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Thought I'd be happy with 710

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Thought I'd be happy with 710

by NextGreatLeader » Fri Apr 05, 2013 5:02 am
I scored a 710 on the official test. Unfortunately, my scores are completely imbalanced: Q39 (48%), V48(99%).

On practice tests from MGMAT and GMATPrep, my quant score has fluctuated between 44-47. Therefore, the Q39 is highly upsetting. To top it off, this was my second official test. The first time I scored Q37, when my practice test scores were around Q44-45. (I was sick during my first test so I considered that score a fluke until I bombed quant the second time).

To prepare for the test, I started with Knewton. Knewton helped me to just review and remember basic high school math that I haven't had to think about in years. After that, I worked through the MGMAT quant guides and about half of the OG quant problems.

I took a month off to regroup and now I'm diving back in to studying. I just hired a private tutor, so hopefully our first meeting will help me. Until then, I'd appreciate any advice...

p.s. I, unfortunately cannot offer any advice for those struggling with verbal. I've never studied verbal; 100% of my time has been devoted to quant. As a native English speaker, who has always enjoyed reading and writing, the verbal section just comes naturally to me.
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by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Sat Apr 06, 2013 5:36 am
Excellent work, NextGreatLeader
It's nice to be in a position where 710 is unsatisfactory. With quant scores of 44-47 on previous practice tests, a 99th percentile score is certainly within reach if you can duplicate that on test day.
Let us know how the next attempt goes.

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by NextGreatLeader » Sat Apr 06, 2013 7:26 am
Thanks Brent. The 710 is actually satisfactory, it's just the balance of the sub-scores that is not, and the fact that I have taken the test twice now and my official quant scores haven't been even close to my practice test quant scores.
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by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Sat Apr 06, 2013 7:44 am
I can see how such a discrepancy would be frustrating, especially since you obviously know the material.

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by lunarpower » Sat Apr 20, 2013 3:42 am
i received a private message regarding this thread.

in quant, if you are scoring ~40, the most valuable realization for you to make is that you aren't going to get anywhere at all by studying more mathematics.
this test only tests mathematics up to first-year high-school algebra and geometry; if you are at ~40 in quant then you've got those locked down already.
what you're missing here is strategy. if you are like most others in your position, then the most likely problem is that you're only attacking the questions with "academic"/"textbook" techniques, and not with the just-as-good methods that wouldn't have gotten full credit in Mrs. Throckmorton's 8th grade algebra class.

so...
the best thing for you to practice-really, the only thing for you to practice, if you're scoring at your current level-is alternative methods.
things like ...
... backsolving from the answer choices (on PS)
... plugging in your own values (on PS)
... estimation (on PS)
... testing cases (on DS)
... understanding and avoiding "trap" answers (on DS)

how often do you do these?
if the answer is not "on a regular basis", then, well, there's at least 4 or 5 extra quant points right there.
* backsolving can solve up to 1/4 of ALL multiple choice problems.
* plugging your own numbers can solve up to 1/3 of ALL multiple choice problems.
* estimation can narrow down a huge fraction of multiple choice problems, though it may not necessarily lead to a single answer.
* testing cases in DS can solve up to HALF of all DS problems (!!).

the numbers are pretty clear-these are a much, much higher priority than any math topic.

if you don't know what i am talking about with any of these, let me know.
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.

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by AdvenofTintin » Sat Apr 20, 2013 7:37 am
lunarpower wrote:i received a private message regarding this thread.

in quant, if you are scoring ~40, the most valuable realization for you to make is that you aren't going to get anywhere at all by studying more mathematics.
this test only tests mathematics up to first-year high-school algebra and geometry; if you are at ~40 in quant then you've got those locked down already.
what you're missing here is strategy. if you are like most others in your position, then the most likely problem is that you're only attacking the questions with "academic"/"textbook" techniques, and not with the just-as-good methods that wouldn't have gotten full credit in Mrs. Throckmorton's 8th grade algebra class.

so...
the best thing for you to practice-really, the only thing for you to practice, if you're scoring at your current level-is alternative methods.
things like ...
... backsolving from the answer choices (on PS)
... plugging in your own values (on PS)
... estimation (on PS)
... testing cases (on DS)
... understanding and avoiding "trap" answers (on DS)

how often do you do these?
if the answer is not "on a regular basis", then, well, there's at least 4 or 5 extra quant points right there.
* backsolving can solve up to 1/4 of ALL multiple choice problems.
* plugging your own numbers can solve up to 1/3 of ALL multiple choice problems.
* estimation can narrow down a huge fraction of multiple choice problems, though it may not necessarily lead to a single answer.
* testing cases in DS can solve up to HALF of all DS problems (!!).

the numbers are pretty clear-these are a much, much higher priority than any math topic.

if you don't know what i am talking about with any of these, let me know.
Hi Ron,

My scores in quant have reached 40-44 and are stuck,in the last two tests i have got the same range, i really want to move on from Q44 to Q48.
Could you please elaborate on some of the points you make here especially Backsolving and estimation.
I use traditional way(high school way) of solving the questions and waste few minutes extra on few particular topics like Geometry and D.S questions that test on Powers and roots,fractions, in the end i have to make guesses because of time constraint.
How could Backsolving and estimation help me on these topics and how should i go about practising them.
Also if you could please help me with guessing strategy in Quant PS ,DS both.
I am able to make guesses in verbal, but Quant i am not even sure where to begin,end up guessing randomly.

Regards and Thanks in Advance
Samvit
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by lunarpower » Wed Apr 24, 2013 5:00 am
samvit wrote:
lunarpower wrote: Could you please elaborate on some of the points you make here especially Backsolving and estimation.
"backsolving" means, basically, starting from an answer choice, and working back through the information in the problem (in whatever possible way). if everything "clicks" (= is consistent) with everything else once you've gone through all the infromation, then you've found the correct answer.
the thing that's especially cool about backsolving (aside from the fact that it allows you to avoid annoying algebra, which is also cool) is that you don't really need a solid plan for how to work through the information-you can just use any statement that you haven't used yet.

try it on the following problems in OG12 (sorry, i don't have OG13 problem numbers for this yet, but there's probably a conversion table if you don't have the 12th edition):

220 (you may want to pick numbers too)

218 (just plug in and see if it works)

215 (just plug in and see if it works)

211

210 (pick the points (3, 0) and (0, 2) off the graph and plug them into the choices)

207

206

205

200 (start from the smallest choice and see which is the first one that works)

196 (fill in the rest of the chart once you've chosen a choice; make sure that everything checks)

195 (just plug in and see if it works)

that's a start. but look at the frequency there-that's eleven problems you can backsolve, out of only 36 total (#195-#220). that's an impressive hit rate.

once you've done those, go through the rest of the problems, and make sure that you can recognize the opportunities to backsolve. (if i have to tell you to do it, then it's worthless-you have to know when you can pull it out of your pocket yourself.)

make sure you are also good with the two techniques you didn't mention here, (i) plugging in your own numbers for unknown values and (ii) testing cases on DS.
the latter of these, especially, is probably the single most important math skill you can have for this exam. you may get to test cases on up to ten (!!) different DS problems on your official gmat exam.

--

when i say "estimation", i'm referring to the idea of using (i) visual diagrams, (ii) memorized approximations, such as √2 = 1.4, or (ii) normal common sense to come up with an approximate range of solutions for a problem.
here are a couple of examples:

* OG12 #84: the answer should obviously be way, way less than q (since q is the wholesale price of 100 batteries, but the answer to the problem is the retail price of only 1 battery). so (b) and (c) are gone right away.
you can eliminate (d) and (e) here with a little more thinking-(d) implies that every battery in the world retails for more than $50, and (e) implies that batteries sell for less if the dealers pay more for them at wholesale-but that's not strictly "estimation" anymore. still, it's the same kind of thinknig-applying common sense to the expressions rather than strictly "grinding" them.

* OG12 #101: if you had two of the fast pipes, it would take 2.5 hours; if you had two of the slow ones, it would take 4.5 hours. therefore, one of each, together, should take some time in the middle of those two. boom, done.

* OG12 #117: if you plug in n = 1 and use the estimate √2 = 1.4, then only one of the answers comes anywhere close to the value of the original expression.

* Og12 #127: this is exactly like #101.

* OG12 #187: no need to do any math here. x/25 and x/50 are clearly "small fractions of x", so there's no possible way they could add up to 25% (or more) of x. therefore, (a) is the only answer that is not ridiculous.

etc.
in fact, if you can estimate the answer to a problem, then you should ALWAYS do so-even if you get a solution. after all, if you get a solution that violates common sense, you should just guess another answer. (for instance, if you wind up with choice (b) or (c) in the battery problem... or any choice except (a) in #187... well, come on, people.)
Also if you could please help me with guessing strategy in Quant PS ,DS both.
I am able to make guesses in verbal, but Quant i am not even sure where to begin,end up guessing randomly.
anything more detailed than the above would have to happen in the context of a private tutoring session. thanks.
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.

--

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Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi

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by AdvenofTintin » Wed Apr 24, 2013 10:06 pm
lunarpower wrote:
samvit wrote:
lunarpower wrote: Could you please elaborate on some of the points you make here especially Backsolving and estimation.
"backsolving" means, basically, starting from an answer choice, and working back through the information in the problem (in whatever possible way). if everything "clicks" (= is consistent) with everything else once you've gone through all the infromation, then you've found the correct answer.
the thing that's especially cool about backsolving (aside from the fact that it allows you to avoid annoying algebra, which is also cool) is that you don't really need a solid plan for how to work through the information-you can just use any statement that you haven't used yet.

try it on the following problems in OG12 (sorry, i don't have OG13 problem numbers for this yet, but there's probably a conversion table if you don't have the 12th edition):

220 (you may want to pick numbers too)

218 (just plug in and see if it works)

215 (just plug in and see if it works)

211

210 (pick the points (3, 0) and (0, 2) off the graph and plug them into the choices)

207

206

205

200 (start from the smallest choice and see which is the first one that works)

196 (fill in the rest of the chart once you've chosen a choice; make sure that everything checks)

195 (just plug in and see if it works)

that's a start. but look at the frequency there-that's eleven problems you can backsolve, out of only 36 total (#195-#220). that's an impressive hit rate.

once you've done those, go through the rest of the problems, and make sure that you can recognize the opportunities to backsolve. (if i have to tell you to do it, then it's worthless-you have to know when you can pull it out of your pocket yourself.)

make sure you are also good with the two techniques you didn't mention here, (i) plugging in your own numbers for unknown values and (ii) testing cases on DS.
the latter of these, especially, is probably the single most important math skill you can have for this exam. you may get to test cases on up to ten (!!) different DS problems on your official gmat exam.

--

when i say "estimation", i'm referring to the idea of using (i) visual diagrams, (ii) memorized approximations, such as √2 = 1.4, or (ii) normal common sense to come up with an approximate range of solutions for a problem.
here are a couple of examples:

* OG12 #84: the answer should obviously be way, way less than q (since q is the wholesale price of 100 batteries, but the answer to the problem is the retail price of only 1 battery). so (b) and (c) are gone right away.
you can eliminate (d) and (e) here with a little more thinking-(d) implies that every battery in the world retails for more than $50, and (e) implies that batteries sell for less if the dealers pay more for them at wholesale-but that's not strictly "estimation" anymore. still, it's the same kind of thinknig-applying common sense to the expressions rather than strictly "grinding" them.

* OG12 #101: if you had two of the fast pipes, it would take 2.5 hours; if you had two of the slow ones, it would take 4.5 hours. therefore, one of each, together, should take some time in the middle of those two. boom, done.

* OG12 #117: if you plug in n = 1 and use the estimate √2 = 1.4, then only one of the answers comes anywhere close to the value of the original expression.

* Og12 #127: this is exactly like #101.

* OG12 #187: no need to do any math here. x/25 and x/50 are clearly "small fractions of x", so there's no possible way they could add up to 25% (or more) of x. therefore, (a) is the only answer that is not ridiculous.

etc.
in fact, if you can estimate the answer to a problem, then you should ALWAYS do so-even if you get a solution. after all, if you get a solution that violates common sense, you should just guess another answer. (for instance, if you wind up with choice (b) or (c) in the battery problem... or any choice except (a) in #187... well, come on, people.)
Also if you could please help me with guessing strategy in Quant PS ,DS both.
I am able to make guesses in verbal, but Quant i am not even sure where to begin,end up guessing randomly.
anything more detailed than the above would have to happen in the context of a private tutoring session. thanks.
Thanks Ron for such detailed reply, its really helpful.

Private tutoring:You must have a wait list here and my exams pretty close otherwise would have definitely thought of this.
Regards
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by lunarpower » Wed Apr 24, 2013 11:18 pm
samvit wrote:Thanks Ron for such detailed reply, its really helpful.
sure.
Private tutoring:You must have a wait list here and my exams pretty close otherwise would have definitely thought of this.
Regards
i do have a waitlist, yes, but the duration depends on where you're located.
if you're in the US and need to meet during "normal" times (= not the middle of the night/super early morning), then my current waitlist is about 2 to 3 months.
on the other hand, for people who live in Asia, i will have some openings after 1-2 weeks from now.
if you are interested in more information, send a PM, thanks.
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.

--

Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
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Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi

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by skm » Sun Apr 28, 2013 9:07 pm
on the other hand, for people who live in Asia, i will have some openings after 1-2 weeks from now.
if you are interested in more information, send a PM, thanks.

Hi Ron,

have sent a PM.

thx
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by skm » Sun Apr 28, 2013 9:09 pm
on the other hand, for people who live in Asia, i will have some openings after 1-2 weeks from now.
if you are interested in more information, send a PM, thanks.
hi Ron,

have sent a PM.

thanks
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