GMAT Strategy

I have been lurking on the forum for a couple weeks and have seen quite a few strategies for increasing verbal scores. My situation is the opposite.

I took my first GMATprep test yesterday. I was extremely pleased to see an overall score of 650 but I was very disappointed in my math results. Many of the problems might as well have been in a foreign language. What is the best strategy forward from a 37 Math / 42 Verbal split?

I have a fairly demanding (and rewarding) job with very limited hours to study during the week. My original goal was simply to take the GMAT before the end of the year and apply to Executive MBA programs in the spring of 2015. I am targeting the top tier EMBA programs and was advised that a stronger than average GMAT score will be needed to balance my application since I only have 4 years of managerial experience.

I have looked at several different programs but since all are highly touted, I have been left more confused than motivated. Any help is appreciated!

Thanks Rich. I feel that a lot of my mistakes were from simply not remembering formulas that I learned 10+ years ago. I have never had an occasion where I have needed the FOIL method at work or even dealt with exponents or plotting lines. With the advent of the calculator, I am barely remembering my multiplication tables! I also ran out of time as I sat and puzzled on some of the questions and I was rushed for my last 8 or so questions. I started looking through some of the Khan academy math lessons to review the basics. Are the Manhattan books the best for the GMAT focused math approaches? I must admit that quite a few of the data sufficiency questions boggled my mind.

I took a couple months off from my GMAT prep due to getting married. I have quite a bit of time to prepare as I am not under any time limit to take the test. I did sign up for Magoosh to help supplement the OG 13 and Manhattan books. I jumped back into study mode a week ago.

Here is my new issue: I have just taken my first Magoosh practice test and I am reeling from the results! After scoring a 650 on the offical GMAT Prep test I only received a 470 on the Magoosh exam. Many of the questions seemed extremely hard and I received a 24Q / 32V split. Has anyone else had experience with the Magoosh tests? How accurately are they scaled?

I do plan to go through all of results question by question, but if the Magoosh tests are not scaled properly, I will use my other sources for testing and measuring my progress.

Here's the thing: there's no such thing as "scaled properly" because all private companies can only guess at the exact algorithm used to score the GMAT. I don't have a ton of familiarity with Magoosh's product, but I wouldn't equate their CAT scores to the GMAT in any way, shape, or form.

The closest and most reliable CAT scores to the actual GMAT has always been the GMATPreps 1, 2, (and now) 3, and 4.

You say you got a 650 on the GMATPrep, do you mean the GMATPrep 1? In general, I find most students score better on the GMATPreps 1 and 2 than they do on the GMATPreps 3 and 4, but that's still fairly reliable of your actual GMAT score. I also "overshoot" it -- making the assumption your actual GMAT score would be a bit lower due to stress/new, more challenging questions. So just based on the 650, it looks like you're in the low 600's at worst! Congrats!

As for Magoosh, the 470 does not seem reliable, as far as I'm concerned. BUT their material (like all CATs) is extremely valuable to the extent that it helps you identify WHAT questions you're getting wrong and WHY. Are you keeping an independent Error Log for ALL of your practice tests? How was your pacing on the Magoosh exam? Did you complete all questions? If you left strings of questions blank or missed a bunch of them back-to-back it could've negatively impacted your score. But again, you got a 650 on the GMATPrep. Magoosh's score is irrelevant, but your incorrect questions are worth their weight in gold.

Since you already have the MGMAT books, then definitely start going through them -- I'd start with Number Properties since those are so heavily tested in Quant. You really need to work out a way of dealing with Data Sufficiency questions -- identifying Yes/No versus Value questions, and how you can use your scratch pad to properly move through the statements. You might need to work with a tutor at some point.

Re: the Quant "formulas" and concepts you don't know. Again, go back and 'Error Log' your GMATPrep and most recent Magoosh exam (and other recent incorrect questions). What concepts are they testing? Why did you get them incorrect? You might find it helpful to use the attached template. Identify and study your worst Quant concepts work, then use the MGMAT material to target it.

Good luck!