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GMAT Verbal Strategy for retake

Critical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension
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GMAT Verbal Strategy for retake

by chillidawg » Mon May 23, 2016 11:46 am
Hello,

Long time lurker looking for some help. I have searched the forums but wasn't able to completely pin down a good choice. I took the GMAT today and had the following breakout:

Score: 650
Quant: 47 Verbal: 34

I have also taken 6 GMAC practice tests, I bought the extra test prep software with the following break out in the attached picture.

I am looking for advice on how to get consistency in my verbal section, specifically SC and CR, because if I could just lock that into a high 30s low 40s I would have achieved my goal and got close to a 700. I used MGMAT books and the OG to self-study. I went through my mistakes in the error log. I often feel like being a native English speaker, I might be getting to technical on my SC approach.

Any ideas?
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by [email protected] » Mon May 23, 2016 4:20 pm
Hi chillidawg,

First off, a 650/Q47 is a strong score (it's right around the 80th percentile overall), so it could be enough to get you into your first-choice School. As such, a retest might not be necessary.

If you do plan to retest though, with a goal of 700+, you'll likely need to improve how you handle the Quant section as well as how you handle the Verbal section. Before we can talk about all of that though, I'm hoping that you can provide a bit more information about your studies so far:

1) How long have you studied?
2) Did you have to rush to finish any of the sections on Test Day?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
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by chillidawg » Wed May 25, 2016 7:08 am
Hi Rich,

Thanks for the response. In regards to your questions:

1) I studied for about 3 months, and the with demands of work I definitely had a week or two where I didn't have time to really focus on the GMAT at all (i.e. working to 10pm-midnight).

2)My pacing has been rather consistent and I didn't feel rushed to finish either section However, I do tend to speed up a little towards the end to make sure I can address the last question.

3) I anticipate applying to R1 and R2 this coming fall. I would like to take another shot at the GMAT this summer.
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by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Wed May 25, 2016 7:15 am
chillidawg wrote:Hello,

Long time lurker looking for some help. I have searched the forums but wasn't able to completely pin down a good choice. I took the GMAT today and had the following breakout:

Score: 650
Quant: 47 Verbal: 34

I have also taken 6 GMAC practice tests, I bought the extra test prep software with the following break out in the attached picture.

I am looking for advice on how to get consistency in my verbal section, specifically SC and CR, because if I could just lock that into a high 30s low 40s I would have achieved my goal and got close to a 700. I used MGMAT books and the OG to self-study. I went through my mistakes in the error log. I often feel like being a native English speaker, I might be getting to technical on my SC approach.

Any ideas?
Here's my verbal crash course:

- Read voraciously everyday for two weeks. (Anything challenging will do.) There's research suggesting that the physiology of our brains changes when we read more: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/ar ... in/282952/

- Consider incorporating some mindfulness meditation. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archi ... on/275564/

Afterwards, review the official material you've worked through and see if there are patterns to the questions you've missed. Anything unclear, post here. Jot a few notes to yourself about simple adjustments you can make. Remember that for all the strategies/grammar rules we teach, the verbal section is primarily about logic and focus. Practice boiling everything down to its essence. Always ask yourself, before you select an answer in sentence correction, if the sentence, when read literally, is clear and logical. Before you select an answer in Critical Reasoning always take another moment and ask if your answer really does impact the conclusion. Before you select an answer in Reading Comp ask yourself if there's textual support for that answer. Be relentless. Then hit some fresh official tests: https://www.mba.com/us/store/store-catal ... ack-1.aspx
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by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Wed May 25, 2016 7:17 am
One more thing - check out this article about test-day hacks to boost performance:

https://creatingpositivefutures.com/3-re ... t-anxiety/
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by [email protected] » Wed May 25, 2016 10:18 am
Hi chillidawg,

Considering you used a rather limited, 'book-heavy' study plan, you've done well. Many Test Takers who use that type of plan end up getting 'stuck' at a particular score level though, so it's likely that you'll need to invest in some new resources and learn/practice some new Tactics. With a potential retest in August, you have plenty of time to study and hit your goal. Given the work that you've done so far, it's probably best for you to continue studying so that you can keep the 'momentum' of your studies going. You could conceivably retest and hit your score goal in 1-2 months.

1) Barring the exceptions that you mentioned, how many hours do you study during a typical week?

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by chillidawg » Thu May 26, 2016 6:09 am
1) I usually get 10-15 hours a week.

I am looking for new verbal and quant resources and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions? I am looking at e-gmat verbal, but wanted to know if any native speakers had any experience with it, as most reviews seem like they are non-native speakers? In addition, I am considering Target Test Prep to get quant in the 49-51 range. Does this seem like overkill?
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by [email protected] » Thu May 26, 2016 9:41 am
Hi chillidawg,

When it comes to studying for the GMAT, there are a variety of different options. Most GMAT Companies offer some type of free materials (practice problems, Trial Accounts, videos, etc.) that you can use to 'test out' a product before you buy it. We have a variety of those resources at our website (www.empowergmat.com). I suggest that you take advantage of all of them then choose the one that best matches your personality, timeline and budget.

If you have any additional question, then just let me know.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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