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Low Score in Prep test and very bad time management.

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Low Score in Prep test and very bad time management.

by joiedevivre » Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:43 pm
Hi,

I am starting a new post and am sorry if i was supposed to post this else where.

I am very new to GMAT. I have been studying for about two months now but timing my questions is a major issue coz and i always land up leaving some questions blank on the tests.

I gave the following prep test:

GMAT Prep 1 - 540
Kaplan 1 - 560 (from the website)
Kaplan 1 - 500 (from CD)

For both the kaplan test I seriously lagged behind in timing. Especially in the quant part. I am freaking out now coz I have scheduled to give my GMAT for 15th June.

I am quite weak in quant though. I also get very nervous when i see the clock ticking.

Is there any way to improve my time management per question in such a short span of like 5 days (days left for my exam) :(:(

I am also very disappointed with my scores. I want to sore at least 700 but that looks like a far cry :(:(

Please help. :cry:
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by Dan@VinciaPrep » Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:58 am
joiedevivre wrote:Hi,

I am starting a new post and am sorry if i was supposed to post this else where.

I am very new to GMAT. I have been studying for about two months now but timing my questions is a major issue coz and i always land up leaving some questions blank on the tests.

I gave the following prep test:

GMAT Prep 1 - 540
Kaplan 1 - 560 (from the website)
Kaplan 1 - 500 (from CD)

For both the kaplan test I seriously lagged behind in timing. Especially in the quant part. I am freaking out now coz I have scheduled to give my GMAT for 15th June.

I am quite weak in quant though. I also get very nervous when i see the clock ticking.

Is there any way to improve my time management per question in such a short span of like 5 days (days left for my exam) :(:(

I am also very disappointed with my scores. I want to sore at least 700 but that looks like a far cry :(:(

Please help. :cry:
Hello
One of the general rules to know when you're ready for the test is that you should get your target score 3 or 4 times in a row on the GMATPrep tests or perhaps the Manhattan tests. Seeing as this is not the case and the test day is fast approaching I think you should postpone your test. I've never seen someone go from the 500's to the 700's on test day. Most 700 scorers take at least 10 practice tests so I think you may need to put a fair amount of time in still before you reach your goal. As for the timing- that will come with more practice problems and tests.
If my post helped you- let me know by pushing the thanks button ;)

I'm a private tutor in Paris, I provide online and in person consulting for the GMAT and MBA application essays.
GMAT tutor paris
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by shalzz9 » Wed Jun 09, 2010 6:16 am
I agree with dan.gmat.gre

It would be tough to learn something in 5 days.
If u have the time then ud rather postpone the exam.

But in case that is not an option, try solving the frist 20 qns in abt 40 mins and the rest in the remaining time in quants.
And for verbal try the first 14 qns in 25 mins , the next 14 in the next 25 mins and the last 14 in the last 14 mins.
You may need to make a few guesses and move on.
If u dont finish the exam u tend to fall in the overall score more drastically than say probably by guessing a few and moving on.

Since u have just 5 days left try and do only gmat prep as the real exam is closest to the gmat prep exams.

But i would still strongly recommend to postpone ur exam and take it when u know u can confidently meet ur target score.

All the best
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by joiedevivre » Thu Jun 10, 2010 11:12 pm
Hi Dan & Shalzz,

Thanks for your advice.

Yes, Shalzz i will not be able to postpone my exams. Actually I took the decision to give my GMAT about a year back and did study for it on and off.. for the past two to three months i have been studying very diligently.

My issue if panic attacks. i am so scared of giving an entrance exams not i always, always panic. If i postpone it this time i will never land up appearing for it. So this time i have decided that i am appearing for it no matter what.

Maybe this will boost my moral and help me get rid of these panic attacks.

Shalzz: I will implement your strategy.

Dan: i guess my study methodology was wrong and i should have started giving the prep test long back. Your advise helped me realize my mistake. I know its too late now but better late than never.

I hope i do well on D day. Thanks guys..
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by ManhattanReview » Fri Jun 11, 2010 6:41 am
Joiedevivre,

It sounds like your biggest enemy is test anxiety. While there are several tips and trick to helping with various quant topics, you also need to address the time management and confidence issues.

1. Manage your test anxiety. Minimize your worries and pay attention to good nutrition and adequate exercise. Maintain adequate sleep with a consistent schedule leading up to your test.
2. Make a special effort to improve your weaknesses along with strengthening your expertise during practice. For RC, especially, you should make a point of reading articles every day and taking notes about them as you might for the GMAT.
3. Locate or set up a serious test-taking environment in your house or a public library or a park or another facility so that you can exclusively focus on taking the mock tests.
4. Review all prior mistakes along with explanations. Make a list of those typical errors you tend to make and consciously remind yourself of them and refrain from making the same mistakes.
5. You may want to take the day before the test off entirely so that your brain can relax more right before the test day.
6. Keep a light-hearted and positive attitude on the test day. Maintain strong momentum from beginning to end as the final problems can sometimes be equally as important as the initial ones.

For addressing specific weaknesses, Manhattan Review offers tutoring both online and in-person in a number of areas. If you'd like to know about how we might be able to help you, don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected].
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by KRyan » Fri Jun 11, 2010 9:15 am
In response to all:
Here is some advice that worked for me and many others:
Test Anxiety Post coming!
Check out https://blog.testsoup.com/ for more tips and tricks! Very helpful!

Planning is Proactive: Tips on Time Management
1. In order to manage your time effectively (and to reduce stress), invest in a 15-minute or hourly planner. This will enable you to set a rigid study schedule for months ahead of time! I know it seems intimidating at first, but trust me it will change the way you live your daily life (for the better!)

2. Establish a routine (this goes along with the idea of the planner); get up around the same time everyday and get to bed around the same time. When scheduling your study time, try to make it around the same time each day, for the same amount of time.

3. Post-Its are my best friend. I believe they are a necessity to life. Post-It flags come in very handy when studying for big standardized tests such as the GMAT. You should flag* the pages, questions, and/or topics that you need to review and write tips, tricks and notes you thought of while studying. This way you do not waste time figuring out what you already discovered! *Make your life even easier...utilize TestSoup's flag for review feature on their web and mobile based flashcard system!

4. Stay focused. If your planner says to study for 3 hours; study, and study ONLY. That means turn off and displace your cell phone, and disable your facebook. Isolate yourself from all distractions and keep it that way until you are done! That also means no snack breaks...come prepared to "preparation site" with a bottle of water and eat a healthy snack/meal beforehand!

5. Keep "tabs" on where you left off in your previous day's studying. The best way to keep track would be to create a comprehensive study guide and check it off with the date completed when you feel confident enough. The topics that continue to trouble you, circle and review them until you master them. It is important to outline the main ideas of each topic and record equations on a formula sheet so as you are doing your final review, you can quickly go over everything and dive deeper into the areas that do not jog your memory as quickly.
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by joiedevivre » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:29 am
Hi to all who replied to my post..

Well i got thrashed and kicked in the gut by the GMAT....

Got a meager 510....

My scoring was:

Quant: 32
Verbal: 28

I lacked in time management.. thought i did well in my quant but that popped too... As for verbal, over confidence i must say...


Anyways... thank u all for advice... i will apply all these esp the point by Manhattan and Ryan... I need more focus and structured study......

But seriously, i dont know if i am capable of any better...
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by shalzz9 » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:36 am
Hey sorry to hear that.

Make a plan and give it all u have got.
Most of us are in the same boat as u are.
so dont give up.

I got hit by gmat too n scored a 530, its a learning exp. N im studying on n off for one and a half year.
I am not saying one should do this (its quite boring to stretch it :P ). But make sure u give it all u have got before u retire.

Dont worry, you atleast saw how the real test is and u know where u lack so u can build on.

Good luck
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by joiedevivre » Tue Jun 15, 2010 5:22 am
Thanks Shalzz..

Guess we will beat the GMAT someday with our perseverance...

Good luck to u too...
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