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Tons of studying, and yet no improvement.... GMAT in 5 days!

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Tons of studying, and yet no improvement.... GMAT in 5 days!

by briangtsmith » Sun Oct 31, 2010 9:26 am
I'm in panic mode.

GMAT D-Day is 5 days from now, and I've seen no significant improvement on my CATs!

3 months ago I took the 2 official CAT's, scoring 650 and 640 (lost breakdown).

Since, I've scored the following:

Knewton 620 (41Q, 36V)
Knewton 640 (38Q, 42V)
Knewton 660 (42Q, 40V)
Knewton 700 (41Q, 47V)
Knewton 650 (42Q, 39V)

Princeton 680 (45V, 38Q)

MGMAT 680 (lost breakdown)

Kaplan 580 (lost breakdown)


I had saved repeating the GMAT Cat's until the end, so took the first of them today:

650 (38Q, 40V)

What's going on? I've studied a TON and FEEL like I've improced. As I take the test, I feel more knowledgeable and keen on the strategies involved.

My quant is low, but I'm good at math...what to do??? 5 days!
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by clawhammer » Sun Oct 31, 2010 10:10 am
Hi Brian,

I'm giving you a different kind of opinion, feel free to disagree. Here's the thing, you need to out of that panic stage - that's causing further stress. I'm having similar difficulties, and I'm weeks away.

Best thing you should do is take the stress off from the exam.

Let's think reasonable, if you don't have any hard deadline to meet, most probably you're okay for many schools in round-2 (that's in Jan). So just take this test by making yourself agree that you will be taking another one in 3-4 weeks. That's like the 1st week of December. You'll have to calm down and take on each question steady. Do what you can for each question, skip when you have to, but give a fight. In such a strategy, you've nothing to prove, but lot to learn from the real test. This will take some pressure off and might give you added focus, and you never know how that can work for you at such a stage.

Just an idea. Do some reviews of your notes and stay calm. Unlike most other exams you have taken in life, this can be retaken without any damage to your final use of the score.
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by aslan » Mon Nov 01, 2010 6:28 am
hey i think ure pretty good here!.....47V.....cmon man...i cant even break the 40 barrier here and run out of time mostly....improving maths is all what you get after reviewing mistakes and remembering them i guess..gud luck!
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by Brian@VeritasPrep » Tue Nov 02, 2010 9:17 am
Hey Brian,

Man, clawhammer gives some monster advice there...I'll second that wholeheartedly!

My bet - if you've scored that well on the Knewton and MGMAT exams, you can't fake it...you have 700+ potential. But you've probably also squeezed a few tests in after work, or early enough on a Saturday morning that you could get out and do other things after, etc. A lot of times the practice CATs aren't a perfect estimate of how you'll do on test day simply because it's not test day. If you've taken as many tests as you have, studied as much as you have, and balanced all of that with the rest of your life, it's natural that you weren't as 100% focused and fresh as you will be on test day.

Accordingly, I'd look at it this way - you've definitely shown improvement on most of your practice tests, and you've also learned that scores can range based on intangible factors like rest, focus, etc. Do exactly what clawhammer said - go into the test relaxed, seeing it as an opportunity to post a terrific score but not as a catastrophe if you don't. Let the fact that you'll be treating test day differently - more rest, less study, etc. the day before - serve as evidence that you'll probably score toward the top end of your range, and use that as confidence.

Best of luck this week!
Brian Galvin
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Chief Academic Officer
Veritas Prep

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by briangtsmith » Wed Nov 03, 2010 3:53 pm
All,

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement!

I didn't listen, though, and took my last CAT test....I couldn't resist! You all put me in a positive, pumped-up mood so I just HAD to take it, haha!

Anyway, doing so ended up being a good idea.

730 : )

Now, let's see what happens Friday. At the very least, I'm RELAXED going into it!

Thanks again!!!
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by aslan » Wed Nov 03, 2010 4:52 pm
heyy..what did i say...u were just fretting over it too much :) (anyone who can score like that on verbal can score in 700's)

now go and destroy it!

good luck!
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by briangtsmith » Sat Nov 06, 2010 8:31 am
Thanks again to all!

Took the GMAT yesterday (finally!) and got a 700! 42Q/42V
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by aslan » Sat Nov 06, 2010 8:59 am
wow!!....congratulatins man!...knew you would do it :))....debrief awaited now!
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by briangtsmith » Sat Nov 06, 2010 9:12 am
Oops, forgot!

Debrief isn't finished yet, but the bit I wrote so far is located here:

https://www.beatthegmat.com/700-boom-t69598.html#314542
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