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

Redeem

New pattern in GMAT Prep

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 6:07 am

New pattern in GMAT Prep

by dhirajbh » Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:07 pm
Hi,

I have been preparing for GMAT for last two months, I scored 580 (Q 42, V 29) in my last GMAT prep exam. Considering the score, I have postponed my exam by another month (first week of September). I originally scheduled the exam next week (last week of August).

So far I have studied Nova, OG 10, Kaplan 800, Manhatten SC, Princeton, and currently doing OG 11. I need suggestion what should I read to improve my score further. As far my observation during tests that I choose five wrong answers in quantitative section despite doing correct calcuation. Probably this is due to pressure to keep pace and little bit of carelessness, which can be improved by being more conscious during exam.

One thing I have noticed is that pattern of quantative questions has changed in GMAT Prep. What I mean by changed is that I have previous version of GMAT prep, downloaded some 6-7 months ago and I again downloaded GMAT Prep last week. In the previous GMAT prep version, I see qunatitative questions more wordy, running in to 2-4 lines, which you normally see in practice books. But the latest GMAT prep is having quantative questions more conscise in form maximum 1-1.5 lines, which tests more your IQ at run time rather than fundamentals.

Can some one let me know if GMAT patten has changed recently or if others have noticed similar thing. If patten has changed what is the best way to prepare ourself for this new format.

And for English, what is best subject material to prepare for it. It seems to me very unpredicatable subject. Some time I get most of answers right in SC ( on average 7 right out of 10) and RC ( 4 out of 5) and sometime I get most of them wrong. What can I do to be consistent and improve further in this section.

I'm aiming for 670-690, please suggest what should I do to able to acheive this score, considering my current level.

Thanks
Dhiraj
Top
Source: — GMAT Strategy |
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon May 25, 2009 7:21 pm
Location: Ohio
Thanked: 1 times
GMAT Score:750

by irish200 » Fri Jul 24, 2009 7:29 pm
the gmat should not have changed but the questions in gmat prep should best approximate the real thing
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 132
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:53 pm
Location: Gurgaon
Thanked: 1 times

by rookiez » Fri Jul 24, 2009 9:08 pm
Focus on Verbal if you are fine in Maths.

I would suggest to read economist and nytimes(science section) daily for an hour.

Do 4 RCs at a stretch daily. RCs are higly scored in verbal than CR/SC.

Other than that focus thoroughly on OGs first.
If you get time then do 1000SC/CR. and if u have more time read powerscore CR bible.
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 2228
Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:28 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada
Thanked: 639 times
Followed by:694 members
GMAT Score:780

by Stacey Koprince » Wed Jul 29, 2009 8:44 am
Received a PM asking me to respond. Sorry it has taken me so long - I've been getting lots of PMs lately!

Interesting observation on GMATPrep; I haven't noticed this. There has always been a mix of more wordy vs. less wordy questions. Could it be the case that you just happened to get a greater mix of the less wordy questions this time around? (Boy, that sentence sounds awkward!)

Re: careless mistakes, being more conscious of things is certainly the first step, but there's more that you can do. Keep a log of the specific things on which you have made careless mistakes. Periodically, review the log to look for patterns. You can't double-check EVERY little thing (you'd run out of time!), but if you know you tend to make more careless mistakes with, say, quadratics, then it's worth it to take the time to work more carefully and double-check your work when you see a problem of that type.

It's also important to realize that those times when you take way too long on a question are costing you elsewhere on the test. It's not worth it to take extra time on a really hard question (which you are more likely to get wrong because it's really hard) if that time costs you points on questions you actually do know how to do. So think about how you can balance your time better on the test. Let go when something is just too hard (and the test will always find a way to give you something that is just too hard).

You mentioned that you have the MGMAT SC book. What are you using for CR and RC? (I'm not sure what's in the books you mentioned from the other companies.) You do need to identify something that will actually teach you how to handle CR and RC - it's not enough just to do lots of problems.

It's also important, on verbal, to really study both the right and wrong answers. Would you be able to tell me, on any given problem:
- why was the wrong answer so tempting? why did it look like it might be right? (be as explicit as possible)
- why was it actually wrong? what specific words indicate that it is wrong and how did I overlook those clues the first time?
- why did the right answer seem wrong? what made it so tempting to cross off the right answer? why were those things actually okay - what was my error in thinking that they were wrong?
- why was it actually right?

Until you can do this, you aren't done studying a problem. (And this goes for problems you get right, too - you should still be able to articulate the above for the right answer and any wrong answers that you think could be tempting.)

Oh, and given your goal, I agree that it was a good move to postpone. Go identify some CR and RC sources (if you haven't already), and start diving into analyzing these questions!
Please note: I do not use the Private Messaging system! I will not see any PMs that you send to me!!

Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT

Contributor to Beat The GMAT!

Learn more about me
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1