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Starting Points to Build? (Practice Test Taken)

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Starting Points to Build? (Practice Test Taken)

by jamesmorris » Thu Oct 30, 2008 12:49 pm
I'm wondering if you experts out there can assist me in beginning this journey. I plan on applying for the 3rd round and taking my GMAT in early February. I took a practice GMAT from Kaplan back in September 2007 and got as follows:

Math: 26
- Problem Solving 45%
- Data Sufficiency 20%
- Arithmetic 25%
- Algebra 60%
- Geometry 60%
- Word Problems 50%

Verbal: 35
- Sentence Correction 50%
- Reading Comprehension 80%
- Critical Reasoning 70%

To help complete the background, I received a 1410 on my SAT with little studying in 2004.

I have purchased GMAT Premier Program 2009, Cracking the GMAT, and the OG books as well. I've been looking at others strategies and am wondering if people had tips to get me started on a better path? I've started to read the Kaplan book for the time being.

I'm having a difficult time getting direction and finding posts (I wish there were some stickies), but this forum looks great and I am very impressed and glad to be in a community of encouragement and support. I took a look at some of the basic questions in Premier for arithmetic and already found myself frustrated because it took me a while to figure them out or I didn't have an idea how to get the right answer. I've always known I'm very weak at math.

If I could be pointed in the right direction, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm hoping to get 750+ if at all possible on the GMAT. I've read the 3 hours a day and 5 on Saturday tips. I just need to know more of how to approach those hours well. I'm also hoping it's okay to take some weekends off with my 3 months to visit others, etc. with the holidays.

Your folks dedication definitely inspires me. All who work full-time jobs AND dedicate 3 hours a day!
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Materials to score over 700

by austin » Fri Oct 31, 2008 12:03 am
jamesmorris,

The good thing is you are taking the test in Feb..You now have 3 months - solid.

MATH: If your math is not up to the mark, I will strongly recommend you to 4GMAT's math books. good stuff...starts from basics, covers all concepts and areas tested by GMAT.. lots of short-cuts that you will improve your speed as well.. also, has about 800 practice problems...and most importantly, very very affordable...
https://www.4gmat.com/prep_courses/math_ ... rial.shtml
I had used them to score over 700

VERBAL: If you want some good materials, pl. drop me a line at
[email protected]
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by ballersonly » Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:10 am
Hey, thanks for responding. I sent you an e-mail.

This forum is great!
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4Gmat Book

by dubeystuts » Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:32 am
On the link there are few options for the book.........which one did you buy? Is it 4GMAT's Advanced Math Lesson Books??

I will be giving Gmat Exam on 9th feb...

any suggestions / tips will be much appreciated.

Many thanks and best regards

Stuti
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by austin » Fri Oct 31, 2008 7:48 am
ballersonly and dubey

I have replied to your mail...
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by ballersonly » Fri Oct 31, 2008 8:01 am
Nice, I'll have to check it out.
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by jamesmorris » Fri Oct 31, 2008 8:04 am
Thanks for the reply, Austin. I'll be sending you an e-mail here shortly.
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Re: Materials to score over 700

by vittalgmat » Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:47 pm
austin wrote:jamesmorris,

The good thing is you are taking the test in Feb..You now have 3 months - solid.

MATH: If your math is not up to the mark, I will strongly recommend you to 4GMAT's math books. good stuff...starts from basics, covers all concepts and areas tested by GMAT.. lots of short-cuts that you will improve your speed as well.. also, has about 800 practice problems...and most importantly, very very affordable...
https://www.4gmat.com/prep_courses/math_ ... rial.shtml
I had used them to score over 700

VERBAL: If you want some good materials, pl. drop me a line at
[email protected]

Hi Austin,
R u an employee of 4GMAT.com?? I was searching for people who have commented on 4GMAT's number properties ebook and I saw your marketing emails.

Since you have scored "over 700" in your GMAT, pls come over to one of the Math and/or verbal forums and help with solutions and tricks.
we will all be very grateful to you.

Pls dont consider my email in the wrong way. Look at people like Ian Stewart, Stacey Koprince and Stuart Kovinsky. By actually imparting their knowledge on this forum, they have become great spokespeople for their respective GMAT companies.

thanks in advance.

-V
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by austin » Wed Nov 26, 2008 12:08 am
I am not an employee of 4GMAT... I work with a private firm in Chennai... I am greatful for what they have done to me...I used their materials and benefitted immensely...

If you look, I recommend materials of various companies - Kaplan for CR, Manhattan for SC.. etc.. I want prospective testtakers to use the right materials - the materials that would help them get a good score...There are a million "BIBLES" available on the net that it is easy to get carried away...

The other reason why I send PM is that revealing e-mail ids on forums will be harmful (mail ids are collected by spam harvesters)....I started getting wierd mails and so, I have stopped giving my ids on the fourms...

Again, I make no money out of this whole thing..

AND I will definitely try to spend some time in the math forums as well....(I am also fully employed somewhere else!!!)

Regards...
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by Jen Kedro » Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:23 am
Hi,

It sounds like you have a good approach so far to the studying process. It is best to do 1-3 hours per day, most days of the week, as opposed to a 12 hour weekend session and then nothing the rest of the week, if that makes sense. Try to vary your studies in terms of math and verbal, in terms of content and actual question practice, and as you get closer to your test date, focus more and more on your timing. Try to include as much computer based practice as possible, as some people find they perform slightly differently when taking the test on the computer than when practicing in books. Develop a scratch work strategy and stick with it.

It makes sense to review the content and math and grammar background earlier in your studies, and then move more and more to sets of practice questions and full length CATs. Since your Arithmetic score was so low, that is going to be a very important math content area to build up early on. Kaplan does make a GMAT Math Workbook with sections on each math area such as arithmetic, that many of my students over the years have loved as an early study tool. But there are a variety of resources out there that you can use. You'll need to practice a lot and learn a strategy to approach Data Sufficiency for sure, but the good news is that Data Sufficiency is probably most subject to improvement with increased familiarity and practice.

Finally, during the last 4-8 weeks of your studies, we recommend taking 1 CAT per week to build your stamina, time management, and confidence under test-like conditions. Then set aside a separate study session to review that CAT fully! That is a piece many people do not do, but it is one of the best ways to learn and improve.

Good luck on your preparation!
Jen Kedrowski
Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions
GMAT Teacher
MBA Admissions Consultant
National Product Team Member
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