GMAT practice test

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GMAT practice test

by Tim7332 » Thu May 03, 2007 10:49 am
I've been studying for the GMAT lightly using the official guide to the GMAT and nothing else.

I just took the first practice test through mba.com which I heard most accurately reflects what you could expect your score on the actual test to be.

I scored a 670 :x

40 on quant (16 incorrect)
41 on verbal (10 incorrect)

I do feel somewhat ok about this because I haven't taken a GMAT review course yet and really applied myself fully to studying.

What could I do to really push it up over a 700 or even a 720 score?

I had planned to take the Manhattan Gmat course in a live classroom.

Should this really do it? What else should I do to for 30-50 more points?

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by itobean » Thu May 03, 2007 11:18 am
I'll take your 670!!!

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by fsar45 » Sun May 13, 2007 7:26 pm
A 670 is a good start, especially with only "light" review. I don't think you need a class. Just get focused in your prep and you could see some nice improvements.

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by Tim7332 » Sun May 13, 2007 7:29 pm
yeah my 2 biggest weakness are sentence correction and data sufficiency. im just going to study hard until i consistently score over 700 on the practice test

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by beatthegmat » Sun May 13, 2007 9:23 pm
Tim7332 wrote:yeah my 2 biggest weakness are sentence correction and data sufficiency. im just going to study hard until i consistently score over 700 on the practice test
Do you have the Manhattan GMAT SC Guide? It's regarded as the best book on the market for GMAT SC prep.
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by Tim7332 » Sun May 13, 2007 9:28 pm
no but I'm currently bidding on it on ebay. as well as the offical math and verbal review supplements.

I'm hoping with those 3 books ill be able to get sufficient practice to get over a 700. although i took the practice test on gmat prep a few times now and my test scores are all over the place

610, 650, 670, 680

I'm really hoping I could knock out a 700 without having to retake the test so you think I should do my studying until i can score over a 700 a few times in a row on the gmat prep exam?

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by beatthegmat » Sun May 13, 2007 9:32 pm
I think it's a good goal to try getting your target score in one shot--but also keep in mind that there's no shame in taking the test twice. It's very common and admissions folks won't look down on you for the effort.

With regard to the GMATPrep exam. There are only two fresh tests in this software. If you use GMATPrep more than two times, there is a good chance you will encounter repeat questions, which isn't helpful for determining your score.

Are you still planning to take the live MGMAT course? That should help you push your score...
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by Tim7332 » Sun May 13, 2007 9:37 pm
I'm still undecided on the mgmat online course. I guess I'll have to see how the books I buy improve my score.

The gmat prep tests have a large pool of questions and while I do see some repeats, I see mostly new questions each time I take it.

Also, I dont check my answers so that I can take it again and if I haven't learned how to do the problem I'll just get it wrong again.

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by fsar45 » Tue May 15, 2007 3:58 am
"Also, I dont check my answers so that I can take it again and if I haven't learned how to do the problem I'll just get it wrong again."

This is not a good strategy. You NEED to check your answers and see what you did wrong so that you can improve and correct errors in your strategy or calculation. Reviewing errors is a critical part of your prep. Don't ignore that for the sake of being able to retake the GMATPrep tests. There are plenty of other good tests on the market! I used Princeton Review's tests and they were very close to the real thing.

Really, really, don't just retake tests without knowing what you're doing wrong.

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by aim-wsc » Tue May 15, 2007 4:31 am
agree with fsar45 :)

still i think sim CATs should come at the last phase of your preparation
i'd concentrate on improving math skills for some days and then note to timed practise tests.

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by Tim7332 » Tue May 15, 2007 5:53 am
Well the reason I don't find it necessary to check my answers in the gmat prep is because when you do, it doesn't explain the answers to you. I'm fairly knowledgeable about what I struggle with and if a question seems uncertain I write down the type of it "properties of numbers, exponents..." etc.

I have something like 169 questions in the official guide along with a lot of math review I can use to study from. There's only 37 questions on the quantitative gmat prep test. So knowing I got one wrong won't tell me what I did wrong to calculate it. It just lets me know I got it wrong.

I don't want to be tempted to memorize the answer the next time I see it on the gmat prep test.

Are princeton tests expensive?

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by beatthegmat » Tue May 15, 2007 6:45 pm
Tim7332 wrote:Well the reason I don't find it necessary to check my answers in the gmat prep is because when you do, it doesn't explain the answers to you. I'm fairly knowledgeable about what I struggle with and if a question seems uncertain I write down the type of it "properties of numbers, exponents..." etc.

I have something like 169 questions in the official guide along with a lot of math review I can use to study from. There's only 37 questions on the quantitative gmat prep test. So knowing I got one wrong won't tell me what I did wrong to calculate it. It just lets me know I got it wrong.

I don't want to be tempted to memorize the answer the next time I see it on the gmat prep test.

Are princeton tests expensive?
I disagree with your approach, Tim. I think that it is critical to review your answers to GMATPrep tests. If you are uncertain about your mistakes, share them here so we can help you figure them out.

These GMAT concepts are tested over and over again, and it's possible that questions you see on the actual GMAT can be similar to what you observed in GMATPrep. It pays to understand GMATPrep questions and OG questions inside out--I think it's the most important part of preparing for the GMAT.

Best of luck!
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