GMAT Strategy

Hi guys,

I'm back again, i took the Gmat 3 monthes ago and i had a bad score (540 )so i got disappointed and stopped studying. Now i decided to retake it and it appears that i should do that before June 2015,so i'll probably retake it in May, in order for me to be able to apply for a scholarship.

So plz Gmat beaters if you have any propositions about the strategy to follow and the materials to use, help me here.

Thanks a lot in advance.

Hi Souma,

Take as many practice tests as possible. Spend as much time in analyzing your performance in the test. Typically if you spend 2 hours in a mock test, spend 4-5 hours in analyzing your performance and take a note on how to attempt each question better, faster and smarter. Make sure you apply them in your next practice test.

Start reading articles, science journals , business tabloids and read them online and figure out for yourself if you can understand the language and the main idea present in the passage. This would improve your vocabulary on the GMAT.

To know about the best study material, read our blog on the link below

https://blog.manyagroup.com/detail.html?authorid=59

Let us know if you would have any questions for gmat preparation and we would be happy to guide. Wish you the best.

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Hi

@ manyaabroadtpr : Thanks for your advices , i'll do so;

@ Rich: Here are few details ,


1)On my official GMAT i got 39 in the quantitative and 26 in the verbal section.
2) My scores were a bit lower than most of my practice CAT scores;
3)I studied for 2 monthes ;
4)I used GmatPrep , Manhattan free practice test , Kaplan free test , Princeton review and i took a prepatory class here in morocco;
5)My goal score is above 700;
6)I have to take the gmat before June because i need to apply for a scholarship ( the fulbright scholarship) and the deadline is the 30th June;

Your English language skills are not all that great so you probably should squeeze every point out of quant that you can.

One thing you could do to improve your quant score is set up a BellCurves practice account and do problems of each type until you get each type down. Figure out the tricks the writers use and develop strategies for doing the problems quickly and accurately. By doing this consistently and diligently you could increase you quant score to the upper 40's or higher.

Of course you can also increase the level of your facility with English and do way better or verbal.

One thing you could do to accomplish that is what was mentioned above, do a lot of fairly sophisticated reading in English. Some people do this by reading a Wall Street Journal article or two every day. The truth is you could find any subjects that interest you and read about them in English. Also, you could read the news in English, do any web surfing you do on English language versions of websites and just get really accustomed to working in English. A few months of doing that will add to your verbal score right there.

In addition there are many other resources you can use to get a clearer sense of the concepts tested on GMAT verbal and how to apply them. Myself I prefer online resources or e book versions. Just be sure to realize that rocking GMAT verbal is mostly about being logical and careful, and don't get too caught up in all the rules and strategies that are out there. Yes understanding concepts and rules can be important, especially in sentence correction, but knowledge of arcane rules and sophisticated strategies is not as important for rocking GMAT verbal as you might think. Basics like logical thinking, attention to detail and methodical ways of going through answer choices can be key to achieving a high GMAT verbal score.

Hey Souma,

Here's four major tips I'd recommend for your Round 2 prep:


1. Diversify your materials. How did you study on the first go-round? Make sure you are using books like the OG, MGMAT, Powerscore, and other hard copy study guides and online resources. Studying online with Grockit, Beat the GMAT, and other sites is vital to building your comfort level with the computer-based format of the GMAT as well. Be honest with yourself: were you using the Best of the Best?

2. Study less more often. When do you study? Do you keep a regular study schedule? Or are you studying intermittently in long blocks that ultimately wear you down? Make sure to keep a strict schedule and abide by it, even if you'd like to squeeze in a few hours. Staying up all night to cram in yet another practice test is not always the best choice. Study in smaller bursts, take frequent mini-breaks, and give yourself simply accomplishable tasks.

3. Find your community. In addition to the friends you make on Beat the GMAT, seek out a local in-person GMAT study group. Set goals with each other, and see what advice they have. If you have a 600 and are eyeing a 700+ score, there are many people out there who have made that leap. Success leaves footprints. Find out what strategies are commonly used by 750+ students, what study plans they keep, and how they build their content-knowledge.

4. Review your old materials. Re-take quizzes and practice tests from the very beginning of your GMAT studies. Do you find yourself getting the same questions correct. This can be a sign that you haven't learned the content you think you have. Be honest with yourself about what is "sinking in" and what is not. Are there gaps in your math or grammar knowledge that still need to be filled? Are you rushing through your practice questions, and not taking enough time to review incorrect answers? Consider making an error log to help you discipline yourself and use the 40/60 rule. 40% of your time should be spent actually answering questions. At minimum, 60% of your time should be spent reviewing.

Hope this helps! Feel free to email me if you have more specific questions.

Best,
Vivian

hi everybody ,

You are all right about what you said. My english skills aren't so great , especially in reading and comprehension...it took me too long to read the passages and i got most of the answers wrong..and i didnt work hard enough bcz i wanted to apply in the second round.. guess i got excited and i thought that i can do better in the exam even though my cat exams weren't so good.
i've been working lately on some issues that i have on probabilities ..and i retook one of the gmat prep exams, i got an other 560 ! so basically thats what i've been doing..im a kind of lost, i cant find the right strategy to study , because im working at the same time..and i feel that if i study well this time i can do it..

So figure out a strategy.

You have some tips here and you can put something together.

Figure out what you have to be better at to score higher and find or come up with ways to get better at it. Find the time, plan the work, see what works, and figure out how to get it done.

Getting discouraged gets you exactly nowhere. Have to just consistently keep making steps forward. When you feel good, keep working at it, bit by bit. If you feel discouraged, keep working at it then too.

As you get more skilled, in quant topics, in English, in timing and in other things related to the GMAT, your score is almost guaranteed to go up. If it doesn't go up, figure out what else you can change to make it go up. It will.

That's how it works, and you can make it work for you too.

Thanks Marty , i will do what you said, i think i can get a higher score if i focused on my quant skills ..as far as my verbal skills concern i will read an article or two everyday but i dont think its going to get me a higher score.
i need to pick the right materials to begin with, and that s where i need your help..Which ones should i work with ??

I am wondering what materials you already have from the course you took. Do you have some kind of strategy guides for quant and verbal?

If you have not used the Official Guide, download this, and also use the companion question bank. I always recommend e book versions because the test itself is on a screen and the creation of paper books involves a fair amount of destruction. So paper books are not good environmentally or karmically.

https://www.amazon.com/Official-Review-O ... B00KFKWFIA

I really like the quant questions here, but not so much the verbal ones. If you get good at handling the questions in each quant category, you will do well on GMAT quant.

https://bellcurves.com/

You could also use this for quant and verbal practice.

https://www.veritasprep.com/gmat-question-bank/

Use this to get an idea of how you need to score to hit your goal.

https://magoosh.com/gmat/2013/how-to-cal ... at-scores/

Those should get you started anyway.

I still say that if you were really determined to do so you could increase your score on verbal significantly by immersing yourself in reading in English, learning all about what it takes to get the right answers to verbal questions and practicing a lot. You have to be super determined and remain undeterred by any challenges though.