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I failed please help GMAT (2) in 3 weeks!!!

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I failed please help GMAT (2) in 3 weeks!!!

by SoniaRYK » Tue Jan 12, 2010 1:23 pm
Hi everyone,

I am looking for your help because I am the right example of you should not do when preparing for the GMAT! I bought a book named PEARSON GMAT ( I live in France at the bookstore the lady said the book was okay), I trusted her and begin two months ago to work on it, according to the book I was doing really well, and that is why I was so confident and underestimated the test!

I am an intern in big French firm and I usually finish work at 7 p.mso I didn't had time to focus on others books or to look information about the GMAT

I really underestimated it...

I took the test last friday and got a 490 score Q (24%) V(47%) which is a disaster as I need at least a 600 to get in a school next year.

When I found out about the test I decided to take it again and to find out what went wrong, I found this forum (which is awesome by the way) and I ran to the bookstore in order to get the OG12.

I realized the PEARSON GMAT was a loss of time and that I really needed to work on my quant and verbal sections.

I need your help because I am home at 7.15 p.m and going to work in the morning at 8.30. I need tips or strategies to help improve my score on a such short notice.

I am really freaking out...

Thanks for your help I am going back to work!
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by crackgmat007 » Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:49 pm
Hi SoniaRYK,

Sorry to hear about your experience. Dont loose hope. I did not get a good score in my first attempt either. GMAT is all about speed and accuracy. You need a balance of both. My experience says that there is no way you can solve all questions correctly in the allotted time (except for some star performers). This is where time management comes into picture.

Your approach should be to gain conceptual strengths that GMAT tests and then focus on time management. Here is what I would suggest:

1. Focus on the concepts that GMAT tests - there are just a limited number of concepts. (OG12 diagnostic test may help)
2. Identify the concepts you are strong and the ones you are not.
3. Chalk out a plan to reinforce your strengths and work on your weaknesses
4. After you are fairly clear of the concepts, solve OG 12 problems under time. 2 mins per problem for Quant and 1.45 mins for verbal. Maintain a log of errors capturing: type of question, concept missed, what did you learn.
5. Check where you are lagging behind and post questions in this wonderful forum. Take my word, you would get a reply in few hours.
6. After you are clear about the concepts and you are able to maintian speed and accuracy, give practice tests under exam conditions.
7. Do not care for the score in the practice tests. These scores help you determine how much more prep is required. If you get the score you want, go ahead and schedule the real exam
8. From now on, keep practicing test and revisiting the error log and concepts.

On the D day, keep your cool and just give the exam as a practice test.

I am not sure about the timing, but in general, the above approach should help. For more details of strategies for each section, check GMAT stragies section.

Here is my debrief, hoping that it might help you. https://www.beatthegmat.com/400-mock-to- ... 47965.html

Good Luck!
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by SoniaRYK » Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:09 am
Thanks a lot!

I will try to follow this plan as accurately as possible!

I really need to relax this whole thing is really freaking me out!

Thanks so much for your help!
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by GMATMadeEasy » Thu Feb 18, 2010 6:05 am
One thing Sonia as already mentioned but more important:

1. The mistakes you make first time is the mistake you will do again even if you had seen the solution first time (If you dont remember the answer) . Important is to maintain an error log and work on it after a few days again. Do those questions which you go t wrong in first place and i am sure some of those questions will be wrong. This is because you have to unlearn something which is wrong and overwrite it properly which is correct.

2. Take enough practise tests to get away stress and anxiety of the test. In last tests before test days, do tests with AWA included.

These points with the plan by GMAT crackGmat007 , you are on your way.
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by Osirus@VeritasPrep » Thu Feb 18, 2010 6:22 am
What you did is similar to what I did. I wasted my initial study time with the Barrons book. I would suggest doing the following. If you only have three weeks, that is not enough time to go through the best materials, but there are certain things that are absolutely vital. If you can afford to buy these books, I would recommend that you do so. Buy the Manhattan GMAT sentence correction guide, and buy the Manhattan GMAT Number Properties guide. I believe that mastery of these two books will imrpove your score by at least 50 points. The other 60 points will come from just going through the official guide and understanding how to do all of the problems in that guide.
https://www.beatthegmat.com/the-retake-o ... 51414.html

Brandon Dorsey
GMAT Instructor
Veritas Prep

Buy any Veritas Prep book(s) and receive access to 5 Practice Cats for free! Learn More.
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