GMAT Strategy

Hi,

I am studying for 3 months and my target score is 700+. My first CAT was 580 and I have improved a lot since then on the Gmat Prep tests, but not on MGMAT CATs.

I have completed all the OG questions, retried all that I missed and finished all the Manhattan Verbal books. I also did 10 CATs (MGMAT range 580 - 630, others 650 - 700).

I always do the AWA section, I do the test without pausing and I respect the interval time.

My last Cat scores were:
Gmat Prep #1 (May 18th): 700 - Q47 V39 - 700 IR 6.5
MGMAT #4 (May 25th): 580 - Q38 V32 - 580 no IR
MGMAT #5 (June 21): 630 - Q42 V34 - no IR *extra 15 minutes
Gmat Prep #3 (June 29th): 700 - Q45 V40 - 700 IR 7

Since all my MGMAT Cat scores were way lower than the Gmat prep scores, I made an experiment, maybe a mistake, but I tried the MGMAT #5 with 15 extra minutes on each section. I thought that the questions were too hard and I could be having time issues, so I wondered if I could get any better with extra time. I learned that not and I won't do that again.

I tried to analise the results, but I can't explain why my grades are lower on the MGMAT. Also, I don't know why I got so many hard questions on the verbal section and a low score.

Verbal
I got 35 (24 correct) from the 41 questions with 700-800 difficulty and 6 (4 correct) with 600 - 700.
Wrong questions: 9 SC, 7 CR, 3 RC

SC is my weakness, I finish those kind of questions within 1:30 to 1:45 minutes no matter if I get it right or wrong. On RC questions I spend I little bit more time than the average, but mostly right.

From the time perspective, I learned that I must be aware of witch kind of questions I should guess, because extra time didn't get me a better score. Anyway, most of my mistakes, 11 from 19, were on questions answered within 1:20 to 2:00 minutes.

Quant
On the math section, only 4 questions were 700-800 and I missed all. I got 20 questions bellow 2:00 minutes, most of them right. And above 2:00 minutes I missed almost 50%. My DS and PS hit rate is the same.

That is a surprise for me, because on all 4 Gmat Prep and a Veritas Cat that I tried, I got more than 46 points on the Quant section.

I can't figure out a difficulty on any specific Math topic, I know that I am struggling on very hard problems.

The MGMAT CATs are really helpful with the explanations. I could learn a lot with the questions that I reviewed but I am worried about my performance. My test will be in 17 days and I don't know what I should focus now.

Can anyone help me with a diagnosis and what should I do on the next 2 weeks?

Thank you

Hey Bruno,

Since extra time did not yield better results for you, that points out a strategy issue. HOW are you approaching each question-type, especially for Verbal??

Here's what I'd suggest you do for SC:

Step 1 - Read Choice (A) and Identify One Grammar or Meaning Error

Since we know that a sentence with a grammatical error or an illogical meaning can NEVER be correct on the GMAT, try to identify and name ONE specific error you see. It may seem like there are several things "wrong" with the sentence, so choose the error you feel the most confident about, and write it down on your scratch paper. For example, maybe you think the meaning might be illogical, the sentence overall is awkwardly constructed, and there is an incorrect comparison. You might choose to go with the comparison error first.

What if there is no error in (A)? If (A) seems correct to you, or you cannot spot a grammar or meaning error, feel free to search for a style error. If you feel there is one, such as redundancy or passive voice, make a note of it next to letter "A" on your scratch pad, but DO NOT CROSS IT OFF YET. Remember, a style error doesn't make an option automatically incorrect. It only makes it less likely to be correct. Once you've done this, move on to (B) and look for an identifiable grammar or meaning error. If (A) is correct, then (B) must contain an error.

Step 2 - Scan the Other Choices; Eliminate Error #1

Do any of the other 4 choices contain that same error? If so, quickly cross out

Step 3 - Move to the Next Available Choice; Look for Error #2

If you have more than one choice left, repeat the process. Move to the next choice remaining and look for an identifiable grammar or meaning error. If none exists, feel free to look for a style error and make a note of it next to the letter on your scratch pad. Once you've identified a grammar or meaning error, cross off the letter of that answer choice, and the letters of any other answer choices that contain the same error. Repeat as needed.

Step 4 - Stuck Between Two? Eliminate Based on Style

On a difficult Sentence Correction, you may find yourself narrowed down to two answer choices that both seem grammatically correct and both have logical meanings. Which one does the GMAT prefer? The answer: the clearest, most concise option. If one choice appears to have awkwardness or wordiness or passive voice, select the other option. All grammar being equal, the GMAT rewards clarity.

You can see how I attack questions with this process here: https://gmatrockstar.com/category/gmat-verbal/. Let me know if I can help you with your CR or RC strategy as well! You can still boost your abilities in 2 weeks!

Thank you Rich and Vivian,

Your advices makes totally sense and I know that are small details that will make the difference at this point. I'll focus on those points on Quant and try a new strategy on the SC.

I made another MGMAT Cat (#6) simulating the official test yesterday and analyzed within your comments.
Results: V41 Q37 650

Correct vs Total
PS 11/22
DS 8/15
SC 8/15
CR 11/14
RC 8/12

On the Quant section, I made silly mistakes on 6 questions, most of them because I didn't pay attention on some detail of the question. I also spent more than 2:30 minutes on 11 questions, 7 of them I got wrong. I think the quant level on the MGMAT is a lot higher, I don't make those mistakes on the GMAT Prep.
Issues on rates, remainder, combinatories and even/odd DS.

However on the Verbal Section, I just had one error from attention fault and I spent more time on just 4 questions. Most of my mistakes are on SC and for conceptual reasons. For example I know how parallel structure works, but most of the time I think is to hard to understand the structures on the sentences. I noticed that I always have problems with long sentences with diverse construction. I didn't had a clear point of decision on the questions that I had most difficulty. Maybe would be important to me to have a couple hours of tutoring on SC.

CATs Hisotry:
Gmat Prep #1 (Feb 2th): 580 - Q42 V28 Full length, no review
MGMAT #1 (Apr 21th): 610 - Q40 V34
Veritas #1 (Apr 25th): 680 - Q47 V37
Gmat Prep #2 (May 4th): 650 - Q47 V33
MGMAT #3 (May 13th): 580 - Q40 V30
Gmat Prep #1 (May 18th): 700 - Q47 V39 IR 6.5 retake
MGMAT #4 (May 25th): 580 - Q38 V32 no IR
MGMAT #5 (June 21th): 630 - Q42 V34 no IR *extra 15 minutes
Gmat Prep #3 (June 29th): 700 - Q45 V40 - 700 IR 7 Full length
MGMAT #6 (July 5th): 650 - Q42 V37 Full length

Last Assessment


https://tinypic.com/r/qz0k8l/8

Hey Bruno,

Great! Since you mentioned some of these minor errors, I'd suggest you go back through your most recent 2-3 practice tests and do a thorough error log. You need to classify the precise reason you got each question incorrect, rather than generalizing by saying a "conception error" or "silly mistake" -- get VERY, VERY specific. You might find the attached template helpful.

Let me know if you need any more SC strategy advice! Be sure to only go ONE error at a time and make good use of your scratch paper!