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

Redeem

Something goes wrong with my verbal...560 (Q47;V21)

Critical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension
This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 1:38 am

Something goes wrong with my verbal...560 (Q47;V21)

by julia_p » Sun Jan 19, 2014 7:26 am
I will appreciate any advices on how to improve my verbal score.I feel myself terrible, and just don't know what to do. I scored miserable 21V in real test.
It was a long journey.I have prepared for 7 months and during this period I made considerable improvement in both sections. I am non-native.
Although I grasped the logic of math problems, I can't figure out what's going on with verbal part.
For last several months I took five mgmat tests and was pretty satisfied with my scores.
Mgmat 1 - 660 (Q45;V35)
Mgmat 2 - 660 (Q45;V35)
Mgmat 3 - 660 (Q45;V35)
Mgmat 4 - 650 (Q42;V37)
Mgmat 5 - 650 (Q45;V34)

Gprep 1 - 730 (Q50;V40)
Gprap 2 - 680 (Q47;V34) - just to mention, although there is little correlation between number of correct answers and score, I did less mistakes in the second test then in the first one.

My target is 660-680.
Major prep resources: OG (V&Q 2; 13)- very diligently and thoughtfully (2 times), Mgmat SC (3 times). Initially, I used a lot of ambigous resources and relied heavily on quantity of material, but finally I burned out. Then I narrowed down my preparation to aforementioned books. I found them more reliable and decided to emphasize more on quality.
I am not a big fan of patterns and, frankly, I don't believe they help a lot. I used mgmat CR, but it was useless and I limited myself with explanations for correct/incorrect answers from OG. I followed logical thinking of authors. The same thing is with RC. I usually read it at first, then just picked answers without coming back to passage.
My statistics: RC - 75% accuracy OG and tests; CR - 82% ; SC - 80%.

My only question is what else do I need to do in order to improve my verbal?
My scores on mock tests are consistent and my accuracy in OG is high enough for me to score 660.

Thank you in advance for your advices.
Top
Source: — Verbal Reasoning |

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Elite Legendary Member
Posts: 10392
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pm
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Thanked: 2867 times
Followed by:511 members
GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Mon Jan 20, 2014 3:17 pm
Hi julia_p,

That type of dramatic score drop in the Verbal section usually means that one or more aspects of your practice CATs differed significantly with the aspects of the Official GMAT. Here are some things to consider:

1) Did you ever skip the essay and/or IR section of a CAT (and just do the Quant and Verbal sections)?
2) What time of day did you take your CATs (and what time of day was your Official GMAT)?
3) Did you do ANYTHING during practice that wasn't test-like (listen to music, eat/drink during the Test, etc.)?
4) Did you take a practice CAT the day before your GMAT? Did you study a lot the day before the Test?
5) Was there anything else that was different about Test Day that stood out (this question is usually about physical/psychological differences - lack of sleep, rush hour traffic, headache, stress, etc.)?

Any or all of the above could explain a score drop. The good news is that Business Schools don't care if you take the GMAT more than once, so you can retake the GMAT in a month and be fine. During that time though, it's important to make the necessary adjustments to your study plan so that you can avoid another "hiccup" like this one.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image
Top
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 1:38 am

by julia_p » Tue Jan 21, 2014 12:11 pm
Hi Rich,
thank you for your reply.

1. To be honest, I skipped the essay always and IR section of last three tests. I do AWA section separatly, taking subjects from OG 13.
2. At the same time as my test was. I always take the tests on the weekend mornings.
3. No, just eting snack during last break.
4. I did my last CAT five days before, but I wrote one essay per day, five days before the test.
5. I think this is mostly responsible for my failure. I was too nervous about my score. Moreover, I felt mental fatigue and didn't understand what I actually read in the last 20 questions.

Additionally, the problem I have is my suspiciousness. While doing CR I always try to find a trap. Sometimes I can't believe that the answer is so straightforward and there must be something tricky.
Also, I noticed that CR in real thing is a bit more complex, because most answers are somehow related to the passage and it was difficult to negate wrong ones. In OG most answers are obviously irrelevant.

I expected to see at least 28 in verbal. Is it really possible to score 13-16 points less than in all cat's? I mean, perhaps I have prepared for something absolutely different from what I experienced on the test.

Please, can you suggest what would be the best strategy for me?
If I prepare intensively, I feel that certain patterns are formed in my mind and finally it results in bad perfomance and brings nowhere. At least, it works for math. Once, I stopped doing it and took my CAT two weeks later, I felt that I saw all problems from different angle and it was just great. I didn't use any patterns but simple logic and it worked. The same is with verbal, but now I don't know what would be the right step.
Whether instensive preparation for verbal during upcoming month is right strategy? Won't it harm my score even more?
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Elite Legendary Member
Posts: 10392
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pm
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Thanked: 2867 times
Followed by:511 members
GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Tue Jan 21, 2014 1:23 pm
Hi julia_p,

With the additional information that you've provided, we can better define what probably went wrong for you on Test Day.

1) The complete GMAT takes about 4 hours to complete. Since the Verbal section is the final 75 minutes of the Test (and half of your score), you have to be mentally, physically and psychologically ready to perform at a high level up until the very end of those 4 hours. By skipping the IR and Essay, you were training yourself to perform at a high level for 2.5 hours. When you reached the Verbal section on Test Day, you were likely too tired to properly focus and do what was necessary to answer many of those questions.

2) If you couldn't clearly understand 20 of the 41 Verbal questions, then you could have gotten most of them wrong. Doing poorly on half a section could have been the most direct cause of your score drop.

3) Verbal questions are usually straight-forward. Take notes, piece together the given information and predict an answer. In many cases, what you predict will be correct (and you'll be able to easily spot it in the answer choices). If you believe that everything is a "trick" or "trap", then you'll likely talk yourself out of some correct answers. You might also consider practicing something other than the "negation test"; it works for some people, but it also forces you to consider all 5 choices, when making a prediction allows to you focus more on finding a "match", then finding the "one you think is best."

Your scores show that you have the ability; before you take your next GMAT, you should be sure to take complete CATs and focus on your endurance.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image
Top
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 1:38 am

by julia_p » Tue Jan 21, 2014 2:26 pm
Ok, thank you Rich.
So, will taking complete CAT's be enough for peparation?
The only thing I definitely don't want to experience on the test day is 'overpreparation'. But still, would it be useful to go through OG once more? May it actually harm my score?
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Elite Legendary Member
Posts: 10392
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pm
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Thanked: 2867 times
Followed by:511 members
GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Wed Jan 22, 2014 2:03 pm
Hi julia_p,

You'll still want to get in some additional practice, so your skills don't fade before you retake the GMAT. By taking those complete practice CATs, you'll learn how prepared you really are to perform at a high level over the course of the entire test. You might need to change some physical aspects of your test-taking (and have a snack during the prior 8-minute break) to make sure that you're clear-headed enough to properly tackle the Verbal section.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image
Top
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 1:38 am

by julia_p » Tue Jan 28, 2014 2:25 am
Hi Rich,
I took full mgmat CAT on this weekend and scored 680 (Q48;V35), considering overlap questions in verbal section (3-4 CR). I don't know exactly what went wrong on the real test, but I suppose maybe there was something wrong with my mental abilities or I concentrated more heavily on the result rather than on the process itself.
I am planning to take the test in a month and I need to score at least 31-32 in verbal. Frankly, I would be satisfied with that score at this time.
I've just completed my undegrad, so I am in my early 20s. Gmat is one of the requirements for master's degree and the score of at least 650 is essential for admission.

I'll appreciate your suggestions concerning my preparation.
Thank you.
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Elite Legendary Member
Posts: 10392
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pm
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Thanked: 2867 times
Followed by:511 members
GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Tue Jan 28, 2014 2:55 pm
Hi julia_p,

If it's possible, I'd suggest that you take "new" CATs, so that you can eliminate the possibility of any repeat questions. Other than that issue, as long as you're taking the entire CAT, under realistic conditions, then you'll have accurate data to evaluate.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1