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My verbal strategy

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My verbal strategy

by karmayogi » Sun Jan 04, 2009 9:20 am
Today I gave Kaplan CD test#1. Got alarming 580 (Q50, V26). I am not disheartened, rather I am more excited. My strategies are working. I know Kaplan is tough and doesn't represents your actual score, but definitely I am way behind my target score.

After the test analysis, to my astonishment, I found that I have spent around 18 minutes on 6 questions, and got all for them wrong. Worst part spent around 5 mins, 3.5 mins and 3 mins respectively on three of those questions. Wasting so much time on a difficult question is definitely insane, but while attempting these questions, I didn't realize that I am giving so much time to them. So how to decide when to leave a question? I have a technique that I would like to discuss with all. Please let me know whether the technique is correct.

Technique: I realized that all these questions were those which I couldn't able to comprehend in single read. That means, If I am unable to comprehend a question in single shot then chance of getting it is very bleak, irrespective of how many times I re-read it. Also, unlike in quants, in verbal we have no way to verify the answer. Hence, I will leave a verbal question, if I got neither head nor tail of the problem after first read. Looks like re-read doesn't work for me.

Let me know your thoughts.
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by timedout » Sun Jan 04, 2009 12:18 pm
dude, completely OT; but does the name "nishkam_karmayogi" mean anything to you?? :?:
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by timedout » Sun Jan 04, 2009 12:24 pm
kaplan is probably not the best place to start giving CATs as they can be brutal.

I suggest either give a princeton/veriats one (its free) or the diagnostics (under non-timed conditions) from OG 11. that will give you a better idea as to where you really are.

as for your concern about spending TOO much time. you are absolutely correct. No point in spending too much time over a question. You either know it or you dont.

and dont worry if you havent scored too well in your first attempt. It would be a long time since you gave a test and/or studied the material that is being tested. Actually a 580 is not a bad place to start.

all the best
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by karmayogi » Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:14 pm
timedout wrote:dude, completely OT; but does the name "nishkam_karmayogi" mean anything to you?? :?:
I didn't get your question. If it's not in context with this question, plz PM me.
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by karmayogi » Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:23 pm
timedout wrote:kaplan is probably not the best place to start giving CATs as they can be brutal.

I suggest either give a princeton/veriats one (its free) or the diagnostics (under non-timed conditions) from OG 11. that will give you a better idea as to where you really are.

as for your concern about spending TOO much time. you are absolutely correct. No point in spending too much time over a question. You either know it or you dont.

and dont worry if you havent scored too well in your first attempt. It would be a long time since you gave a test and/or studied the material that is being tested. Actually a 580 is not a bad place to start.

all the best
Thanks for response. I know that Kaplan is tough, Princeton is good to start with, ...blah blah. But my main question was "how to decide when to leave a question? " For that I have mentioned a technique and wanted to discuss over it.
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by cramya » Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:01 pm
how to decide when to leave a question
Excellent question for which all of us look for the magic answer.

This is my take:

If u are torn between 2 choices after POE (elimination) then instead of waiting more to choose one of the two go with what u think is correct. The probability of getting the answer correct is 50% (no matter when u make this choice) if in fact the correct answer is within the 2 choices u have narrowed down to.

I think I read this in one of the debriefs also. Just by taking more time does not help u with that question nor in time mangement on other questions.

Just my opinion...

Regards,
Cramya
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by logitech » Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:47 pm
most of the time we spend on the practice tests are the ones we get wrong!!

It does not get any worse than this: WASTE OF TIME + WRONG.

Oh it does not end here:

1) you have less time to spend on the questions you can actually GET right
2) You panic.

So what should we do ?

Karmayogi, I like the way you think..Sometimes we read something and it does not CLICK. We know from our correct answers that we can see the way out in a short time. ( Most of the correct answer choices are done within 3 minutes )

So here is my strategy:

1) Learn the types of question you USUALLY get wrong or lets say LOW ACCURACY.

2) Once you see them give your fight for 2 minutes , if you feel like you are getting somewhere ( WHICH IS HARD TO DECIDE ) put another 30 seconds or so...IF you still stare at the screen, smile and say: That was a good one GMAT, lets play again and move forward.

:)
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by logitech » Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:53 pm
Test makers are SMART people. They know test takers psychology inside out. So they insert an INSANE question not because they think you should SOLVE it but to measure how you MANAGE your time and realize it is not WORTH it to try and MOVE on.

And I know how HARD it is to be professional enough to kiss a question goodbye. You start your quant or verbal and your mind is set to do your best in the first questions and here it is..a stupid question from another planet and it is the 3rd question...

Will you try and solve it for 2-3 minutes and not ruin the next 34 questions

OR

Will you WASTE your 7 minutes, get panic and RUIN the REST of the TEST!

Are you a good decision maker OR not ?

Are you a business school candidate or NOT ?

:twisted:
LGTCH
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by karmayogi » Sun Jan 04, 2009 8:50 pm
@logitech

Very apt reply. This is what I was looking for.

Let me admit, I am weak in verbal. I find very difficult to comprehend a densely written text. During exam, we are mostly in flow and don't keep track of how much time we spent on each question. We hardly realize that we have already crossed the deadline of 2 mins :). So my strategy, at least for CR, will be simple: If argument is dense, the length of argument plus options is long, and I couldn't able to get anything out of it after first read then make a intelligent guess and move on!.

Thanks for your time. You have completely century in the number of times thanked with my thanks. :)
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