BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

GMAT prep ---- 710-Q49,V38 pointers needed

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 8:29 pm
Location: Cupertino, California
Thanked: 1 times

GMAT prep ---- 710-Q49,V38 pointers needed

by crh » Mon Jun 27, 2011 1:07 pm
Hello,

I have been preparing for the GMAT since 4 weeks now, completed almost the entire OG 12 PS, DS, SC, CR
Appeared my first GMAT prep test yesterday afternoon. Scored 710 ---- Q 49, V 38

Break up of incorrect questions :

Problem Solving - 2 wrong
Data Sufficiency - 7 wrong

Sentence Correction - 3 wrong
Reading Comprehension - 3 wrong
Critical reasoning - 4 wrong


Doubts ---

1. I am not at all sure about why my DS performance was pathetic :( . Major issue for me to fix. Before the test I had completed OG 12 DS with rare mistakes, never attempting to answer a question if I did not understand the concept.
Pointers here would really help !!! ...... Don't want to see the answers to the 7 DS questions now..... Would like to work on DS more first and then attempt this GMAT prep test again.

2. CR in OG 12 has actually become a problem for me. They are somehow NOT new for me. I did NOT face this problem wtith the SC section. Even now when I open the book and try to solve a SC question, it is very probable that its a brand new question for me.
In short I have to start looking at other resources to help me improve in CR.
Any pointers here !!!!

3. I am targeting 740 in actual test and I know I have some work to do before that. My GMAT appointment date is 6th August 2011.
Shall I deduct 20-30 points from this first test because I appeared the test at home, through I was very nervous while appearing the test.
Almost panicking in quants when there was 2 mins left for last 2 questions, which I attempted incorrectly.
So does it mean my current preparation level would fetch me around 680 and not more in the actual test, if I were to appear it NOW.
Top
Source: — GMAT Strategy |
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1031
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:23 pm
Location: Malibu, CA
Thanked: 716 times
Followed by:255 members
GMAT Score:750

by Brian@VeritasPrep » Mon Jun 27, 2011 3:19 pm
Hey crh,

First things first - congratulations on a fantastic practice test score! I'd say that you're in fantastic shape to achieve your goals based on this - you're very, very close and now you have a pretty good understanding of what might hold you back.

To your point about whether you should intuitively subtract 20-30 points because of favorable conditions (at home, etc.), I think you could just as easily argue the other way, that you had some things working against you: You were likely fatigued from study/work/etc., at least more than you'll be on test day when that's your only focus; by being comfortable at home you might not have been as immediately focused as you will be on test day; you weren't fully familiar with the test interface yet... So don't sell yourself short - what you know know is that you're fully capable of scoring well above 700, but you need to make sure that you're focused in order to do so, and you have a few things to work on before you can fully expect that 740+. That's a PERFECT situation for you.

Regarding Data Sufficiency - it seems like you're thoroughly comfortable with all of the math skills and concepts that you need, so now I think it's more about being able to "play the game". My suggestion as you study further is this - teach yourself to think like the testmaker...learn to see the way in which the author of these questions is trying to hide the right answer from you.

So, for example, if you see a question like:

Is the product abcd equal to 1?

1) ab = cd

Ask yourself how you could tweak the phrasing to get the opposite answer. Here, as a, b, c, and d could all equal one, the statement is not sufficient. Similarly you could have 1/4 and 4 and 1/8 and 8 and they would still multiply out to 1. But what would make it sufficient? Well, if you limited it to only UNIQUE INTEGERS it would work...you take away those options for the fraction and its inverse as well as for all values to just equal 1.

If you ask yourself "how could they tweak this statement to get the opposite answer?", you accomplish a few things - you get much more mileage out of each question, but even more importantly you train yourself to look for those little devices that make the difference between sufficient and not sufficient. You start to anticipate how the test is going to try to trick you. So if you see a question like:

What is the value of x?

1) x^2 = 9x

You're immediately thinking to yourself "what about 0?" and you're not just jumping to 9. Because you've taught yourself that 0 is a great "trap number" to trick unsuspecting test takers.

Or in another case, you may see a question asking you to solve for x and two statements each with linear equations for x and y. Because you've been thinking "how do I make this hard", you're already probably thinking that statements 1 and 2 could be made to cleverly LOOK different, but actually be the same.

I love DS questions because they're like playing chess or poker against the author...I've learned the game so I'm constantly looking for what they said (and what that might mean) or what they didn't say (and what THAT might mean). "Nonnegative" to me means "they're trying to trick me with 0". "Greater than 6" means "I'd better check 6.00001 because they want me to start with 7". The more you think like the author of these questions the more you start to notice those little things, and that can make all the difference.

Here are a few blog posts that model that and show you a little bit more about the DS gamesmanship...


https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/12/ ... knight-way
https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/07/ ... walton-way
https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/03/ ... -is-enough

Just to reiterate - you're on the right track! I think you can learn to love Data Sufficiency, and if you do you're there. Keep up the great work!
Brian Galvin
GMAT Instructor
Chief Academic Officer
Veritas Prep

Looking for GMAT practice questions? Try out the Veritas Prep Question Bank. Learn More.
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 66
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2010 4:54 pm
Thanked: 4 times

by sharmasumitn1 » Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:30 am
crh wrote:Hello,

I have been preparing for the GMAT since 4 weeks now, completed almost the entire OG 12 PS, DS, SC, CR
Appeared my first GMAT prep test yesterday afternoon. Scored 710 ---- Q 49, V 38

Break up of incorrect questions :

Problem Solving - 2 wrong
Data Sufficiency - 7 wrong

Sentence Correction - 3 wrong
Reading Comprehension - 3 wrong
Critical reasoning - 4 wrong


Doubts ---

1. I am not at all sure about why my DS performance was pathetic :( . Major issue for me to fix. Before the test I had completed OG 12 DS with rare mistakes, never attempting to answer a question if I did not understand the concept.
Pointers here would really help !!! ...... Don't want to see the answers to the 7 DS questions now..... Would like to work on DS more first and then attempt this GMAT prep test again.

2. CR in OG 12 has actually become a problem for me. They are somehow NOT new for me. I did NOT face this problem wtith the SC section. Even now when I open the book and try to solve a SC question, it is very probable that its a brand new question for me.
In short I have to start looking at other resources to help me improve in CR.
Any pointers here !!!!

3. I am targeting 740 in actual test and I know I have some work to do before that. My GMAT appointment date is 6th August 2011.
Shall I deduct 20-30 points from this first test because I appeared the test at home, through I was very nervous while appearing the test.
Almost panicking in quants when there was 2 mins left for last 2 questions, which I attempted incorrectly.
So does it mean my current preparation level would fetch me around 680 and not more in the actual test, if I were to appear it NOW.
My two cents about the practice test scores:

Never rely on the practice test score. Mock tests are good only for building stamina and setting the timing strategy. You have to accept the fact that the mock tests questions are not going to be there on the actual test. So, even if you score really good on mock tests, don't look at the score and be overconfident. Many people take mock tests just to see their end scores. The mock tests should only be used to test strategies and stamina building. Don't obsess with scores. Nobody will ask you what your mock test scores were. I have scored 760 twice on GMATPrep and on the real test 610.
Top
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 8:29 pm
Location: Cupertino, California
Thanked: 1 times

by crh » Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:09 am
Thanks for your reply Brian.
Apologies for a delayed response. Yesterday was a very hectic day @office.

You caught me really well in DS. Somehow though I can solve questions by applying concepts, it is still EASY to trap me because within the time frame (1-2 mins), I might miss out on applying a concept.
Anyways I will work towards it. Any pointers for a good question bank would help coz I have exhausted OG 12 DS.

Could you please comment on the below ---

1. I am planning to write two GMAT Preps coming long weekend (one on 2nd July and 4th July). This is to see how consistent I am. The second test and first test again erasing off the current results.
2. I do NOT plan to see the answers to the questions now. Just treat them as test. Is this advisable.
3. Please advice on my earlier doubt on CR questions.
Top
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1031
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:23 pm
Location: Malibu, CA
Thanked: 716 times
Followed by:255 members
GMAT Score:750

by Brian@VeritasPrep » Wed Jun 29, 2011 5:00 pm
Hey, no problem on the reply - I understand!

Great point on the DS timing being such a factor - that's why that "think like the testmaker" philosophy is so important while you study so that some of those traps are almost self-evident as soon as you see them. For example, whenever I see an inequality I look immediately to see if they want me to multiply or divide by a variable...if they do, there's a huge chance that a variable could be negative, which would require the flipping of the sign (+/-) and a different answer. I know that an inequality means that that's their favorite trap, so it doesn't take long to think about it...it's just there.

For your other points:

1) I think you're better off taking the test and fully analyzing it afterward than taking the test, erasing the answers, and starting over. The big key to the practice tests is what you learn about your own performance so I'd take the test and spend the next study session going over the questions and making notes on what you learned from it.

2) This is another "why" question on CR...I don't think your problem is at all that you're not seeing enough problems. I'd go back and find out which types of problems you're missing (Strengthen/Inference/Etc.) and see if you can find specific reasons (e.g. "I thought there was an 'only' or '-est' in the conclusion but I guess there really wasn't"). Think quality over quantity...what are you learning from each study session / practice question / practice test and you can get that insider's view of the test. You don't need to learn "stuff" as much as you need to learn yourself and the mistakes you're making.
Brian Galvin
GMAT Instructor
Chief Academic Officer
Veritas Prep

Looking for GMAT practice questions? Try out the Veritas Prep Question Bank. Learn More.
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1