GMAT Strategy

Good afternoon and thank you for your time and input. I am very impressed and proud of all of you who have scored so high on the GMAT and that is an inspiration for me…but unfortunately not a reality. ( I am sorry for my poor attitude… I got beat up again this week and I will tell you more below)

Here is my issue… I have applied to grad school and been told that I will be accepted if I can get my GMAT in the mid 500’s. I know that seems odd to many of you, but I have 20 years of work experience, am a veteran with a 3.96 undergrad GPA, etc… so I am a good candidate to them. I am not trying to get into an Ivy League school, just want to further myself farther than where I currently am.

I have been studying the GMAT for 1 year and a half now… Last year I took the test twice after studying for MONTHS with multiple materials…to include a tutor, Kaplan and Princeton guides. My scores last year went from an initial 430 to a 440…WOW! Being persistent I studied for another several months and also took a Kaplan prep course in my local area. I again used the GMAC book in conjunction with Kaplan online resources. I was scoring consistently in the 480’s on my practice tests and even hit a 530. I was feeling very comfortable in I could at least hit that on my test, which would have gotten me entrance. I was a bit shocked and very disappointed this week when I walked out with a whopping 450… worse than my practice tests… and far from where I need to be.

I have given a lot of thought as to whether I want to give up or keep trying… I mean at this rate it will only take me about 7 or 8 more times of testing to get my scores up… at $250 a pop… UGH!

Here is my question… and maybe I am wrong for even posing this question in the forum…. Is there a test guide out there that can just teach me the basics of math and the other sections of the test? What recommendations would you make for me as far as materials go to just re-learn the basics. I know I am not going to get a 700, so there is no reason for me to study to that level. I have been out of college 10 years and high school 20... I am in a management role and really have no application of this nature in my daily dealings…. That makes it more if a struggle…

I am considering the gmax…thoughts? Any help or recommendations you can make would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your time!

what books did you use so far?

did you take the gmat prep from the mba.com?

that is the most accurate reflection b/f you take the real thing.

man, you are scaring me. i need to take the real gmat by the end of this month....

alot of people get burned b/c of the math and end up doing poorly on the verbal. are you scoring better in math or verbal? are you weak in data suff or problem solving? first break down the parts. then target your weakness.

powerscore for critical reasoning for LSAT is pretty good at explaining critical reasoning questions for the gmat. alot of people overlook this book.

wow, you've been out of school for a long time. i think you might have trouble concentrating or studying? you have to improve that area too.

i'm really sorry to hear that you can't score 530. alot of times, the test is about endurance. so it might be that you know the answers but you're too tired to answer it.

also, alot of people say that kaplan is not good study material b/c it is very hard for the verbal. i suggest you study the OG 11 th edition....

i just used OG 11th edition and i got a 530.also remember even if you get an answer correct, read the incorrect answer explanation to see how test maker want to trick you. also, reading the forums and people who scored pretty high on the gmat will give you confidence to work through it. don't give up!

[b]Here are a few answers to yrou questions.. I do appreciate your response...[/b]

what books did you use so far?
[b]
CONFSD: I have used the Princenton Review (last years book), GMAT Review 11th edition, and the course book that came with my materials for the Kaplan Prep Course[/b]

did you take the gmat prep from the mba.com?

[b]CONFSD: I did take it the last time I tested... I did not this time because I took 5 Kaplan tests...to include one in the testing environemnt.[/b]
that is the most accurate reflection b/f you take the real thing.

man, you are scaring me. i need to take the real gmat by the end of this month....

[b]CONFSD: Maybe you have not been out of school as long as I have.. I am almost 40 and have been out of HS for 20 years and college for 10. I do not use math or the "GMAT Grammar" on a daily basis. The majority of what I write are public/organizational communications that are pitched at the normal persons level of comprehension.[/b]

alot of people get burned b/c of the math and end up doing poorly on the verbal. are you scoring better in math or verbal? are you weak in data suff or problem solving? first break down the parts. then target your weakness.
[b]
CNFSD: I am doing far better on the verbal...although I did not do that well on this last test. In fact I dropped.. I am wondering if I studied TOO MUCH up to the end. The math is what I really suck at.. particularly the data sufficiency protion. I may look into this book! [/b]

powerscore for critical reasoning for LSAT is pretty good at explaining critical reasoning questions for the gmat. alot of people overlook this book.

wow, you've been out of school for a long time. i think you might have trouble concentrating or studying? you have to improve that area too.
[b]
CONFSD: LOL! Thanks and you are correct... I have so many other things going on it is hard to concentrate. I have started studying outside of my house..it creates less distraction. [/b]

i'm really sorry to hear that you can't score 530. alot of times, the test is about endurance. so it might be that you know the answers but you're too tired to answer it.

[b]CONFSD: I would agree with endurance, but I focused a lot on that this last test and felt very good throughout the entire test. I practiced active reading and forced positive self talk... still a 450! UGH! [/b]

also, alot of people say that kaplan is not good study material b/c it is very hard for the verbal. i suggest you study the OG 11 th edition....

[b]CONFSD: Can you please tell me what OG is??? [/b]

i just used OG 11th edition and i got a 530.also remember even if you get an answer correct, read the incorrect answer explanation to see how test maker want to trick you. also, reading the forums and people who scored pretty high on the gmat will give you confidence to work through it. don't give up!

CNFSD: Thank you for your support and suggestions. I greatly appreciate it!

OG 11 th edition- is the orange book from mba.com

there are two books you def need. princeton review for verbal and math. do all the practice test under timed condition. before you do the practice test, you have to improve on data suff questions and problem solving. remember your goal is to get 530 so you don't have to answer alot of the difficult questions you don't understand. most of the difficult questions are torward the end of the section on the OG 11th edition. you really need to understand the concepts in princeton review for math. it teaches you how to approach the test. you can also go on manhattangmat.com and buy their books. it's pretty good and they give you cat exams and the cat exams have detailed explanation to all the questions you answered

your comment "I do not use math or the "GMAT Grammar" on a daily basis" applies to even students in college too. I've been out of college only two years, but i did not learn the concepts of the gmat in college. i learned it on my own doing practice problems and studying a variety of books and also taking the princeton review course. i also browse this forum and tried to learn from other people's mistakes. just know, you are actually in a better position than some international students who have to take the gmat b/c they have to work twice as hard to do well on the verbal.

i hope this helps.

I'd recommend getting another (different) tutor and/or taking a prep class. Where did you find your tutor the first time? If s/he wasn't from one of the test prep companies, there's no guarantee s/he knew the GMAT well enough to be teaching. Even if your tutor was from one of the test prep companies, tutors vary widely, not just in their GMAT abilities but also in their teaching styles. Some GMAT teachers focus on the "official way" of doing problems, while others (like me) focus on teaching as many tricks, shortcuts, and strategies as possible. Others are great at math but not at verbal, or vice versa.

Another thing I recommend to some students is to take an algebra class at a local community college. The math isn't GMAT specific, but the classes are cheap and you learn a lot of foundational skills.

Basically, you need some help along the way, and you should do your best to find someone that fits with your needs. If you live in a major metro area, you'll have access to all the major test prep companies. Give them a call and grill them about your options.

Finally, remember that 540 is 50th percentile, meaning that half of all test takers do not break 540, so don't be discouraged - you are not alone! I've certainly seen a lot worse in my GMAT teaching career

Good luck!

Thank you both very much for your comments... I will definitely get the books suggested and will look into a different tutor. The tutor I used last time was primarily for the basis of giving me back the foundational skills of algebra and geometry... and did a good job at that... but what I have experienced, as you have both said, is that it is not really about the math...it is more conceptual.... So I will continue to look and see what I can do. I do know a guy that scored in/around the 785 area and maybe he would be willing to work with me.
As far as the prep course goes, I did take the Kaplan prep course, but I think the course was pitched WAY ABOVE MY HEAD... more for those students who were desiring to hit the high 600/700 scores. Again that is not real advantageous to me because I struggle so much with the foundational aspect. The class did do a good job of reinforcing the principles that I learned in the Princeton Review and also taught me some new ones... but it was way beyond the foundation. Kaplan claims that I can re-attend the class, take an online course, or get my money back since my score was worse on the "actual" GMAT than on my pre-test that I took with them, but I am thinking neither of the aforementioned, except getting my $1500 BACK, IS GOIGN TO WORK FOR ME. I think I will take that money and reinvest in some different materials and a tutor.

Thank you again for your responses...if you can think of ANYHITNG ELSE AT ALL please feel free to let me know.

Have a great long weekend!