GMAT Strategy

Hi All,

My target GMAT score is 700+ and I intend to take the test this month end. I have given a few fee GMAT practice tests. My score are as follows.

GMATPrep Exam 1 q-47 v-21 total-560
GMATPrep Exam 2 q-44 v-30 total- 610
Veritas q- 47 v-34 total-660
Manhattan q-43 v-28 total-580
Kaplan total-590.

Please provide suggestions to improve my score,to.I have completed the OG-13 and Verbal Review and Quant Review too. I real want to score more than 700. Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks in advance.

you should keep Kaplan as first preference

and then

Manhattan (as it being too difficult) for subscribing CAT

You Quant score is pretty much in fine range however there is potential to improve Quant score to a level of 48.

But I see major scope of improvement in Verbal as your score has always been on the lower side.

You can seek help of some expert to improve in the areas and most importantly to understand the areas of improvements.

One month seems lesser time to improve the score by required amount however you can take your chances. In my opinion, At this stage you should keep a target of about 8 weeks in mind and then prepare.

Hi there,

If you know you need to break 700, then my suggestion would be to wait until you're regularly scoring a 720+ on practice CATs before you attempt the exam.

Honestly, I think best case scenario today you're looking at the low 600's. It's pretty darn rare to magically jump 100 points in 30 days, so I think you need to be honest with yourself about what you still don't know, and how thoroughly you've used these previous CATs to identify weaknesses.

The fact that you've worked on OG questions is GREAT!! Now you have to get incredibly specific. I'd go back through your most recent 2-3 CATs and make an Error Log of ALL incorrect questions (feel free to use the attached template).

-How well did you recognize what each question was testing?
-What was your strategy (step-by-step approach utilizing scratch paper) to get to the correct answer?
-Are you having any Pacing issues during your CATs or are you finishing all questions in time?
-Can you name your Top 5 Weakest Quant and Top 5 Weakest Verbal concepts? Use data from your Error Log!

It sounds like you really need to do more analysis -- in 4 weeks, I'd recommend focusing all your attention on your 8 weakest Verbal and 8 weakest Quant concepts. You probably need to really re-examine your strategies for RC and CR.

Good luck!

Hi Rich,

To answer your questions

1) How long have you been studying? -I've been studying for the past 2/3 months. But not consistently.
2) What GMAT resources have you been using to study? Have you used a Course or have you just been self-studying with books? - I've been doing self-study. I have completed the OG13, OG Verbal Review,OG Quant Review. For verbal I've been referring to Manhattan Strategy Guides.

You are right. I've been just "winging it" in the verbal section so far. But now I've changed my approach and been strictly identifying flaws in questions. I would also like to know what more material to refer to and which practice CAT package should be the closest to the actual GMAT.

Thanks in advance.

VivianKerr wrote:Hi there,

If you know you need to break 700, then my suggestion would be to wait until you're regularly scoring a 720+ on practice CATs before you attempt the exam.

Honestly, I think best case scenario today you're looking at the low 600's. It's pretty darn rare to magically jump 100 points in 30 days, so I think you need to be honest with yourself about what you still don't know, and how thoroughly you've used these previous CATs to identify weaknesses.

The fact that you've worked on OG questions is GREAT!! Now you have to get incredibly specific. I'd go back through your most recent 2-3 CATs and make an Error Log of ALL incorrect questions (feel free to use the attached template).

-How well did you recognize what each question was testing?
-What was your strategy (step-by-step approach utilizing scratch paper) to get to the correct answer?
-Are you having any Pacing issues during your CATs or are you finishing all questions in time?
-Can you name your Top 5 Weakest Quant and Top 5 Weakest Verbal concepts? Use data from your Error Log!

It sounds like you really need to do more analysis -- in 4 weeks, I'd recommend focusing all your attention on your 8 weakest Verbal and 8 weakest Quant concepts. You probably need to really re-examine your strategies for RC and CR.

Good luck!

Hi Vivian,

Thanks for the advice. As to the questions asked


-How well did you recognize what each question was testing? - Verbal I was just winging the SC part every time. From a few days though I've been logically approaching SC part too. I really feel that "winging " approach of mine led to low scores.

-What was your strategy (step-by-step approach utilizing scratch paper) to get to the correct answer?
-Are you having any Pacing issues during your CATs or are you finishing all questions in time? I'm finishing well ahead of time.
-Can you name your Top 5 Weakest Quant and Top 5 Weakest Verbal concepts? Will respond after analysing using the error log provided by you.


Can you please advise on what CAT package should I prefer.

Thanks in advance!!

Hey,

Since your pacing isn't the issue, then my guess is you are missing some harder concepts and have no solid strategies for each Q-type. As you said, "winging it" is pretty much a disaster-zone.

Here's an example of how I suggest you approach RC: https://gmatrockstar.com/2014/01/17/gmat ... y-purpose/

For SC, here's the general strategy I teach:

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 more detail!

GMATinsight wrote:you should keep Kaplan as first preference

and then

Manhattan (as it being too difficult) for subscribing CAT

Hi GMATinsight,

Could you please let me know why you gave first preference to Kaplan?
I have both Kaplan and MGMAT CATs.
I know kaplan are more difficult than MGMAT, but just wanted to know your thoughts.
How it can be useful achieve great score (750+) .

Hi Chetan86,

I suggested Kaplan as first preference for you as your Quant score in GMAT PREP suggest that your quant is not as good as it should be for Manhattan CAT and I would not encourage any student to be discouraged by trying some some too difficult question which don't represent actual GMAT level.

However for Practice, Manhattan is suggested as first choice.

Kaplan has toned down the difficulty level of the CATs therefore you would be able to assess yourself on the tests which are too close to actual GMAT level and there are lesser chances of any substantial disappointment.

You should not only be conceptually strong but also be psychologically strong to perform best.

I hope you would understand the rationale.

All the best!!!

GMATinsight wrote:Hi Chetan86,

I suggested Kaplan as first preference for you as your Quant score in GMAT PREP suggest that your quant is not as good as it should be for Manhattan CAT and I would not encourage any student to be discouraged by trying some some too difficult question which don't represent actual GMAT level.

However for Practice, Manhattan is suggested as first choice.

Kaplan has toned down the difficulty level of the CATs therefore you would be able to assess yourself on the tests which are too close to actual GMAT level and there are lesser chances of any substantial disappointment.

You should not only be conceptually strong but also be psychologically strong to perform best.

I hope you would understand the rationale.

All the best!!!

Hi GMATinsight,

Thanks a lot for your inputs. Your suggestion would definitely help to achieve very good score.

Regards,
Chetan