GMAT Strategy

brianlange77 wrote: You know -- you're not the first student who's ever asked the "have I gone too deep into this?" Obviously, I can't comment specifically on your particular experience here, but, it does remind me of advice that I give to my students before they sit for the 'real' exam.

Essentially, I tell them to put pencils down 36-48 hours in advance of the test. There's value in letting your mind clear, having an adult beverage, watching some TV, falling asleep at a reasonable time, etc. The GMAT is not a test you 'cram' for -- it's a test you 'plan' for. Planning doesn't happen in a crunch -- it happens over time.

Have you taken the full exam yet?

-B

Sat for my GMATPrep 2 on Saturday.

Q: 48, V: 44, Total - 740 .. out of the 7 incorrect in verbal, 6 were SC

I took your advice. I put down everything and went out with friends Saturday/Sunday for the first time in a few weeks. I write the real exam in 5 days (Saturday).. not really sure what to do to prep between now and then. I think I'm going to finish up the last 50 or so problems of MGMAT Advanced and take the entire day off Friday before the test (probably hit the gym extra hard so that I can sleep!)

What's your take on IR? I wrote out a full essay.. should have been a solid 5-6, but I also 5'ed IR because I just didn't put much effort into it. With a 3.9 undergrad GPA and a 740 GMAT, would they question a 5 IR?

Thanks for all of your help

Hey Shane -

Good Luck on Saturday!

A 5.0 on the IR section should not be a problem at this point. In my opinion you just want to make sure that you do not actually bomb on that section - rather than try to excel at it. A 5.0 should be fine.

I think that the key to those first two sections is just not to use up the energy intended for quant and verbal. So I tell people that you should go "smoothly" through those two. If you start to feel stressed or "agonized" then you need to step back and either guess at the IR question you are on or if it is AWA reset and write about something that comes easily to you.

As for the last few days, I prefer to do what the Olympians do just before competition. They rest their muscles of course, but they go through the entire event in their minds and visualize the ideal race, for example. I recommend this for you. Go through the test and think about how it is going to go. Imagine yourself doing the ideal critical reasoning question. How does that go? The ideal problem solving? etc. Imagine your success.

Also walk through any obstacles you might face. If the room is noisy imagine yourself putting in the earplugs and continuing to succeed. Imagine that you become flustered at some point, now imagine yourself dealing with it, taking a deep breath, refocusing. What if you are running short on time, what is your game plan?

You see you are in a great position to succeed. So just be ready to handle whatever comes your way and you should do great!

Oh, and you might want to study that sentence correction a bit. Glad you did not abandon that subject based on the one practice test!

I agree about the AWA and IR. I didn't let either stress me out. I finished the essay in 20 min and used the extra time as an unplanned restroom break. I sat for the IR and once I hit "frustrated", dotted some random radio buttons and moved on. It actually gave me a chance to stretch my brain for the upcoming quant.

I had 13 incorrect in quant- 3 of them were reading errors (missed a restriction in the question stem) and 2 of them were math mistakes. I'm going to be extra-diligent in these two areas this week. Q48 is still solid, but I had 7 minutes remaining for the last question (difficult geometry/coordinate plane combo) that I spent 3 minutes on and got wrong anyway! Haha.. stupid trap answer >:| Used my other 4 minutes for another unplanned restroom break. Whoops.

I was fatigued for the verbal but focused on focusing and took it one question at a time. I think I might bring a little shot of coffee to keep in my locker for a jolt at halftime. I have 4 RC passages and didn't get a single question wrong, missed 1 CR on one of those "could definitely be one or the other" type questions, and whiffed on 6 SC (2 of which I never should have, but mental energy was running low).

As far as envisioning success- my first practice test was a 490. After a month of study; another 490. I took a break, reset, came back, and 580'ed. A month of studying later.. a 580! This is one of the most disheartening tests I've ever encountered. When I 740'ed my 2nd GMATPrep, I literally did a dance. I am ready for Saturday.

Thanks for stopping by David

Real Exam Results:

Q: 47, V:35, Total: 660

Had to piss from V30 onwards. Started the test with SEVEN (7)! sentence correction in a row. Knew my V score might be an issue, but never suspected a 35.

Now, I need some help. If I remember correctly, I can not sit for the GMAT for another 4 weeks. I believe that if I retook it tomorrow, I'd break the 700 barrier. How do I approach the next month of my life? I have 0 motivation to study quant, so what do I do to retain the material?

P.S. Finished quant with 20+ minutes left.

Need some help guys.. just took my first practice exam since the real deal and 740'ed again (Q51, V42). I had 8 minutes left for quant, and 20+ for verbal. I was also out late drinking and felt foggy.. yet I still pulled this score. I still have 25 days until I can sit for the exam, but I feel ready. I believe my 660 was more of a fluke than a lack of preparation. What can I do to keep my motivation high? Of the 8 incorrect for my V42, 3 were CR, 2 were RC, and 3 were SC.

My resources are dwindling as well. I have 12 GMATClub Quant Tests left that I suppose I will do slowly through the remainder of my 25 day waiting period to keep my Q fresh?

Are there recommended CR/RC materials for practice? I remember both of these being extra-difficult on the real deal..

Shane,

Did you feel that the real test was way more difficult than what you were practicing? I have mine Friday and I got a 720 on GMATPREP this Saturday and for the first time I broke V40. Previously I was stuck around the 30- 35 mark. Is it a stamina issue? Are you seeing reoccurring problems on SC/RC/CR so you are saving time? What I have found with Verbal is I try to stop in the middle and I will look at the wall and just breath/ try to think of something funny/ smile for roughly 20 seconds. It keeps the spirits up and it is my opinion that by that time you are pretty drained. If you have fun with it, focus, and write down every little detail for RC and CR I have found I score higher. I have also been taking a 5 hour energy extra strength before the tests as it helps me stay alert the whole time and lasts the entire test. That is my two cents. I will have to let you know how I do Friday though. I hope that helps even though I am not an expert.

bpolley00 wrote:Shane,

Did you feel that the real test was way more difficult than what you were practicing? I have mine Friday and I got a 720 on GMATPREP this Saturday and for the first time I broke V40. Previously I was stuck around the 30- 35 mark. Is it a stamina issue? Are you seeing reoccurring problems on SC/RC/CR so you are saving time? What I have found with Verbal is I try to stop in the middle and I will look at the wall and just breath/ try to think of something funny/ smile for roughly 20 seconds. It keeps the spirits up and it is my opinion that by that time you are pretty drained. If you have fun with it, focus, and write down every little detail for RC and CR I have found I score higher. I have also been taking a 5 hour energy extra strength before the tests as it helps me stay alert the whole time and lasts the entire test. That is my two cents. I will have to let you know how I do Friday though. I hope that helps even though I am not an expert.

I think stamina plays a large role. Congrats on reaching 40V!

Good luck Friday.

Shane - Since you are looking for something tougher on CR and RC have you ever thought to use LSAT questions? If you are out of materials it can be a good way to go. I would say that about 1/3 of the questions on the CR board on Beat The GMAT are LSAT questions!

Have you read my article on using LSAT questions for the GMAT?

By the way, I too wish you could take the GMAT again tomorrow! It is rough to know that you just had a bad day or got unlucky but have to wait another 31 days. At least it is not the Olympics! Another 4 years!

David@VeritasPrep wrote:Shane - Since you are looking for something tougher on CR and RC have you ever thought to use LSAT questions? If you are out of materials it can be a good way to go. I would say that about 1/3 of the questions on the CR board on Beat The GMAT are LSAT questions!

Have you read my article on using LSAT questions for the GMAT?

This is exactly what I was looking for- I had not heard of this. Where can I find your article?

Thank you so much!

At least it is not the Olympics! Another 4 years!

I'm not going to lie, this snapped me back to reality.

Again, thank you. I wish there was more that I could do than hit the "Thank" button.

It is in 3 parts! Here you go...

Using the LSAT to Study for the GMAT Part 1
https://www.beatthegmat.com/using-the-ls ... 66548.html

Using the LSAT, part 2: Critical Reasoning
https://www.beatthegmat.com/lsat-to-stud ... 69915.html

Using the LSAT, part 3: Reading Comprehension

https://www.beatthegmat.com/lsat-to-stud ... 71361.html

(For reading comprehension, keep in mind that GMAT passages have a shorter word limit - so LSAT passages are now often much longer than what you would see on the GMAT - but still can be good practice.)