I need help

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I need help

by rsiddiqu » Sun Sep 01, 2013 2:03 pm
I have been studying for awhile and i noticed that i am better in math than writing. I took three practice test, the first with kaplan, the second one with princeton review, and the third one with the gmat site. I got a 550 the first time, 390 the second time and 380 the third time. I am really disheartened as i started off well and then i did bad. I really increased my math score but my verbal section was bad. After taking the first test my verbal and math were the same and i thought i'd focus on math but that was the wrong strategy. I am increasing my score on the math everytime but the verbal is really hard for me. I get tired towards the end and I can't put in the same focus. People are telling me that i need to focus on theory and basic concepts for the verbal section. I just bought the verbal prep test for the manhattan gmat book so I am going to use that to help me but are there any other techniques i can use?

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by [email protected] » Sun Sep 01, 2013 10:20 pm
Hi rsiddiqu,

If you can answer a few questions for me, then I'll be happy to offer some advice:

1) What were your Scaled Scores on each of the Practice Tests?
2) Have you scheduled your actual GMAT? If so, when is it?
3) What is your score goal?
4) What schools do you want to apply to?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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by rsiddiqu » Mon Sep 02, 2013 5:53 am
On my first test I received a 20 on the math and I got a 23 on reading. On the second and third test I got a 21 on math and a 22 on math and I averaged around a 11-15 on reading. My second and third scores were 390 and 380. I don't know how my scores could be so different. I believe its because I can't focus on the reading section because its the last one and I am tired mentally. Initially after the second test I thought that was the problem so I did some practice and started reading 30-45 mins everyday. So on my test any free time that I had i just used it all up to rest and take a break mentally like drifting off and stuff. However, I actually got a lower score. Some people say that I should focus on the basics so that I can recognize the answers right away like for the sentence correction and stuff. What do you think? And I'm targeting a gmat late september or Early october. The range I want to get into is somewhere in 500-600. I want to attend the university of hartford and there is 550. I want to get a little higher just in case. As soon as i got the first score i was like all right i'm on my way but now i am disheartened

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by spinningvector » Mon Sep 02, 2013 7:02 am

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by [email protected] » Mon Sep 02, 2013 1:21 pm
Hi rsiddiqu,

Based on what you've described, you're going to have to change how you "view" the Test. Since your goal is modest, it's possible that you could score in the 550-650 range without having to spend lots of time studying. I'm going to suggest that you schedule your GMAT as late as possible though, since the extra study time would be beneficial.

Moving forward, you can't afford to "drift" (as you've described). Taking the two 8-minute breaks during a CAT (and on the GMAT) is a good idea, but letting your mind drift is NOT what you should be doing with those breaks.

Since your last two CATs results have been low, I'm going to suggest that you invest in a GMAT Prep Course of some kind. You should check out all the various options (most companies offer free resources or trial-periods) and choose the one that best matches your personality and price range, but don't take too long to decide.

You can absolutely achieve your goals, but you have to put in the necessary time, money and effort to do so.

If you have any additional questions, then feel free to contact me directly.

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Rich
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