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First GMAT Exam in July

by msauers » Thu Jun 04, 2015 4:53 am
Hello Beat the GMAT community,

I am on Day 24 of the 60-Day Study Guide. I want to share my progress thus far and receive some advice before I sit for the exam on July 24.

I began my 60-Day Study Guide in mid January, only to stop after 10 days so I could study for case interviews for two months (ended up landing a strategy analyst role at a consulting firm). After receiving the job offer, I took most of March off to refresh and restarted the 60-Day Study Guide in April. On average, each lesson plan takes me two days to complete because I take a couple hours to review practice questions I answered incorrectly.

My typical day consists of waking up at 5:00am, arriving at my office by 6:30am, and studying until 9:00am. The 2.5 hours aren't enough (for me at least) to get through an entire lesson plan (as I mentioned above), so I complete the remaining portion the next morning.

A few data points:

Materials
-BTG 60-Day Guide
-OG 13 with QR and VR
-MGMAT Strategy Guides 5th Edition
-GmatClub and Beat the GMAT forums for question review

Scores
GMAT OG 13 Diagnostic (January 2015): PS 14/24, DS 10/24, RC 16/17, CR 10/17, SC 13/18
GMAT Prep Test #1 (January 2015): Q31/V38, 570 (first time ever seeing a GMAT question other than diagnostic)
Diagnostic 2nd Attempt (May 2015): PS 21/24, DS 22/24
GMAT Prep Test #1 2nd Attempt (May 2015): Q47,V36, 680

I was encouraged by my progress on my second attempt at the GMAT Prep CAT. However, I would take the score with a grain of salt as it was my second attempt. In addition, I skipped the essay and IR (as instructed in the guide) and paused once for a bathroom break in the middle of Quant.

I started Sentence Correction this week, but I am worried about spending the next few weeks on Verbal and getting rusty in Quant. Considering my Verbal score was decent to begin with, should I still allocate the next few weeks on Verbal? Or, should I focus on strengthening my Quant?

My target score is 700+. Target enrollment is Fall 2017. My top choices are Haas and GSB.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!
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by Ian Stewart » Thu Jun 04, 2015 7:13 am
I'd very rarely advise studying one section and not the other for an extended period of time. It's too easy to regress in Quant without regular work. I'm not familiar with the study guide you're using, but if it advises focusing exclusively on Verbal for a long time, I don't think that's good advice.

In your situation, there are a couple of things to weigh:

"¢Â when you're near the top end of the scoring scale in both sections, adding points in Verbal will raise your 200-800 score more than will adding points in Quant. This is because your overall score is based on how far above average you are in each section, and it's possible to separate yourself further from average in Verbal, because so few test takers get top Verbal scores. So if you might be able to improve your true Verbal level, then you'll likely find yourself very comfortably scoring in the 700+ range, even when the Quant section doesn't go perfectly;

"¢ that said, it tends to be easier to improve in Quant. You've made a lot of progress in Quant already, and unless you feel you've maxed out your capabilities, it's likely you can raise your Q score further, and with less effort than you'd need to raise your Verbal. At the very least, you'll want to maintain your current Quant level.

So there are good reasons to work on both sections, but I wouldn't be able to make specific recommendations without knowing more about where you might improve and what you've worked on so far - it's possible you should make one section a higher priority, or one Verbal question type a higher priority than the others, but I couldn't give any worthwhile advice without more information.
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by [email protected] » Thu Jun 04, 2015 9:15 am
Hi msauers,

From what you've described, your most recent CAT score is probably not accurate (and you already seem to understand that). As such, you should plan to take a *new* FULL-LENGTH CAT (including the Essay and IR sections) sometime soon (possibly this weekend). Those scores will provide valuable information on your current strengths and weaknesses and give us a better sense of what you really need to work on.

With a July 24th Test Date, you still have plenty of time to improve, although you might have to make some adjustments to your routine.

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Rich
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by msauers » Mon Jun 29, 2015 1:25 pm
Update:

I spent the last three weeks studying Verbal. This morning, I took my third full-length CAT and scored a Q47/V35, 670. I'm somewhat pleased with this score as this was my first time seeing GMAT Prep Test #2. I'm confident this is a more accurate reflection of my abilities. My exam is scheduled for July 24 and my goal is 720. This will be my first time sitting for the actual exam.

My plan for the next month is take a practice CAT every couple days (using all the free CATs available online and purchase an extra pack from GMAT Prep and perhaps MGMAT) and diligently study wrong answers. Any thoughts, comments, or tips? Thanks.
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by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Mon Jun 29, 2015 2:06 pm
My plan for the next month is take a practice CAT every couple days (using all the free CATs available online and purchase an extra pack from GMAT Prep and perhaps MGMAT) and diligently study wrong answers. Any thoughts, comments, or tips? Thanks.
Diligently studying wrong answers - absolutely. But don't forget to review questions you answered correctly as well. Some you may have guessed on. Some you could potentially do faster. Take notes on what you find.

However, taking a CAT every couple of days is too much. You'll need more time to absorb the strategic adjustments from test to test. There's no magic number for how many tests you should take, but one exam per week is a more manageable pace for most test-takers.
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by msauers » Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:34 am
DavidG@VeritasPrep wrote:
My plan for the next month is take a practice CAT every couple days (using all the free CATs available online and purchase an extra pack from GMAT Prep and perhaps MGMAT) and diligently study wrong answers. Any thoughts, comments, or tips? Thanks.
Diligently studying wrong answers - absolutely. But don't forget to review questions you answered correctly as well. Some you may have guessed on. Some you could potentially do faster. Take notes on what you find.

However, taking a CAT every couple of days is too much. You'll need more time to absorb the strategic adjustments from test to test. There's no magic number for how many tests you should take, but one exam per week is a more manageable pace for most test-takers.
Thank you, David. That's a sound strategy. I'm working through every question of that exam to understand the underlying mechanics and where I can improve accuracy and speed.

I'm a little surprised my verbal did not improve. We'll see what I uncover in my review.
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by msauers » Fri Jul 17, 2015 5:28 pm
Second Update:

I purchased the GMAT Prep Exam pack and question pack to supplement my training. This morning, I took exam 3 and scored a 720 IR 7, Q48/V40. Hopefully I can replicate those results next week when I sit for the exam!

I notice I'm rushing at the end of the Verbal section, forcing me to guess on the last 3-5 questions. Any tips on how to improve above the 40 level in a week? Any materials?

Thanks!
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by msauers » Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:39 pm
Penultimate update:

My first attempt at the official GMAT is Friday morning. This morning/afternoon I took my final practice exam and scored a 700 Q47/V39. My goal is to 700+. The following is a summary of my practice exams scores:

GMAT Prep 1: 570 Q31/V38 (first attempt, no AWA or IR)
GMAT Prep 1: 680 Q47/V36 (second attempt, no AWA or IR)
GMAT Prep 2: 670 Q47/V36 (no AWA or IR)
Veritas CAT: 620 Q42/V33 (distracted at library; interfered with performance)
MGMAT CAT: 640 Q43/V35
GMAT Prep 3: 720 Q48/V40 (no AWA)
GMAT Prep 4: 700 Q47/V39

Other than reviewing my answers Wednesday (tomorrow) and taking it easy on Thursday (day before exam), is there anything else I should be doing? The only major issue I can identify is timing at the end of Verbal. I consistently find myself left with a little over ten minutes and ten question to go.

I really hope I can replicate my 720 and 700 scores. I went through the entire 60-day BTGMAT guide and found it quite helpful. I'll post a follow up after the exam. Wish me luck!
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by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Wed Jul 22, 2015 9:31 am
Other than reviewing my answers Wednesday (tomorrow) and taking it easy on Thursday (day before exam), is there anything else I should be doing? The only major issue I can identify is timing at the end of Verbal. I consistently find myself left with a little over ten minutes and ten question to go.

I really hope I can replicate my 720 and 700 scores. I went through the entire 60-day BTGMAT guide and found it quite helpful. I'll post a follow up after the exam. Wish me luck!
Sounds to me like you're in excellent shape. As far as the timing goes, it's pretty late in the game to be making any big strategic adjustments, particularly since what you've been doing has been working. When you're going through those older tests today, see if you can identify one aspect of verbal that gave you timing issues. If, for example, there were one or two CR question that you were able to narrow down to two answers, but then waffled back and forth for two minutes, that's an easy enough fix to save a bit of time. Otherwise, I'd stick to the strategies that have been successful on your practice tests. You're ready for the test.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!
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by msauers » Wed Jul 22, 2015 1:21 pm
DavidG@VeritasPrep wrote:
Other than reviewing my answers Wednesday (tomorrow) and taking it easy on Thursday (day before exam), is there anything else I should be doing? The only major issue I can identify is timing at the end of Verbal. I consistently find myself left with a little over ten minutes and ten question to go.

I really hope I can replicate my 720 and 700 scores. I went through the entire 60-day BTGMAT guide and found it quite helpful. I'll post a follow up after the exam. Wish me luck!
Sounds to me like you're in excellent shape. As far as the timing goes, it's pretty late in the game to be making any big strategic adjustments, particularly since what you've been doing has been working. When you're going through those older tests today, see if you can identify one aspect of verbal that gave you timing issues. If, for example, there were one or two CR question that you were able to narrow down to two answers, but then waffled back and forth for two minutes, that's an easy enough fix to save a bit of time. Otherwise, I'd stick to the strategies that have been successful on your practice tests. You're ready for the test.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!
Thanks, Dave! I think it does come down to deciding between the last two options on CR and SC. I feel comfortable with RC. I will be sure to post an update Thursday afternoon (hopefully with good news).
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by Rich@EconomistGMAT » Thu Jul 23, 2015 12:36 pm
Hi msauers,

With your test date rapidly approaching, I'm curious if you've had a chance to take a full-length practice exam as Rich suggested earlier this month. Would love to know if you've seen any progress since you first posted this thread.

Best,
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by msauers » Fri Jul 24, 2015 9:40 am
Rich@EconomistGMAT wrote:Hi msauers,

With your test date rapidly approaching, I'm curious if you've had a chance to take a full-length practice exam as Rich suggested earlier this month. Would love to know if you've seen any progress since you first posted this thread.

Best,
Rich
Hi Rich,

Yes. My latest full-length CAT was GMAT Prep #4 (from exam pack 1). I scored 700 Q47/V39. I have definitely noticed an improvement since my diagnostic 570.
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by msauers » Fri Jul 24, 2015 9:49 am
I sat for the GMAT exam this morning and scored a 670 Q44 V38. I had some test day jitters and got off to a poor start on Quant. I definitely misunderstood the first several questions, which threw me - and presumably my score - off. I barely finished the quant section in time, I found myself guessing on the last 2 to 3 questions. For verbal, I felt pretty comfortable. I don't employ a particular strategy, which probably limits my success. On test day, I seem to abandon any formal method other than vertical scanning/separation. I need to improve my verbal strategy.

I certainly plan to take the GMAT a second time. My goal is a 700+, with aspirations of attending Cal/Stanford. I felt as if I missed some questions that I should have answered. I went through the exam thinking, "damn I really blew this. I'll probably score low 600s." I was pleasantly surprised to score a 670, but I know I can do much better.

I'm considering enrolling in an in-person course in the Bay Area, perhaps through MGMAT. Any thoughts?
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by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Fri Jul 24, 2015 11:03 am
I'm considering enrolling in an in-person course in the Bay Area
Bear in mind that you're starting at a level - 700+ on practice tests, 670 on a bad day - that many students aspire to get to by the end of a class. This isn't to say that you wouldn't benefit from a class, but you want to make sure that you're able to get what you need from it. I'd suggest attending a free trial class so you can make an informed decision about whether you click with the instructor and whether the class moves at a pace that will prove beneficial for you. If you're interested, let me know, and I'll PM you more info.
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by msauers » Fri Jul 24, 2015 1:08 pm
DavidG@VeritasPrep wrote:
I'm considering enrolling in an in-person course in the Bay Area
Bear in mind that you're starting at a level - 700+ on practice tests, 670 on a bad day - that many students aspire to get to by the end of a class. This isn't to say that you wouldn't benefit from a class, but you want to make sure that you're able to get what you need from it. I'd suggest attending a free trial class so you can make an informed decision about whether you click with the instructor and whether the class moves at a pace that will prove beneficial for you. If you're interested, let me know, and I'll PM you more info.
Hey Dave, I am very interested. I'm exploring options: online video-only, in class or live online. I agree with you on the +/- assessment. I felt like today was a bad day and I was a little surprised to see 670. I never hit that groove that I usually get into.
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