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Query on Verbal Strategy going into the test

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Query on Verbal Strategy going into the test

by neerajeai » Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:29 pm
Experts,
I have close to 3 weeks for my GMAT appointment. Quants are my strength, and i consistenly hover around 48+.
I started with a dismal verbal score (diagnostic test), close to 25. I just completed my SC preps and am currently doing RC and CR from OG 13 everyday.
My CR diagnostic test score was 12 of 17. My SC hit rate under OG 13 currently is close to 80%+.
I am relying on extensive practice to sail me through RC passages in GMAT.

I definitely want to spend my last 7-10 days doing tests, practicing, general revisions and building up stamina for the big day.
What would you recommend w.r.t. verbal strategy that i can follow for the next 1-2 weeks, so that i can hit a 700 at GMAT.

thanks in advance, N
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by ceilidh.erickson » Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:14 am
First, identify any areas in which you've gotten several problems wrong. For example, if you've missed a number of modifier questions, go back and reread the modifiers chapter in whatever strategy guide you're using. Then, find 5-10 OG problems on that topic, and do them all in a row. Ask yourself - what patterns are there in the way the GMAT tests this concept? What are the clues that I'm looking at a modifier question? Attack your weaknesses topic-by-topic.

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is this: focus on quality, not quantity! You don't have to do every OG problem or every practice test out there to do well on the GMAT. You do need to reflect deeply on the problems you have done, and have a deep understanding of what's tested and how.
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by Kasia@EconomistGMAT » Wed Feb 13, 2013 12:51 pm
What I can recommend is to debrief your tests with great care - divide the questions that gave you problems into 3 categories:
1. done within the time limit but incorrect
2. over time and incorrect
3. over time and correct

Look for patterns and tendencies. Notice which question types you find the most challenging and try to say why. The questions that are done within time limit and incorrectly are usually the ones which you approach in the wrong way, i.e. use the wrong work order.
As to the second category - the question types done for too long and incorrectly, you need to try to improve your performance there or consider using personalized guessing strategy with regard to them not to waste time in the exam.
The third category are the questions that need speeding up. Try to do more such questions and time yourself.
It is worth to debrief every test in this way to be aware of your weaknesses and work on each type in an individual way.
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by neerajeai » Thu Feb 14, 2013 6:26 am
Thanks,
I took the verbal test today and scored a lowly 30.
Main observations:
1. 75 mins seemed agonizing long to focus on *seemingly* boring content. I was loosing focus very often.
2. I had to race through last 10-12 Q, as i had barely 5 mins to finish them. Needless to say, i got most of them wrong.

I understand that i need to build stamina going into the test (BTW i am 32 already with 10 yrs work ex), start enjoying the verbal content and come up with a strategy to attack CR and RC (my weaknesses).

I am planning to extend my prep by another month and a half to cover all fundamentals, come up with strategies for each question type, and practice more in a timed fashion to build the stamina going into the test. Mostly i need to start enjoying verbal content.

Your comments?

thanks in advance, N
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by ceilidh.erickson » Thu Feb 14, 2013 11:23 am
Getting bored and losing focus is something that we've all struggled with on the verbal. You have to find a way to make it interesting for yourself! Pretend that someone you love is reading it to you, or pretend someone you hate is reading it to you! If you fake that emotional engagement, it can actually trick your brain into caring more.

Make sure you're practicing verbal in 60-75 min sets so you can build that stamina for the real thing. Timing is critical!

Good luck.
Ceilidh Erickson
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by neerajeai » Thu Feb 14, 2013 11:38 am
Thanks :)
Its a V-day today, so i would rather *try to* think that someone i love is reading it to me.

thanks again, N
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by David@VeritasPrep » Fri Feb 15, 2013 5:18 pm
I thought that I would add to the conversation...

First of all, it is not a good idea to rush through all 10 - 12 questions in five minutes. Of course better time management throughout the section is key, but you also want try to do your best once you do realize that you are behind. I wrote an article about this on the Veritas Prep Blog. The article uses Quant as an example, but the recommendations apply to the verbal section as well.

https://www.veritasprep.com/blog/2012/12 ... -the-test/

What Ceilidh said is fun! I would also like to say that if you have a good strategy this can help keep you from being bored. Having a strategy means that you are engaged with the LOGIC of the question even if the subject matter does not interest you. I am interested in getting a question right and understanding the logic even if the subject matter is not important to me.

I would recommend that you think about the procedures that you use for each type of question and make sure that you have standard procedures that you use each time. Here is an example of having procedures that you follow. This is from Critical Reasoning and it involves Tim Duncan - who is playing in his 14th All Star Game this weekend.

https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2011/02/ ... duncan-way
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by vomhorizon » Sat Feb 16, 2013 5:28 am
I agree with david, the key to not running out of time on the GMAT (applies to both verbal and quant) is to follow the SAME procedure for similar "type" of question. With SC for example always read the entire sentence, try to spot the error (s) and then move onto answer choices. For CR always isolate the Premise and conclusions and then try to predict the answer before moving onto the choices. Whatever works best for you (there are usually multiple strategies to tackle each question type) make sure that you repeat the procedure on every question of that type. Our Mind works much faster if it has a clear plan and executes the same plan over and over again.
"When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you'll be successful." - Eric Thomas
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