GMAT Strategy

nimish_rulz wrote:Hola,

I have completely lost it. I can't believe its my final week and I am not able to work any more, feel saturated. Had some plans for this week but not been able to execute any, I try studying and somehow I just can't move forward. Its not that I am not able to answer the questions but I don't feel like solving them.

Just taken 1 Gmat Prep test. Might take another 1 in one of the remaining 3 days. And probably work on AWA section for 1 day. That just leaves me with a day and lot of work to be done in it.

I am loosing confidence in me!

Wanted to get 700 but at this point don't know what to aim for as the highest I have got is 660 so far.

Don't you lose confidence in yourself! I won't hear of it!

This is called fear and it's trying to bite you in the butt - don't let it!

Tell me - what are you committed to? Are you committed to doing well on the test? Then irrespective of your feelings of not wanting to do these problems, do them anyway! You're so close - we can all taste it.

How can I be supporting you right now from across the pond?

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!
Mercedes

Hey Nimish,

I missed this thread, this has great info. Well I am in same boat.

I think you will get 700+ on your exam, somehow I feel looking at your scores and from your dedication. Don't give up in the last lap. You are almost there.

Good luck buddy. Post your debrief.

thanks
V-

Hey Nimish GOOD LUCK. Beat the GMAT.

I'm guessing the exam is now over - how did it go, buddy?

I can't wait to hear!! And CONGRATULATIONS for getting through it - WOO HOO!!!!!

All the best,
Mercedes

Nimish,

Im on a business trip in Africa, it's 1.30 am, I turned off my laptop to sleep. went to bed, put my head on the pillow, and all by a sudden remembered it's April 7th... your test date. turned on the laptop just to check on how you did......come on how was it....we are all motivated by your dedication....let us know.....I hope it went fine and you are not posting cuz you r still celebrating ....

Last night,
Was as confident as 1 possibly can be looked at some AWAs got them Bang on(the reasoning behind the arguments) checked it against some real answers provided.

While still in bed trying to sleep there was only 1 thought in my mind although I haven't been able to prepare to my fullest in the final week, I am fully equipped with what it takes to beat the Gmat.

At around 2am got a panic attack since I was not able to sleep and realizing that tmrw morning I have a big exam and I should have been asleep by now.

I was suppose to wake up at 7am, ended up waking at 730am. My train was at 10 15 rushed out of the house took a bus to the central station at 9am was at the train station by 9 30 am. Took out my flashcards started revising in a cafe while having a sandwich.
1015 the Train arrived reached Reading by 1115. I did not have an exam center in my city.
11 30 ended up in starbucks. Had a wrap and a nice coffee. At this point I was supremely confident and was feeling like nothing can stop me.
At 1200 arrived at the Test center. To my amazement there wasn't even a single person at the reception waited for 20 mins and then decided to go to the third floor where I was booked for the test, found some1 there and the person signed me in. Took around 20 odd mins. At 1 o clock was ready to give the test.
The AWA section was presented on the screen. Took good 10 mins to read the argument and make points on it.
Considered the argument section as a CR question. Wrote the authors assumption, why the argument is weak and what needs to be considered to strengthen the argument.
In short was relatively happy with both these sections as these were the least prepared bits and I managed to finish the essays in the given time only just about. But I guess my essays were 4-5 paragraphs long and had around 380-400 words each.

Maths section
1st question was very difficult. Solved it in the end.
After that what happened didnt even imagine in my wildest dreams. Got 10 back to back DS questions, it was a killer but was making sure each question was correct.
Then the most weirdest thing happened looked at the clock there were 45 mins left. What I didn't realize was that I had spent 30 mins for just the first 12 questions and what made things worse was I assumed 75-45 = 20 mins( I know being strong at quantitative you rarely make these mistakes but I did!) I said to myself I solved 12 questions in just 20 mins, I should slow down. then around the 25th question I realized there were 12 mins and 12 questions. Panicked and thought about giving up. Backing up my instincts and belief I thought better of it and decided to finish the section in the given time. Ended up guessing the last question. I did guess on questions which took me more than 45 seconds to solve. At around 15-16 question i got 2 consecutive probability questions which made me believe I was doing well but at 25th question my happiness was turned into a panic attack as mentioned earlier.

Took a break. Was very thirsty but there was no water available no vending machines nothing which was very surprising for me.

Came back for verbal first 15 questions went exceedingly well had seen almost all types of questions and even ended up getting 2 Boldfaced and a paradox question on CR. RCs were hard. 16th question onward I started feeling really sleepy ended up reading questions thrice but was still not able to understand as to what the question said. Tried my hardest but nothing changed kept on going with it and ended up guessing the last 3 as I ran out of time.

The other problem was the computer screen which was only 10-12 cm away from my face. It really freaked me out, my eyes were swollen and I think its because of the strain that I ended up feeling so sleepy. Also, the factor I woke up at 730am and then had to travel to another city.
I never thought about screen being a problem as I never had this issue in my practice tests, I would advice people used to small laptops to practice a few tests on the proper desktops and a keyboard which resembles the commonly available 1.

After 10-20 clicks got a score a disappointing 1 --600(Q46 and V26).

I am not accepting Defeat will come back with even more venom for this test and will take my revenge but not now as right now I have my final year project to look forward to and my final exams may be in the late summer around Aug-Sept.

I ll still be around trying to keep myself involved in this great Community and wonderful people.
Good Luck with your exams guys!
The Exam is not hard But you yourself make it harder for you by committing stupid mistakes like I did.
Take plenty of water, if you like red bull take it along with you can be helpful. I wished I had taken some stuff with me and not believed that there will be vending machine or a cafe.

Hey Nimish,

Well, Now you are experienced player. you can do much better next time. Keep it moving buddy, there is always a next time and as your quote say, past is past and future is secure...

I hope to join you in preparing for gmat.

Cheer up

Vgmat2

Hi Nimish and All,

Well, I don't want to say that 600 is not bad after all as i know you won't like it, but at least now you learned new things about GMAT, taken into account next time you will get the score you need, so never look at it as a bad experience. Your thread inspired lots of us..

I don't feel well my self too. My test is two weeks from now, I have lost the whole of last week as I was engaged in a business trip, I thought i would have time to study in the evenings but it was extremely busy, the only time i could study was on the plane, and you can imagine how that was. Before my business trip directly I had the first GMATPrep exam, i had this one three months ago before my first test take and I hoped i won't remember things and I would get new questions from the 600-800 pools and that was the case, only 2 questions in Q were from the OG and 2 questions in V as well, I got 710, and was extremely happy, however, during my business trip and because I was so worried i made PR CAT 3, I admit I was so tired not sleeping more than 4 hours a day for over 4 days, but I pushed hard to do it to make sure I do some studying, i got 540 !!!!, in math I got the last 9 questions in a row wrong first three of them because of very very very stupid mistakes and the last six were random guessing as I ran out of time, my pacing in that CAT was so BAD, I had only one mistake in the first 28 questions !!!! i think I should have guessed on the two tough probability questions to gain some time answering the last questions.....same lesson learned over and over and over, if takes more than 1.5 minutes with no strategy set, POE, guess and move on, getting that one right in over 3 min and missing the last few is worse guessing it and get the last few right ...I KNOW IT BUT I SIMPLY KEEP ON NOT DOING ITTTTT......I hate time management.

I am so worried now, tomorrow I will start studying again as my business trip will be over with two weeks to go only, my focus will be VERBAL, I need to get 36 there... I HAVE TO, I will do the MGAMT 5th and 6th CAT, PR 4th, and GMATPrep II focusing on GOOD PACING :S :S :S, i won't tolerate less than 640 in any of them............

Nimish,

Thanks for the detailed description of what happened for you. I think it can be a great support to others - what to do, what not do do. And I echo others' responses that you got through it, know what it feels like, and if you choose to take it again you'll rock it. You'll know the timing better and I'm sure will have gotten some more sleep!

I think you did great - great in terms of getting through it and STILL getting above average. I look forward to hearing about your endeavors in the future!

Best wishes
Mercedes

Just checking out this site. So a test post to log in to the MBA club. Welcome me guys

Rimten

Rimten wrote:Just checking out this site. So a test post to log in to the MBA club. Welcome me guys

Rimten

Welcome Rimten!!!. Hope you have a good time with our community .

Rimten wrote:Just checking out this site. So a test post to log in to the MBA club. Welcome me guys

Rimten

Welcome Rimten!

Welcome !!! Best of Luck preparing

Hi All,

It has been a while since we shared our Preps for taking the test the end of this month - mine on the 30th.

The plan that I set for last month went fairly well, I lost one full week as I had a business trip during which I barely studied except those long hours being on the plane.

I have set the plan for my last two weeks preparing, here it goes:

Day 14-Wend (Today - 5 hours): Revise my last PR CAT + 30 D.S (timed for less than 50 minutes) + 30 P.S (timed for less than 50 minutes) and revise mistakes

Day 13-Thu (Full Time - 10 hours): Start going through MG SC again chapter related questions form the OG 11 + 30 DS Timed + 30 CR Timed

Day 12-Fri (Full Time - 10 hours): Finish up MG SC and related OG SC questions + KAP CAT II + revise KAP mistakes

--I went through MG SC once before, and now revising to put every thing together and remember the rules and my mistakes, so I shall be able to finish it in two days

Day 11-Sat (Full Time - 10 hours): 60 Q of CR and 30 of RC, PS, DS

Day 10-Sun(Full Time - 10 hours): Review all questions I got wrong the past month + MG CAT V

Day 9-Mon (Part Time - 6 hours): 30 Q each section timed

Day 8-Tue (Part Time - 5 hours): Review all SC mistakes + 30 RC + 30 CR timed

Day 7-Wend(Part Time - 5 hours): KAP III + revise it

Day 6-Thu(Full Time - 10 hours): PR IV + AWA

Day 5-Fri (Full Time - 10 hours): 30 Q each section timed + KAP CAT IV and revise it

Day 4-Sat (Full Time -10 hours): Revise Flash Cards + MG CAT VI and revise it

Day 3-Sun (Full Time - 10 hours): Solve all Questions I got wrong those two weeks

Day 2: Mon (Part Time - 5 hours): GMATPrep II and revise it

Day 1: Review Flash Cards + Some AWA + and SLEEP early

Day 0: G Day

Setting the plan was important, sticking to it is more important, but what is even more and more important is what follows:

I learned the past few days to commit to the following:

- During the two weeks I shall time my self for around 1 min 40 sec per question tops.

- SOLVE QUESTIONS I GOT WRONG AGAIN before reading the explanation.

- You might ask why I’m doing so many practice tests the last two weeks. I suck at timing, and got inspired by a 790 acheiver who mentioned this technique to make sure I adapt to test timing through many practice tests towards the last couple of weeks. I learned to:
- Give more attention to first 12 questions.
-12-28: If it takes more than 2-3 min-> POE-GUESS-MOVE ON
- Goal is not to random guess on last 5ish questions.

- I managed now to conquer my fears, I used to think "I want to get done with this as soon as possible" but I now think "I want to nail it", My solgon is: Be Furious, Dedicated, and Determined

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks to Mercedes, mayonnai5e, Black_Cat, and Nimish for helping out setting strategies, build confidence, and motivation.

Keep Posting !!

Best,
Sam

Day 14 Summary:

Revised PR CAT III: Although the score of 39 in Q was not that bad for some one who got the last 9 Qs in a row wrong, i was not happy with the fact that I got the first 12 Q correct, then the CAT threw 3 ridiculously tough probability questions at me, at the time I did the CAT i used to fall in the pacing trap, so I spent 12 minutes on them and got two wrong !! I know, silly, but i am managing my pacing much better now, off course this left me 2 minutes for the last 6 questions. Had three silly mistakes in a row just before those 6. I think the score would have been much better if I managed the time better and avoided those silly mistakes, but that's what the test is all about it, isn't it Lesson Learned !!

I then stated doing DS, 30 Q timed, my goal as mentioned before to have 1 min 40 sec per question:

I did the OG (77-106) got 29/30 correct in 53.23 min - average: 1 min 47 sec - I am so happy I am managing time better now - can't wait to take my next CAT with this figured out.

My only mistake was in Q 105 - absolute value question. The good thing is that I got it right before checking the explanation with out the time constraint. This helped me getting the concept better:

Today's Lessos:

-Pacing - Pacing - Pacing.

-When dealing with absolutes (105 kind of questions), break it into its two possible values, plug in answer choice/s in BOTH possibilities.

-When dealing with Line Equations: If the Y intercept is known use: y = mx+b otherwise y-y1 = m(x-x1)

-For question asking you to sum values from m to n inclusive, use: ((m+n)*(m-n)/2)+(m+n)/2, some other ways might sound easier, I just got my self used to this building up its logic. ((their Sum*no. of pairs)+ left out value) - usually m and n are both even in questions.

My confidence is building up every passing day.

30 PS to go, and then my SC bootcamp starts tomorrow for two days.

Best,
Sam