Help! 5 Week to Study - 40 Point Goal

Expert replies

mill1469: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 4; Joined: Mon Apr 15, 2013 6:25 pm

by mill1469 » Thu May 16, 2013 5:21 pm

Hi everyone- I took the GMAT a few months back and got a 660 (38Q- yikes!, 41V)... of course I was super happy with the verbal score but disappointed on the quant. In general though my test scores prior to the exam date ranged from 650 - 720 so while 660 was on the low end, not a huge surprise.

I've been studying again for a few weeks now but have realized that without the "time crunch" I tend to be really dedicated for a few days, slack a few, on and off so I've just re-scheduled my second GMAT in 6 weeks... I have a long weekend trip planned next weekend so I'm going to consider it more like 5 full weeks. If I feel really unprepared 10 days out, I'll just pay the $50 and reschedule.

I'm just wondering if anyone can give me advice on how to really beef up my quant score in this time. I work full time so I am aiming to have 12 hours of study time a week... 60+ hours, I feel like that should be enough time to get the bump I need... honestly even 20 points would be a win in my book.

Overall when I look at recent CATs for practice there isn't one subject I truly struggle with, it's more like I'm only okay at all of them. Does anyone have any ideas for ways to just really drill and practice overall quant skills in this time frame??

Thank you!!!

Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy | Thu May 16, 2013 5:21 pm

Jim@StratusPrep: MBA Admissions Consultant; Posts: 2279; Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 7:51 amFollowed by: 266 members; Location: New York; Thanked: 660 times; GMAT Score:770

by Jim@StratusPrep » Fri May 17, 2013 5:42 am

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix. As you said, you need to get better everywhere. In order to do this you need to get better at identifying problems and solution paths. I recommend looking at different questions from the same topic area and seeing 1) why are they in that topic area, and 2) what about each question makes the solution path different.

GMAT Answers provides a world class adaptive learning platform.
-- Push button course navigation to simplify planning
-- Daily assignments to fit your exam timeline
-- Organized review that is tailored based on your abiility
-- 1,000s of unique GMAT questions
-- 100s of handwritten 'digital flip books' for OG questions
-- 100% Free Trial and less than $20 per month after.
-- Free GMAT Quantitative Review

GMAT/MBA Expert

ceilidh.erickson: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 2095; Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 3:22 pmFollowed by: 247 members; Thanked: 1443 times

by ceilidh.erickson » Fri May 17, 2013 9:44 am

There really is no such thing as "overall quant skills." You need to be strong in all of the following:

- Content knowledge - do you know all of your rules and formulas? Do you know how to quickly convert fractions to decimals, how to simplify exponents, how to find the volume of a cylinder? Do you know 2^6 and the approximate value of 3^(1/2) off the top of your head?

- Pattern recognition - can you recognize hidden quadratic problems (like PS #117) or disguised consecutive integer questions (like PS #170 (12th))? Can you connect every new question to others that you've seen?

- Shortcut strategies - do you know how and when to plug values, or work backwards from the answer choices? Do you know which questions you can solve by approximating?

- Solid technique - can you solve problems without making careless errors or overlooking information? Do you try to prove insufficiency on DS, without jumping to conclusions?

The first thing you need to do is decide which of these areas are deficient, and work at those. Review your practice tests in a LOT of depth (both right and wrong answers) to see where you need more work.

And track your work! https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -studying/

Good luck!

Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education

GMAT Course Reviews

563 reviews

1168 reviews

431 reviews

359 reviews

147 reviews

5/5

5 Star (563 Reviews)

"Target Test Prep is the closest to the official version of the GMAT exam, about 99% accuracy in terms of the quality and quantity of information. The course has excellently created singular sets of focused lessons and tests for every possible topic that one could come across in the official GMAT exam."

"The TTP course maximizes the efficiency of the time you spend studying. It will take time and effort but I could almost guarantee that if you complete the course exactly as it is laid out you will get an amazing score. They also have a very responsive team willing to help with any questions you might have."

"TTP has two things that I think no other test prep company offers: A teaching approach that reinforces understanding and an attitude that will give you the mental preparedness needed to succeed on the test. TTP gives you a deep understanding of the concept you need to know while teaching you how to think."

Write a Review