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SC Startegy Improvement

by p111 » Tue Oct 23, 2012 1:30 am
Hey Experts !!

I did like to have your valuable suggestion on a particular issue I am facing.

I am done with SC guide 5th ed & have practiced all OG11,12 & Verbal Review Qs mentioned Topic wise as listed with each chapter. I always maintain an accuracy level of 80-85% in these Qs at all levels under timed conditions. I know & remember most of req important rules.
However, on tests(MGMAT,GMATPREP), I am surprised to see a 50-55% accuracy(in SC). I am shocked with this diff. I sat today & analysed that one reason could be that when I practiced TOPICWISE I knew the type of error i need to hunt for & expect(eg- prallelism, modifiers etc) with each topic. & when I saw them mixed up I got lost, basing my answers on instinct in most of the cases but not on solid rules i knw. I jst read the sentence see too many things at once & eventually eliminate the right one.(However I do eliminate the easy ones easily. This issue I am only facing majorly with 700-800 level Qs.The simple ones put the errors quite openly, so I get away with them.)

-have I analyzed the issue with me rightly or is there something more to it ?
-can you Suggest if there is any way to get this out or any series of strategical steps i can follow with each Q. to breakdown to subsequent sub topic & then do what I am good at.

As a solution I hve recently started practicing jumbled Qs.(still Accuracy is 50%). I have read the Manhattan rules many times & know them well.
I am eager to improve this as I feel I am close to it. Pls Suggest me how to come out of this..
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by ivyctor2010 » Wed Oct 24, 2012 2:41 am
Manhattan SC guide 2007 ed is very good, I am not sure from your post if you have practiced from this book. I think you are on a right track with your thought process on this. I would advice to now check your accuracy on a more sub-topic level. Even if it is mixed SC, where exactly are you erring? Which sub-topic questions are bringing your accuracy down, is it parallelism or modifiers or tenses? Delve deep into this and practice only those questions, revise basics if necessary.
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by lunarpower » Wed Oct 24, 2012 3:15 am
hi,
i received a private message regarding this thread.
p111 wrote:I am shocked with this diff. I sat today & analysed that one reason could be that when I practiced TOPICWISE I knew the type of error i need to hunt for & expect(eg- prallelism, modifiers etc) with each topic. & when I saw them mixed up I got lost
yep -- this is the problem. you certainly shouldn't have been "shocked" -- because, after all, practicing "topic-wise" gets rid of the main challenge in the process!
as you've probably figured out by now, the main challenge in SC isn't figuring out how stuff works; it's recognition -- you have to figure out what kind of problem you're actually dealing with in the first place.
the whole idea of starting with a pre-made list of problems for a certain topic can be valuable, but only at the very beginning of your preparation, when you are first getting acquainted with the error types. i.e., when you first learn how a given modifier works, it may prove helpful to go through a few concentrated examples of that modifier, just to build your skill set and your confidence. but, of course, you should move away from doing that as soon as possible, because the actual exam is not going to "spoon-feed" you.
-can you Suggest if there is any way to get this out or any series of strategical steps i can follow with each Q. to breakdown to subsequent sub topic & then do what I am good at.
try doing recognition drills for the individual topics.
i.e., don't start with a list -- just start with a random collection of OG problems, so that it's up to you to identify when certain error types are present and when they aren't.
* pick ONE error type at a time to look at
* go through your bunch of problems
* look for that error type in each problem
* if that one topic is there, identify any errors associated with it -- and then QUIT (don't finish the rest of the problem)
* if that one topic isn't there, just skip the problem

then repeat the process for another topic. (you can use the same problems again, since you're now looking for something else entirely.)

this process is also outlined in the first half of my session dated nov. 18, 2010, here:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/thursdays-with-ron.cfm

good luck.
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.

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by p111 » Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:38 am
Hello Ron,
Firstly, Thanks a Ton !!
I have started practicing from mixed Qs now & I am happy that I am facing the challenges which I faced during tests.
I recently had conversations with few test toppers also. I am not a native eng speaker, so they suggested me to practice & review thoroughly(thru good forums) and that this is the thing which will somehow improve my skills(Really but HOW?? javascript:emoticon(':!:'))

My questions are :
1) Is the suggestion good to follow & will it REALLY somehow itself change accuracy/skills with each day I go frwd in that direction with all faith. THATS IT ??

2) If yes, then shall I keep any other thing in mind to make this more effective(eg-I have started taking notes of even the smallest rules\usages i come across in those Qs)?
lunarpower wrote:hi,
i received a private message regarding this thread.
p111 wrote:I am shocked with this diff. I sat today & analysed that one reason could be that when I practiced TOPICWISE I knew the type of error i need to hunt for & expect(eg- prallelism, modifiers etc) with each topic. & when I saw them mixed up I got lost
yep -- this is the problem. you certainly shouldn't have been "shocked" -- because, after all, practicing "topic-wise" gets rid of the main challenge in the process!
as you've probably figured out by now, the main challenge in SC isn't figuring out how stuff works; it's recognition -- you have to figure out what kind of problem you're actually dealing with in the first place.
the whole idea of starting with a pre-made list of problems for a certain topic can be valuable, but only at the very beginning of your preparation, when you are first getting acquainted with the error types. i.e., when you first learn how a given modifier works, it may prove helpful to go through a few concentrated examples of that modifier, just to build your skill set and your confidence. but, of course, you should move away from doing that as soon as possible, because the actual exam is not going to "spoon-feed" you.
-can you Suggest if there is any way to get this out or any series of strategical steps i can follow with each Q. to breakdown to subsequent sub topic & then do what I am good at.
try doing recognition drills for the individual topics.
i.e., don't start with a list -- just start with a random collection of OG problems, so that it's up to you to identify when certain error types are present and when they aren't.
* pick ONE error type at a time to look at
* go through your bunch of problems
* look for that error type in each problem
* if that one topic is there, identify any errors associated with it -- and then QUIT (don't finish the rest of the problem)
* if that one topic isn't there, just skip the problem

then repeat the process for another topic. (you can use the same problems again, since you're now looking for something else entirely.)

this process is also outlined in the first half of my session dated nov. 18, 2010, here:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/thursdays-with-ron.cfm

good luck.
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by lunarpower » Tue Nov 06, 2012 8:50 am
p111 wrote:Hello Ron,
Firstly, Thanks a Ton !!
I have started practicing from mixed Qs now & I am happy that I am facing the challenges which I faced during tests.
I recently had conversations with few test toppers also. I am not a native eng speaker, so they suggested me to practice & review thoroughly(thru good forums) and that this is the thing which will somehow improve my skills(Really but HOW?? javascript:emoticon(':!:'))

My questions are :
1) Is the suggestion good to follow & will it REALLY somehow itself change accuracy/skills with each day I go frwd in that direction with all faith. THATS IT ??
i don't think i understand what you are asking here.
the only suggestion you've mentioned above is, essentially, that you should practice and review.
yes, you should definitely practice; yes, you should definitely review; but i don't think this is what you are trying to ask.

2) If yes, then shall I keep any other thing in mind to make this more effective(eg-I have started taking notes of even the smallest rules\usages i come across in those Qs)?
taking notes on "the smallest rules" is most likely to work against you.

until you can recognize errors in the following areas just about 100% of the time, you really shouldn't study much else:
* parallelism, including comparisons
* modifiers (placement and usage)
* subject-verb agreement
* pronouns
if you have not MASTERED these concepts, then "taking notes on the smallest rules" is just going to be a harmful distraction. like worrying whether you have the right amount of spice in your food if you are starving to death.
less is more.
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.

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