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Struggling with IR - How important is it?

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Struggling with IR - How important is it?

by gmatrant » Sun Dec 16, 2012 1:58 am
Hi,

I am really worried about the IR section. I hav been taking the manhattan GMAT CAT tests.
Firstly, I am not able to complete the IR section and find it very time consuming.
Secondly, my scores in the section hover around 3-5.

I do manage about 700 to 730 out of 800.

How critical is the IR score for bschools next year? I am planning to apply in 2013.
I did read the schools are not looking at the IR scores this year (2012).

I just feel 2.5 minutes for a question especially in multi source reasoning is very less.

Please let me know what you think about the IR section and how one should approach it.

Cheers
gamtrant
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by ceilidh.erickson » Sun Dec 16, 2012 7:05 am
Have no fear! The IR section really doesn't matter... at least if you plan to enter business school in the next couple of years. Even the Stanford Admissions Dept says so: https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... this-year/

I've looked at dozens of my students scores over the past few months, and the vast majority of them scored higher on IR on the real test than they did on Manhattan GMAT tests; those IR sections seem to be a little bit harder than the real thing. So if you're getting between a 3-5 on those practice tests, you're in good shape!
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by soni_pallavi » Sun Dec 16, 2012 2:04 pm
Hi There

From personal experience I can say the following about the IR section

First, I struggled to finish the IR section within the assigned 30 mins as well.On an average Id say I could only finish 10 out of 12 questions(even on the day of the actual GMAT)I too feel the multi source reasoning questions are time consuming.

Second,Its my opinion that for the 2013 intake the IR score is not really going to matter as the IR is in a testing phase.

Lastly after not devoting a lot of my prep time to the IR section I manages a 7 out of 8 score in the GMAT.

So,relax and dont worry too much about the IR section.Going through the OG guide's questions loosely as well as the ones in the prep software is more than enough.
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by David@VeritasPrep » Sun Dec 16, 2012 8:01 pm
I have to agree with Ceilidh! I would say that what is important is that you not score a zero...I mean even to the schools that are not looking at the scores a zero is pretty clear...

But more importantly you need to make it through the first hour of AWA and IR in a position to succeed on the sections that do count toward your 200 - 800 score --- the Quant and the Verbal.

So I would say the best reason to have a solid IR strategy -- for example skipping two or three questions that seem tough and taking 3 minutes each on the others, and making sure that you take it easier the whole way through -- is to preserve your best score on the Quant and Verbal.
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