I just Beat The GMAT!

Thanks for the wonderful post!

I started with the Manhattan 2007 edition(though I also have 2003), the question I want to ask you is that, do I need to focus on timings while studying the chapter and practicing questions or just basics?

The same timing question I would want to extend for RC and CR, as currently I am taking hell lot of time in all 3 sections and am planning to take test in 1st week of August.

Currently devoting: 1-2 hrs Weekdays
3-4 hrs Weekends

Help me strategies a bit!

jgdjgd wrote:Thanks for the wonderful post!

I started with the Manhattan 2007 edition(though I also have 2003), the question I want to ask you is that, do I need to focus on timings while studying the chapter and practicing questions or just basics?

The same timing question I would want to extend for RC and CR, as currently I am taking hell lot of time in all 3 sections and am planning to take test in 1st week of August.

Currently devoting: 1-2 hrs Weekdays
3-4 hrs Weekends

Help me strategies a bit!

No, timing would only come at a later stage. Develop a sound base first...and then you can concentrate on solving the questions quickly.

Regards
Varun
My mentor for GMAT and applications

Awesome Story.
Congrats.

I too have the same profile and struggling on RC section. This seems to be mainly because of lack of reading habit.
Do you have any tips about how to tackle RC?

Varun,

Thank you so much for your tips! Please continue your story - I'm looking forward to hearing your take on CR next!

Congratulations on your success. As someone who scored a 610 after ranging between 650-700 on prep tests, I can definitely relate to your experience.

-kc

Thankyou Varun for sharing your analysis on SC.....

Looking forward eagerly for CR one....

Cheers!

Hey Varun...I sent a PM....Please take sometime to respond back....

Cheers!

Varun,

We are waiting for a CR strategy!

Varun Bhai,

We are waiting for your CR debrief.....

Cheers!

Dear all,

I regret the delay in posting the Critical Reasoning(CR) Story. Here it comes.

Critical Reasoning was one of the sections I was most confident of. " You only have to read a statement and answer a simple question". Little did I knew what lay ahead of me as I faltered many a times in CR questions.

Now, there are two primary ways of approaching any CR problem

a) Read the question and then read the critical reasoning text

This approach is good for people who want to guess what lies ahead of them and are good at analysis.By following this approach, you would know what you to have to do even before reading the text. This method saves a lot of time as you need not go back to the text.

b) Read the text and then read the question.

This approach is good for people who hate to analyze and want to know the facts soon to answer the question. However, this method may take some time as post-reading the question, one tends to re-read the text. This eventually wastes our time but if you can answer the question correctly using this method, please do so.


Now without much ado, let me come straight to the type of CR questions one would face on the GMAT:-

1) Strengthening the argument

Which of the following statements, if true, would most strengthen the scientists' hypothesis?

If you find the aforementioned statement, you will have to choose an answer choice that validates the information in the CR passage.

You will have to read the passage thinking that you have to strengthen the argument. Hence you should read the text carefully and find the conclusion. Choose an option that validates the conclusion. If you cannot recollect what you have read, please read again. Only once you understand the conclusion should you jump to the options.

for eg, if the conclusion you derive is that "Camels can survive for long in the desert without needing water at regular intervals" then the option that would strengthen this conclusion could be " Camels store water for large duration of time"


2) Weakening the argument

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the above conclusion?

If you find the aforementioned statement, you will have to choose an answer choice that negates the information in the CR passage.

You will have to read the passage thinking that you have to weaken the argument. Hence you should read the text carefully and find the conclusion. Choose an option that negates the conclusion. If you cannot recollect what you have read, please read again. Only once you understand the conclusion should you jump to the options.

for eg, if the conclusion you derive is that "Camels can survive for long in the desert without needing water at regular intervals" then the option that would negate this conclusion could be " Camels halt at places to drink water every hour during travel time"


3) Deriving a Conclusion from the argument

Which of the following can be correctly inferred from the statements above?
Which of the following can be concluded from the statements above?

If you find the aforementioned statements, you will have to choose an answer choice that can be termed as the summation of the CR passage.

Post-reading the passage, PLEASE do not read the options and analyze as to what can be the conclusion to what you just read. If there is still confusion , read again. Once you have decided the conclusion, move to the options- You will be surprised to see your conclusion match with one of the given options.

4) Fill in the blanks

What would be the best option to complete the passage?

If you find the aforementioned statements, you will have to choose an answer choice that can be correctly placed at the appropriate position.

Fill in the blank type CR questions can at times be a little tricky. Once you have read the passage and have a basic idea what it means, please read the lines before and after the blank. DO NOT look at the options. Think and apply common sense as to what could be the lines that could fit in. ONLY then go to the options. I'm sure you would find an option that matches 90% of what you thought.


5) Assumptions


The conclusion above is based on which of the following assumptions?

If you find the aforementioned statements, you will have to choose an answer choice that can fill the gap or provide the missing link between the information given in the passage and the conclusion you derive/or stated already.

After you choose an option, try to negate what the option says. If the conclusion changes then you have picked the right answer mate.


6) Parallel Structure

Which of the following is most like the argument above in its logical structure?

If you find the aforementioned statements, you will have to choose an answer choice that closelte resembles teh reasoning prototype/pattern of the passage.

eg : It is true that it is against international law to provide aid to certain countries that are building nuclear programs. But, if Russian companies do not provide aid, companies in other countries will.

Now an option that resembles a similar reasoning pattern could be:-

It is true that it is against the law to steal cars. But someone else certainly would have stolen that car if the defendant had not done so first.


After-notes for CR:-

* Stick to the scope. Do not think beyond what's mentioned in the CR passage.

* Please read ALL options (even if you zeroed option 'A' as the correct answer.

* PLEASE HANG ON as sometimes the wording is so twisted that you can neglect a correct answer choice

* Keep a track of words such as BUT, HOWEVER, THEN, SINCE, HENCE, THEREFORE.


I hope this helps you ace most of the CR problems on the GMAT

Next up would be the section I still dread most -RC. I hope to post that shortly !!

Also, I would request the junta to post public messages only as it helps the community

thanks for your cooperation guys !

Hi Varun,
This really gives great insight about the route to GMAT preparation , specially for me as i just started thinking about GMAT and trying to push hard from daily tight work schedule.

Thanks for sharing your experience!!

BR/Narendra

Great insight.

You mentioned only Manhattan for SC which is undisputedly a great book . You did not refer to any grammar book to get concepts more polished than to learn rules mechanically ?

Looking forward for RC debrief.

Hi Varun,

I am almost in the phase of loosing hope on GMAT. Here is my journey of GMAT- I attempted GMAT with 20 days preparation for the first time, in which I have scored 460. But I did not even have awareness of what the exam is testing about.and then I started preparing again for giving a second shot. I am non math background student and it has been almost 6 years that I have graduated. It took couple of months for me to pickup the mode of GMAT. I have practiced several tests for almost one and half months. Though, initially I was scoring around 460 to 480 range, later I started scoring in 500 range and then it took me till 640. But then consistently I scored in the range of 580 to 640 in Manhattan and Kaplan tests. I thought that I would score at least 620 in my second attempt. But I was really shocked to see that my score was lesser than my first score in the real exam. I did not understand where I went wrong. In the practice tests I was scoring around 44 to 47 in Quant, but in the real test I have got 29 which is pathetic. Initially I have got all data sufficiency questions and that is where I would have messed it. Later i started getting all easy questions and I felt that CAT was not releasing the tougher questions.I almost lost hope of getting improved on GMAT. But your post is an inspiration to me to get me back to the GMAT mode.
Well I was doing very bad in RC. I was very good at CR. Though sentence correction seemed to be challenging initially, I worked my way and was able to do well to an extent. But definitely that is not enough. I need your help of how to overcome with RC part in verbal and data sufficiency in quant.

Varun,

Excellent post... It's good to see such an inspirational story. I also need to endure the same journey that you just completed. I scored (thanks to pathetic prep materials and an even more pathetic strategy) a 540 about a year ago. Granted, I have about two years before I even think about applying to any programs, but nevertheless, it's good to see a story like this.

I'll be sure to take your suggestions along with me . Also, I'll be sure to employ a new strategy and new prep materials for the next round of studying.

Best of luck with the admissions process!