you got questions wrong is the first step in fixing those problems that exist in your "process." How many questions did you get wrong because of silly mistakes, how many were due to not knowing a particular formula/rule and how many were due to the question difficulty (it was just too hard)?

There are a number of other issues to consider: Did you have a pacing problem? Did you have to guess on a bunch of questions at the end just to finish (or did you run out of time and leave any questions unanswered?)? What time of day did you take this CAT?

While it's possible that the practice CAT wasn't realistic, you haven't provided enough information to prove that's the case. That having been said, if you think that a resource isn't helping you to achieve your goals, then invest in a different resource. There are plenty to choose from.

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