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Inconsistent in Verbal - suggestions please

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Inconsistent in Verbal - suggestions please

by greenctzn » Tue Oct 28, 2008 3:12 pm
Hi,

I've been practicing verbal for some time now - MGMAT for SC, power score CR Bible for CR, MGMAT/random(BTG) tips on RC and attempted most of OG-11 problems. As I analyze I see that quite sometimes I do well on complex problems and stumble on few easy/medium complex problems - basically inconsistent. I also started observing my performance on CAT exams especially on verbal - I start of well till first 10 questions after which the complexity really gets me and I start making mistakes - sometimes 5 wrong answers continuously after which the pattern will be 2R, 2W, 1R, 2W, 2R, 1W.. When I go back and check I realize that 40-50% of the wrong answers were careless or answered in hurry.

I do 25Q daily (5Q of each type both verbal and quant) and the approach is normal, whereas in CAT I'm almost on the screen, I tried to stay calm
but was not very successful in doing so.. sometimes I tend to loose focus around last 20 mins of the test and re-adjust (this is just for verbal), cannot wait for the test to be over. On my scrap paper I would have approached the 1st half of the questions more systematically than the 2nd half.

Any suggestions on handling the above ?

Thanks
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by VP_Jim » Wed Oct 29, 2008 10:53 am
Well, the first step is to be aware of the issue - which you are. The second step is just to practice.

The way to get comfortable with something is through reptition. So, the more practice problems you do, the less likely you're going to get nervous or make a silly mistake, because chances are that you've seen a very similar problem before. When working on practice problems, make sure you not only know why the right answer is right but why the wrong answer is wrong. This will also keep you from making silly mistakes, as many "trap" answers follow similar patterns.

Also, the importance of doing practice tests cannot be overstated. Aim to do one per week during your studies to get used to pacing and the "feel" of the actual exam. Here's a free one from Veritas to get you started:

https://www.veritasprep.com/gmat-prepara ... ctice-GMAT

Good luck!
Jim S. | GMAT Instructor | Veritas Prep
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by greenctzn » Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:24 pm
Thanks Jim
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by Stacey Koprince » Fri Oct 31, 2008 11:31 am
I received a PM asking me to comment.

It's great that you're paying attention to your weaknesses in terms of process - a lot of people overlook this.

Stamina / concentration may be an issue for you. You mention doing 25Q per day - do you do them all at once? Or do you check answers in between or take other breaks? It's a good idea to do them all at once and only go back over them after you're done with the set. That will also give you practice with managing your time over the length of a longer set.

Also, during the test, do you get up and walk around on the breaks? Do you have something to eat and drink? What are you doing to get yourself "pumped up" for each section?

You didn't actually mention this, but I assume that you are timing yourself when you do these problems, right? If not, start doing so.

Start keeping an error log in which you record precisely why you got any problem wrong. Then figure out what you need to learn, how you can change your methods, and / or how you can change your habits in such a way that you minimize the chances of making that particular mistake again.
If you aren't being as systematic later in a section, what specifically aren't you doing that you do when you are being systematic? Where are things breaking down? And, then, what can you do to keep your habits going for the entire section?

Don't forget that, sometimes, what you will need to decide is, "This problem is out of my reach.  My best approach is to make an educated guess and move on."  Then figure out how to do that.

When reviewing problems, you should be able to answer these questions:
For ones you got wrong:
1) Why did I get it wrong (as specifically as possible)?
2) What could I do to minimize the chance of making that error (or those errors) again?  How will I make whatever that is a habit so that I really do minimize chances of making the same error again?
3) What are the right / best ways to approach it?
4) Of the right ways, which one is the best way for me (combining both efficiency and effectiveness) given my strengths and weaknesses?
5) How will I recognize problems of similar type in future so that I can apply that "best way" to the problem?

For ones you got right:
1) Did I really know what I was doing or did I get lucky?  If I got lucky, review all of the "wrong answer" questions, above
2) If I did know what I was doing, did I also do it in the best way (for me)?  If not, figure out the best way for you.
3) How will I recognize problems of similar type in future so that I can either repeat my original success or apply my new "best way" to the problem?

Also, Jim is so right that we need to study why the wrong answers are wrong - this is critical on verbal! For any question (whether you got it right or wrong), be able to articulate:
- specifically why each wrong answer is wrong
- which wrong answer is the most tempting and why
- how to recognize that the tempting wrong answer is still wrong anyway so you can eliminate it
- why someone might be tempted to eliminate the right answer
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