GMAT Strategy

My test is scheduled on this Sat and I'm averaging a 44-46 in Quant. Fine with this.

The verbal is 30-32 on MGMAT tests but falls to 27-28 in the GMAT prep tests(I feel MGMAT verbal is on the easier side. the Sc's are too easy in fact).
Took a GMAT prep test this morning and scored a 580(Q46,V25)------lot of SC mistakes
MGMAT CAT #6 630 Q44,V32-33 - taken 4 days back --I have been averaging the same scores for the last 4 MGMAT tests.
GMAT prep test - taken 2 weeks ago 610(Q44,V30) ----- how did I score more here and now my scores have decreased

Now,my target score is a 590-600 with 25+ in Verbal. Am I ready for the test? Should I just brush up and go confidently?
I'm little confused here.

Brush up, go confidently and most importantly, GET EXTRA SLEEP for at least TWO NIGHTS before the exam. Studies show that sleep is one of the most important factors influencing test results.

Bryant,
Thanks for your response. I was nervous looking at my last prep scores, I've never scored this low except during the first month of study. And, moreover my score seems to be decreasing! Looks like I'm getting burnt out! As you say, I need to brush-up and get good sleep. I have noticed that I do well on the Verbal section when my concentration levels are high. So definitely sleep plays a good part there.
I was thinking of taking another test but have decided against it now. it will burn me out completely.

Hey nehs,

I had to chime in just looking at the title of this post. Are you ready for the test in 2 days? Since it's coming fast, even if you're not you'd better convince yourself that you are! It's coming, ready or not...

But given what you've written, I don't think that should be too much trouble to do. It's not at all uncommon for your test scores to stagnate or even decrease in that week leading up to the test...you're probably studying a little more frantically than you have been and putting in more time than usual, so you're bound to be a little worn down and lose some mental sharpness. And you're reading a lot into each question and looking for thing to correct or worry about...you're probably pretty distracted and not focusing as much on each question as it comes. As the nerves come closer and the weight of fatigue hits as you push harder, your scores may very well dip a little.

The key is to recognize that and turn it into a positive: "Even as I've been pushing myself and feeling the pressure, my scores aren't dropping too much" is a good thing. Even better is "I know that the main thing that will hold me back is letting the pressure get to me and going in distracted and tired; I just need to relax, get some rest, and focus on those things that I can control and I ought to do well". Like Bryant mentioned, sleep is a big key to staying sharp and relaxed.

I'm really happy to hear that you've decided against that extra test. I hate practice tests within 48 hours of a real test...there's very little benefit to them, as the chance that your score goes down is fairly high (given those factors I mentioned) and even if it's a great score, you're putting extra strain on yourself that may have an adverse affect on test day. And where's the real gain? By this point you know yourself pretty well - remind yourself to stay focused, to double-check those few things that you know tend to create mistakes for you, and then just go in confidently. Given what you wrote, I think you're well within your right to be confident tomorrow!

Brian,
Great reply, as always. And, you made my day, rather evening
Thank You.

Brian@VeritasPrep wrote:. As the nerves come closer and the weight of fatigue hits as you push harder, your scores may very well dip a little.

Hmm...this is something that is very relevant to me. So you mean to say it is a common occurence isn't it?
I was 'peaking' in terms of prep test scores upto 1 week back when I used to score 610-630's in most of my practice tests. And, this week's test score, that I took yesterday, was a 580 . Infact, I was scoring better , 640, a month ago! That looks like I'm burining myself out. I need to stop studying now and just review my flashcards. I have noted down a few problems that were wrong during my study.I'm going to relax this evening and review flashcards tommorow morning. then, that's it upto Saturday noon. and, get lots of sleep, especially important for me to crack the Verbal.

Thanks again. Will let you guys know how the test went.

Hey nehs,

Yeah, I'd say it's definitely pretty typical for people to start feeling the pressure and the weight of all their studies in that week leading up to the test, and to then see a fairly trivial drop in their scores but get that panic going...almost exactly like you did. At that point, you're not rested, you're overthinking problems on the practice test while "trying to squeeze it in" so you're tired and distracted...it's pretty natural for the score to drop a little bit.

I almost always have that happen in my training as a marathoner and triathlete...there's typically a weeknight maybe 3 weeks before my race that I try to squeeze in one more big workout after work, and because I'm training hard and I skip a meal to try to push that one last workout, it never goes well. I'm tired, didn't eat right beforehand, it's not my normal training time, my head isn't fully in it, and it goes slowly and hurts, and I wonder how I could ever cover the full distance if my 2/3 attempt went so badly. Until I force myself to realize that I was doomed from the beginning because of all those factors that I won't face on rest day when I'm rested, focused, well-nutritioned, etc. At that point, at least I know that my really-bad day is behind me.

I think you're on the right track here and I'm glad we had this talk! Remind yourself tomorrow that Saturday's test is the "victory lap" - just your chance to show the world how hard you've worked to this point. There's nothing worth getting too nervous about...you sealed your fate by putting in all the work over the last few months, so now it's just about executing and doing what you've trained yourself to do. You can do this!!

Thanks Brian!
The analogy to your training practice sounds so relevant! The GMAT is like a marathon too, we need to practice and work hard, not forgetting to plan for the week that leads to the test!

Funny thing for me is, if I don't do 10 SC and 5 CR (approx) daily then I tend to forget the strategy/SC rules/Common SC errors etc. So need to do that at the least aside from visiting my flash cards.

After practicing a mess of verbal problems, my verbal score went from a 22 to a 41-43, on the Princeton and Kaplan tests, but when I retook the GmatPrep tests, my verbal score had only gone up to a 25 and 24, which made no sense. After comparing some of the questions between the three exams, my problem was deceptively simple. The way the questions and answers are presented on the computer screen between the various exams was throwing me off. I retook the GMATPrep tests with the discovery in mind, and scored a 39 and 42 on verbal.

Has anyone else had a similar experience regarding Quant or Verbal??