I just Beat The GMAT!

started studing for GMAT three months ago.
I took a Kaplan classroom course since my goal was to get >700.

Kaplan practice test scores-
Kalpan CAT 1 680
Kalpan CAT 2 690
Kalpan CAT 3 650
Kalpan CAT 4 680
Kalpan CAT 5 680
Kalpan CAT 6 640
Kaplan UPT 710
Kalpan CAT 7 660
Power Prep 1 730
GMATPrep 1 710

Today I gave the actual GMAT and got a shocking 610!!!!

I found that i performed bad is math and the math was very "different" from what i was practising on Kaplan classroom tests. I was challegned by most of the questions on the real test resulting in me spending more time and then rushing through the last ten questions.


Clearly, Kanplan classroom tests cover math which is different from the type of questions you get in actual GMAT.

I dont know what to do at this point.
Should i give up on my dreams?
If not then from which books should i study?

Please advise

Hi,

Never ever leave ur DREAM ...
Improving on quant is not very difficult .
I hope u wud hv faced difficulty in DS ...
So its just a matter of some days practice.
Btw what is ur sectional scalled scores????

I also appered for GMAT nd scored 670 . Got screwed in Verbal ... Now trying for second attempt ...

Anyway take 1 week rest then start with a strong faith in ur ability . U can do it ...
All the best for your prepairation ...

May I suggest the Manhattan GMAT CATs? I found them to be extremely useful; and in fact, found the quant questions rather similar (if a trifle tougher) to the actual GMAT. Buy the 6 tests online for US$ 26, or buy any one of their strategy guides (you may get the book at a discount) and look for the code on the inside back cover of the book. Their analysis is an excellent way to learn the way to approach a problem.

And I wonder if you feel you get punched by any particular type of problems? Try to get hold of the Manhattan guide covering those topics.

And please don't give up. It never helps. Good luck.

newuser_beatGMATL:

Just give it another shot when you are more prepared and earn yourself that 700+. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Just a suggestion though... Your post made a lot of excuses and the general sentiment blamed Kaplan. Kaplan didn't prepare me for this... Kaplan's materials wasn't indicative of this... Etc...

At the end of the day, you are responsible for your own performance. To earn that 700+, it also takes meticulous practice outside of the classroom and exploring your own limits through hundreds of practice questions. Just because Kaplan didn't cover it doesn't give you the liberty to ignore a topic. So instead of saying "Kaplan didn't prepare me well enough for this test," take responsibility by agreeing that "I didn't prepare enough for this test."

That accountability and attitude will set yourself up for the commitment to say, "I will prepare enough for my second attempt and my hardwork will earn my a 700+."

Good luck

@ bzg2hg
Firstly, thanks for your inputs
Yes, you are correct DS and SC were parts that threw me off.
Which books do u suggest for practicing SCs?
My Scaled score Quant 44 Verbal 30

@Turnpike
Thanks for your advice. I think switching to MGMAT at this point can help.
Do you have any suggestions on which material to go over and practice to make Math better? I think timed practice of difficult/twisted questions is needed.

@brandonson
You are right. We are responsible for our own actions.
My intent was not to blame anyone but just to throw some light on a situation that I have ran into. [Going from a quant test score of 48/49 in practice tests to 44 in the real one is a very painful experience]
However, when I started studying I considered Kaplan good enough to rely on in terms of scope of the questions that can be asked on DS.
Also, apart from Kaplan classroom [as you have said that we should look at other material] I also gave other practice tests like Petersons[1,2 and 3 got a 670, 670 and 690] and Crack GMAT got at 660. I also used Princeton review book to solve some Math questions.
I had never seen a 610 in any of my practice tests and I had continously got feedback from Kaplan that they cover the most topics. And definitely they do but not in the depth that GMAT requires. I should have known this.

At this point I know that I shouldnt give up and try to build up my shattered confidence. But the question is where do I start?
Few areas that I think I am weak at are SC, DS, probability.
Which books are good for MATH that can cover topics like slope[not just find slope kind of questions but questions like does the line ax+by=c pass through X-axis if c<0 and/or b<0] in DS?

newuser_beatGMAT wrote: My Scaled score Quant 44 Verbal 30

@Turnpike
Thanks for your advice. I think switching to MGMAT at this point can help.
Do you have any suggestions on which material to go over and practice to make Math better? I think timed practice of difficult/twisted questions is needed.

A 44 in Quant is 74th percentile, I don't know what a 30 in verbal makes. I can speak from my experience: I noticed that I am very weak in Number Properties; and GMAT has a lot of questions on number properties, especially in DS. So I bought the MGMAT Number Properties book and went thru it. Also I took the MGMAT CATs not much for the scores, as for the solutions it provided me with. And I took one MGMAT CAT untimed.

I believe that R2 deadline is still at least 3 months away. So slow down, and I mean S-L-O-W down. Focus on content, focus on 'How to attempt'.

As far as books are concerned try the OG12, the OG-Verbal and the OG-Quant. But don't expect them to have the level of quant you may witness in the real GMAT. The OGs are designed for use by everybody, and most people do not need a 700 and above score.

This is where MGMAT comes in. I found the level of Quant very similar to that in the real GMAT, though the verbal in the real GMAT was definitely tougher than any that I've done.

Good luck.

newuser_beatGMAT,

If I were you, I wouldn't focus so much on Quant. Verbal is where you should direct your energy. If you get a Verbal score of >=45 with you Quant at 44, you'd be in the 720s-730s.

Verbal is crucial to raising you score

@Turnpike/@ogbeni
You are correct. I should focus on "how to attempt"
Which books do u suggest for SCs. I have used up Kaplan Verbal and Princeton verbal books
Manhattan GMAT has a SC book and it points to practice a few questions for OG, which I have practiced.
Any other source for SCs?