This is my first time posting on the forum, but I think I've read enough posts and replies to have a sense of what I need to include in order to get good feedback.
Testing Background:
I started studying for the GMAT in June of 2011. I took Manhattan GMAT's online course through the summer. I scored an abysmal 370 on the diagnostic, but that was in part because I didn't understand the timing element and I didn't answer the last few questions. After a few weeks in the class, I scored a 530 (Q:32, V:31). Quant is my weakness - I haven't devoted much studying to verbal and have hovered around a 32 - 35. By the end of the MGMAT course, I scored a 560 (Q:33, V:34) on the last 2 practice tests. Although I knew I wouldn't get anywhere near my target score, I had already scheduled my test, so I took the real GMAT in September and scored a 470 (Q:25, V:31), which by the way is the exact score that I got on my 3rd MGMAT CAT exam.
After my horrible score, I decided to go with private tutoring with MGMAT since I had all of the strategy guides, etc. I did private tutoring online from September through December. I needed to take the test again in December so that I could apply round 2 in January. I took the GMATPrep test in November and scored a 530 (Q:30, V:32). At this point I knew I was in trouble considering my test was scheduled for December and my target score was 650 or better. I took the GMAT again in December and scored a 440 (Q: 25, V:25). I wanted to jump off of a bridge after this test. I stopped tutoring after the test in December and basically left the GMAT alone for a little. I had to take an official test again since December and scored a 530 (Q:29, V:34).
I did not apply to school in round 2 because my GMAT score would not allow. I decided to start studying again, take the test again in June '12 with a score of 650+ and apply round 1 in the fall 2012. I decided to go with a private tutor who I could meet with in person to see if this would make a difference in my success and ability to have someone who could better identify what I'm doing wrong. I have been tutoring for 2 hours/week for the last month, and took the GMATPrep test again today and scored a 510 (Q: 29, V:31). What am I doing wrong and why won't my score move?
How I Studied:
When I was taking the MGMAT course, I went through the entire Foundations of Math book (including all of the drills) from start to finish before beginning the course. While I was taking the course, I did all of the quant homework which included OG problems by topic. For most questions (all that I answered wrong, and some that I got right), I would review why I answered the question wrong and try to ensure I knew how to avoid doing so again. I only focused on quant for my review.
When I started my online tutoring with my MGMAT tutor, he told me that I needed to build my foundation, so each week I would go through a strategy guide in detail + the corresponding chapter in the MGMT Foundations of Math book in order to try and build up each topic. Again, I only focused on quant.
Now that I'm working with my current tutor, he also said that we need to build my foundation so each time I study, I try to spend 1 hour doing drills and then the remainder of my time reviewing OG problems. When I first started with my tutor, I explained that a lot of the questions on the actual test seem foreign to me (the way they are written, and sometimes what they are testing is confusing on the actual exam). So now I take one GMAC paper practice test per week in order to gain exposure to the OG problems and try to learn from them. I will admit that I feel that one practice test per week is too much because I don't feel like I have enough time to review all of the questions and actually increase my content knowledge.
Based on the diagnostic from MGMAT on my old practice tests (which is likely still accurate):
My average answers right: 500 level; following are my accuracy levels by content type
- Data Sufficiency: 48%
- Problem Solving: 42%
- I am worst at FDP's, 33%
- Geometry is week, 37%
- Number Properties, 43%
- Word Problems, 52%
- Algebra, 53%
Verbal - my issue is CR (I switched to Powerscore CR Bible and this helped me understand CR better, but still have lots of work to do)
- CR: 45% (average right - 610)
- RC: 54% (620)
- SC: 66% (630)
At this point, I don't think I will ever be successful on this test. I hate to say it and give up like this, but the writing seems to be on the wall. I still have 8 weeks before my target test date at the end of June, but I haven't seen any sort of score increase. If there is anyone who has any ideas on a different strategy that may work, please suggest it. I don't want to give up on my goal of getting a half way decent score, but it gets increasingly discouraging with each practice or real test. Also, considering I've taken the real exam 3 times, I only have one more shot. Thanks in advance for any help (sorry for the long post).
[/b]
Testing Background:
I started studying for the GMAT in June of 2011. I took Manhattan GMAT's online course through the summer. I scored an abysmal 370 on the diagnostic, but that was in part because I didn't understand the timing element and I didn't answer the last few questions. After a few weeks in the class, I scored a 530 (Q:32, V:31). Quant is my weakness - I haven't devoted much studying to verbal and have hovered around a 32 - 35. By the end of the MGMAT course, I scored a 560 (Q:33, V:34) on the last 2 practice tests. Although I knew I wouldn't get anywhere near my target score, I had already scheduled my test, so I took the real GMAT in September and scored a 470 (Q:25, V:31), which by the way is the exact score that I got on my 3rd MGMAT CAT exam.
After my horrible score, I decided to go with private tutoring with MGMAT since I had all of the strategy guides, etc. I did private tutoring online from September through December. I needed to take the test again in December so that I could apply round 2 in January. I took the GMATPrep test in November and scored a 530 (Q:30, V:32). At this point I knew I was in trouble considering my test was scheduled for December and my target score was 650 or better. I took the GMAT again in December and scored a 440 (Q: 25, V:25). I wanted to jump off of a bridge after this test. I stopped tutoring after the test in December and basically left the GMAT alone for a little. I had to take an official test again since December and scored a 530 (Q:29, V:34).
I did not apply to school in round 2 because my GMAT score would not allow. I decided to start studying again, take the test again in June '12 with a score of 650+ and apply round 1 in the fall 2012. I decided to go with a private tutor who I could meet with in person to see if this would make a difference in my success and ability to have someone who could better identify what I'm doing wrong. I have been tutoring for 2 hours/week for the last month, and took the GMATPrep test again today and scored a 510 (Q: 29, V:31). What am I doing wrong and why won't my score move?
How I Studied:
When I was taking the MGMAT course, I went through the entire Foundations of Math book (including all of the drills) from start to finish before beginning the course. While I was taking the course, I did all of the quant homework which included OG problems by topic. For most questions (all that I answered wrong, and some that I got right), I would review why I answered the question wrong and try to ensure I knew how to avoid doing so again. I only focused on quant for my review.
When I started my online tutoring with my MGMAT tutor, he told me that I needed to build my foundation, so each week I would go through a strategy guide in detail + the corresponding chapter in the MGMT Foundations of Math book in order to try and build up each topic. Again, I only focused on quant.
Now that I'm working with my current tutor, he also said that we need to build my foundation so each time I study, I try to spend 1 hour doing drills and then the remainder of my time reviewing OG problems. When I first started with my tutor, I explained that a lot of the questions on the actual test seem foreign to me (the way they are written, and sometimes what they are testing is confusing on the actual exam). So now I take one GMAC paper practice test per week in order to gain exposure to the OG problems and try to learn from them. I will admit that I feel that one practice test per week is too much because I don't feel like I have enough time to review all of the questions and actually increase my content knowledge.
Based on the diagnostic from MGMAT on my old practice tests (which is likely still accurate):
My average answers right: 500 level; following are my accuracy levels by content type
- Data Sufficiency: 48%
- Problem Solving: 42%
- I am worst at FDP's, 33%
- Geometry is week, 37%
- Number Properties, 43%
- Word Problems, 52%
- Algebra, 53%
Verbal - my issue is CR (I switched to Powerscore CR Bible and this helped me understand CR better, but still have lots of work to do)
- CR: 45% (average right - 610)
- RC: 54% (620)
- SC: 66% (630)
At this point, I don't think I will ever be successful on this test. I hate to say it and give up like this, but the writing seems to be on the wall. I still have 8 weeks before my target test date at the end of June, but I haven't seen any sort of score increase. If there is anyone who has any ideas on a different strategy that may work, please suggest it. I don't want to give up on my goal of getting a half way decent score, but it gets increasingly discouraging with each practice or real test. Also, considering I've taken the real exam 3 times, I only have one more shot. Thanks in advance for any help (sorry for the long post).
[/b]
