GMAT Strategy

Hi,

I have been studying for the GMAT now for a couple months using a Kaplan course. On my diagnostic test I scored a 680 and was pretty happy (shooting for 700's ultimately). As I got more into the tests my scores began to decrease. My next CAT scores were 630, 600, 600, 600, and then 610. Every time I try to tackle a new topic I seem to make mistakes on a different topic. My verbal which was the 92nd percentile on the first diagnostic has fallen to 48th percentile. I tend to get 4 wrong in a row sometimes and I think that is something that is hurting me. I don't know if my studying is right or if this is normal - I tend to choose a subject or two a night and pound the practice problems going through what I missed on the wrong ones and where my thought process veered off and then move to a new subject each day, with Thursday and Friday off. Any help is appreciated, thanks!
My test date: Jan 23rd

As I got more into the tests my scores began to decrease. My next CAT scores were 630, 600, 600, 600, and then 610. Every time I try to tackle a new topic I seem to make mistakes on a different topic. My verbal which was the 92nd percentile on the first diagnostic has fallen to 48th percentile.

I am wondering why you tried new techniques if you scored the 92nd percentile. I understand that the 92nd is not yet the 99th but with some practice you may have gotten there.

There are two possibilities for your situation:

1) The new tennis backhand: So when you try to make a significant change in some technique it is going to take you a while to be as good as you were with the old (and presumably more limited) approach. So when, for example, you change the way you hit your backhand in tennis - say you go from a 1-hand backhand like Federer to a 2-hand backhand like Nadal and Murray, even though the 2-handed backhand is presumably the more powerful shot once it is perfected, in the meantime if the player (obviously not a pro in this case but just a sort of weekend player) will really struggle in matches since the new backhand takes time to integrate.

The same is true of using new processes on the GMAT. Presumably the new techniques are more reliable and in the end will yield a higher score, yet in the meantime you may miss some questions as you implement. However, unlike the tennis backhand this should not be a long process. If you are still struggling after weeks of working with the new techniques then there may be something wrong with your approach.

2) Verbal is instinctual. Unlike the Quant section where there are definite formulas and equations to learn as well as this whole "Data Sufficiency thing." Verbal can be instinctual. Especially critical reasoning and reading comprehension. When I first took the GMAT 7-plus years ago I got every critical reasoning and every reading comp correct on my practice tests. I missed a few sentence correction each time and I found that this subject was more of a game like data sufficiency.

The truth is that some people certainly complicate things when they begin to study for verbal. I really try to get people to focus on the correct portions of the critical reasoning prompt or the sentence or the passage. You do not need to have complicated techniques; if you are focusing on the correct things the problems should seem uncomplicated.

You will have to decide which it is. Are you just in that transition phase to a better technique? Or are you complicating something that was natural for you?

Thank you David!

The first time was all instinctual since I had never studied before. I realize that I get pretty exhausted by the time I hit the verbal section and need to work on stamina. I appreciate your help! I've been spending a lot of time working on the "backhand" and I've finally started to notice some improvement being able to notice problems in some hard difficulty sc questions. I'll definitely let you know the next CAT I take.