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after 1 month..

by thisisvb » Fri May 09, 2008 8:30 am
Hey guys!

I've been studying for the gmat for about a month now and have reviewed princeton, etc. and done the OG topic wise. The following are my scores (correct/total Qs) in each section:

SC = 73%, RC = 78%, CR = 80%
PS = 85%, DS = 70%

I'm wondering if some of you could answer/comment on the following:

1. I never took a diagnostic at the beginning of my prep since I didn't even know what DS, CR, etc. is. Should I be taking a paper-based diagnostic now or one of the sample CATs?

2. After performing horribly in each section, should I review my notes + go back to the OG OR move on and start with the verbal & math review guides or kaplan r sumn?

3. Since I am targeting a score of 720+, when do I book my test date? How do I know when the right time is? (personally, I don't think I'm anywhere near my target score)

4. For SC, I read the mgmat guide and then did the OG questions. After reading each topic, I tried implementing what I had just read while doing the probs, but mostly found myself going with my 'gut feeling'/intuition. Are we supposed to remember ALL the sc rules outlined in mgmat guide? How do I get better?

I really want to write my exam by the end of june. can my target score be achieved? what do I need to do to get a 720??

THANKS!!
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by Riggz » Fri May 09, 2008 10:28 am
Your accuracy is fairly decent. However, are you doing these questions under a timed environment?

You need to do some practice CAT exams. You have the princeton review material so do the CATs that are supplied. You can also download CATs from mba.com that mimic the real GMAT. Both of these are under timed conditions and can really affect your accuracy. Only once you have completed these CATs can you get a rough idea of where you are.
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Re: after 1 month..

by mayonnai5e » Fri May 09, 2008 1:23 pm
First, as Riggaz asked: are you doing these questions under timed conditions? If not, those accuracy levels are not really reflective of how you would perform.
thisisvb wrote: 1. I never took a diagnostic at the beginning of my prep since I didn't even know what DS, CR, etc. is. Should I be taking a paper-based diagnostic now or one of the sample CATs?
Do one of the GMATPrep cats. That is the best predictor and will give you a really good idea of where you are currently at.
thisisvb wrote: 2. After performing horribly in each section, should I review my notes + go back to the OG OR move on and start with the verbal & math review guides or kaplan r sumn?
Go through the resources section found at the top of the page, read my blog to see how I focused on learning lessons from the questions and you can read through some of resilient's posts, which I have been posting to.

https://www.beatthegmat.com/adventures-o ... t9416.html

If you have not reviewed your mistakes, it would be foolish, inefficient and frustrating/demoralizing to continue with new material without first learning what you are doing wrong. You will see very little improvement even as you do more problems and that does bad things to your confidence.

thisisvb wrote: 3. Since I am targeting a score of 720+, when do I book my test date? How do I know when the right time is? (personally, I don't think I'm anywhere near my target score)
2 - 3 months is the normal amount of time people study - going over may lead to burnout.
thisisvb wrote: 4. For SC, I read the mgmat guide and then did the OG questions. After reading each topic, I tried implementing what I had just read while doing the probs, but mostly found myself going with my 'gut feeling'/intuition. Are we supposed to remember ALL the sc rules outlined in mgmat guide? How do I get better?
You will not be able to score your best going on intuition. You need to structure your studies so that you learn the question types, what you should focus on, what the errors are, and how to fix them. I built a big table in a notebook and did problems untimed, but I systematically categorized everything. After about 50 problems, I was able to immediately understand the question types and errors, etc. Only after I learned the types and understood what to look for did I begin timed practice. Intuition can only take you so far and its limits are bound by the simple english we normally use to communicate in our daily lives.
https://www.beatthegmat.com/my-blog-erro ... t4899.html
550 =\ ...560 =\... 650 =) ...570 =( ...540 =*( ...680 =P ... 670 =T ...=T... 650 =T ...700 =) ..690 =) ...710 =D ...GMAT 720 DING!! ;D

Learn more about me
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by thisisvb » Fri May 09, 2008 6:48 pm
No, I didn't do the questions under timed conditions, so I guess I'll try a gmatprep CAT.

Also, how much time should I devote for the first say 10 questions in each topic during the test?
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by mayonnai5e » Sat May 10, 2008 3:30 am
2 minutes - just like every other question.
https://www.beatthegmat.com/my-blog-erro ... t4899.html
550 =\ ...560 =\... 650 =) ...570 =( ...540 =*( ...680 =P ... 670 =T ...=T... 650 =T ...700 =) ..690 =) ...710 =D ...GMAT 720 DING!! ;D

Learn more about me
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