My GMAT result: Please advise

This topic has expert replies
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 43
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2009 2:02 am
Thanked: 2 times

My GMAT result: Please advise

by T_A_M » Mon May 04, 2009 8:59 am
Hi Friends,

I was hoping to seek your help. Today I was disappointed by my GMAT practice test score. It was the official practice test (GMAT prep downloadable from mba.com).

My breakdown was as follows:

Quant: 37
Verbal: 22
Score: 510

I am trying to get in the 650 range. Being a native English speak I have always thought that my Verbal was stronger than my Quant although my score clearly does not reflect this. Can you please suggest ways to improve? I must admit that I did practice more Quant thinking it was the weaker of the two areas. Which I still believe is the case, despite my score report.
Source: — GMAT Strategy |

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 211
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2009 12:17 pm
Thanked: 12 times
GMAT Score:680

by 4seasoncentre » Mon May 04, 2009 1:23 pm
Well what have you done to study so far?

I suggest starting with basic math and verbal review

THEN do practise questions.

THEN do CATs.

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:53 pm
Thanked: 3 times
Followed by:1 members

by mkbigmoz » Mon May 04, 2009 6:32 pm
Keep in mind that the verbal section is judging specific rules and their applications. You may think that your verbal abilities are strong, but you may be unaware of fundamental rules in SC, or determining how to weaken an assumption, etc.


What I did to improve my verbal:

1. Read. Read material like Business Week, Economist, Time, etc...You get used to a certain style of writing. Cut out any entertainment magazines, US, People,... Those publications try to present themselves in a personal manner (like how we post on the internet). From a technical standpoint, they make all types of grammatical errors. If you are used to reading that style of writing, you will think that common errors are correct during the Gmat.


2. When you view your errors on SC, or CR, make sure you understand why you were wrong, which choices were irrelevant and why, and finally why the correct answer was so. People make the mistake of just scanning to the right answer and memorizing it. You shouldn't just have an understanding of why one choice is right, but also why the other choices are wrong. You get better at picking things apart to narrow down answer choices.


3. Finally, you may want to cut out other message boards. I noticed when I started preparing for the GMAT I would read typical threads on all types of message boards (Non GMAT related). You get used to reading messages and understanding em even if theyre poorly written. kind of like these were. Staying away from internet jargon/talk helped me get in a certain frame of mind for the verbal section.

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 43
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2009 2:02 am
Thanked: 2 times

by T_A_M » Thu May 07, 2009 12:06 pm
Thanks
I have used the OG guides and MGMAT. I did note that my first 4 out 5 questions in Verbal were wrong, which probably made my score tank. I am now doing a detailed review of the Verbal SC questions. Essentially just learning the rules. I think I can follow a formulaic approach in SC, but not sure if the same method can be applied in RC & CR.

Anyone have any views?