Are you in the Seattle area?

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I was just curious because you listed WSU as one of your target schools.

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I don't know its ranking, I just know of it because it's another in-state Pac-10 school.

vongdn wrote:I have two books which I have been studying off of, the Kaplan Premiere book with CD and the Official Guide for GMAT Review. I've studied for about 3 weeks now, mainly going over the strategy and refresher info for the qualitative and quantitative sections, and doing some practice questions here and there. The disheartening thing though is that I took my first practice test off the Kaplan CD and scored a 430. Talk about ego buster.

I can totally relate to you. I was in the same boat. I studied for 3 weeks,took a prep test and got a 470. All my 'studying' during those 3 weeks went down the drain. This score hurt me so much,it took be a day to come out of that shock. My target score is 550

Now, I have 3 weeks to my real test. What I am doing is maintaining an error log. This is something that I did not do earlier. An error log will help us track our weaknesses so that we can brush it later. There is an Error log in beatthegmat too. You could try it(I'm using my own).
Apart from this, I bought 2 verbal books from Manhattan GMAt : SC guide and CR guide. I found these books immensely useful. It took me 2 whole days to read through the SC book and understand it. Now, I need to start targetting my problems from OG. I used Kaplan too initially, but, found that thosse books don't really help. OG is the best for problems; if Quant concepts are wrong/shaky then try Kaplan MAth Workbook in addition to OG. Otherwise, just practise all the OG problems and go through MGMAT books for verbal. You should be fine
Also, check your scores in each section of your prep test. That should give you an idea where you need to improve.
I would like to add that, don't get too stressed out with this prep test - it is your first one after all. Thinking in a negative direction saps our concentration.Try to study for one more week and then give a test again.
Hope that helps.

I have not taken a prep test after my 'terrible' score last time. Just scared to see that number pop on the screen again
I hope I have imrpived my SC in the last 1 week and the MGAT books is magical!!!

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Don't just keep taking practice tests! You need to learn from each experience.

Here are some thoughts for you:

On the verbal side, you say that you have to struggle through the passages. I assume that you mean both the reading passages and the critical reasoning paragraphs.

Here is something simple that I think will help you -- stop at the end of paragraph on the reading and integrate that paragraph with what you have already read. Almost keep a running narrative going in your mind. "Okay in the first paragraph we learned that there are two forms of the water beetle - big wings and small wings. Now in this paragraph they compare the advantages and disadvantages of having bigger wings." If you read the passages at that level you should not get too exhausted. Remember that you are not reading to memorize the passage - but you do need to know the "plot" or the main thread of the passage - so skimming is also ineffective.

If a question asks for small details - go back to the passage. You will rarely be able to know 100% that a minute detail is what you think it is...better to go back and be sure.

For critical reasoning, treat each sentence like a paragraph in critical reasoning. Integrate each sentence into the stimulus as you read it. Taking a little time to understand will make these questions seem to be much less of a struggle.

For the Quantitative - look at the questions that you have missed and see why you missed them. Some errors you look back on and say "why did I do that?" Come up with strategies to avoid making those sorts of errors. Those are the ones that will keep you from your goal.

Good luck studying!

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