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Help needed before test day (July 15)

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Help needed before test day (July 15)

by juan.manrique » Wed Jun 18, 2014 4:52 pm
Dear GMAT experts,

I am writing to seek some advice on how to spend the last 4 weeks before test day (July 15). Below is a summary of where I stand and some of the questions I have.

Test materials: Veritas Prep on Demand Course (completed 100% except for some HW problems)

Target score: 700 at the very least

Previous CAT scores:

- Actual GMAT - Jan-2011 - 580 (37 quant, 31 verbal)
- Veritas CAT #1 - Apr-18 2014 - 670 (45 quant, 37 verbal)
- Mba.com CAT #1 - Apr-27 2014 - 650 (40 quant, 40 verbal)
- Veritas CAT #2 - May-27 2014 - 720 (48 quant, 41 verbal)
- Veritas CAT #3 - Jun-12 2015 - 700 (48 quant, 38 verbal)

I am a bit disappointed that my performance dropped a little from my last CAT. I think the main reason for the drop on the verbal was the fact that I got two tough RC passages where I got most questions wrong.

On the quant side I was disappointed not to see improvement but somewhat happy as I felt more confident through a lot of problems. I am also glad that my quant score did not drop at least.
On the quant side, I continue to struggle mainly with problems involving exponents, and with problems involving abstraction (e.g. problems where there are only variables and no numbers are given; and also with problems involving functions f(x)).

Questions:

1. From my Veritas course I still have some problems from each problem type that I have not solved so I guess tackling those would a good to study. Correct?

2. Besides that, should I get any additional materials? (e.g. Official Guides, useful quant books, etc.)

3. How many more CATs should I take?

4. What are other places to find good CATs? (besides the 2 free from mba.com)

5. Any help/guidance on how to spend this last 4 weeks to maximize my score will be much appreciated.

If I can answer any questions in order for you to make a better assessment I will be more than happy to.

Thank you for your continuous support!
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by dabral » Wed Jun 18, 2014 5:35 pm
I would recommend doing lots of timed practice from this point onward. You need to add the pressure and stress of the real exam, which is tremendous. Do the second test in the free GMATPrep software. Get the Exam Pack 1 extension, gives you two additional CATs, Exam 3 is brutal so be prepared to mentally handle it. You can also get GMATPrep Question Pack 1 and create mock tests from those, 37 questions in 75 minutes, it won't give you a score but it is a good way to keep the pressure up.

By practicing with official GMAT questions you will be a lot more comfortable taking on the real test.

Cheers,
Dabral
Free Video Explanations: 2021 GMAT OFFICIAL GUIDE.
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by [email protected] » Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:04 pm
Hi juan.manrique,

Since you're scoring at a high level, your missing points will likely be in "nitpick" areas. It sounds like you've defined some of your "weak" spots, so spending some additional time on those subjects is obvious. In addition, I'd suggest that you go back and work through your past CATs. Redo all of the questions that you got wrong (go through all of the steps, on the pad) - the physical process of redoing these questions should help you to eliminate whatever little mistakes that you made the first time.

As to the CATs, you should plan to take no more than 1/week. If you've never used the the OG13, then you'll find that book to be a great source for practice questions (and at 900 questions, it should keep you busy).

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
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by juan.manrique » Thu Jun 19, 2014 4:16 am
Thanks a lot for the advice guys!
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by VivianKerr » Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:56 pm
If your target score is a 700 bare minimum, I wouldn't feel comfortable as a tutor suggesting you are ready to 100% knock that out of the park on Test Day unless you earned a 720 or above on a GMATPrep CAT.

For tests such as MGMAT or Veritas, I usually ballpark an official score at 20 points lower than average, since even though both companies offer excellent practice, their algorithms can only mimic the actual GMAT.

Since your Jan 2011 CAT was so long ago, we can completely discount it.

This go-round, what interests me most is the April 27th 650 on GMATPrep 1. That was 2 months ago, and since your most recent Veritas CAT was 700, my guess is your current actual GMAT score-range is in the high-600's, or 660-690. (Again, this is only my opinion.) Since your exam is so soon, you need to take the GMATPrep 2 right now. It will give you the most accurate snapshot.

SO if you're in the high 600's, how do we push through to a guaranteed 720+? Step up your strategies, know what you don't know by thoroughly completely Error Logs for all CATs, study concept-by-concept in a targeted way that includes a variety of the best available GMAT resources (OG, MGMAT books, YouTube videos, BTG blogs, GMATclub notes, private tutoring, etc.)

Your questions:

#1 - Absolutely. See attached GMAT Error Log example. What are your 3 weakest Q-types? If you don't know, you're in trouble.

#2 - Materials are meant to target specific areas. So again I refer you to #1. Do you KNOW what you don't know? OG13 is essential for everyone. Other Veritas or MGMAT or Powerscore (or even LSAT) books can help you address specific weaknesses.

#3 - There's no set number for GMAT success. Everyone is different, and quantity does NOT reflect quality. It depends when your test date is. I usually suggest no more than 1 each week. Try to take your practice CAT at the same day/time as your actual GMAT will be. The true value of a practice CAT is as a diagnostic tool. The score it churns out is irrelevant except for GMATPrep.

#4 - Buy the GMATPrep 3 and 4. It's worth it. Beyond that, MGMAT and Veritas is what I usually recommend. MGMAT has some challenging Quant, and Veritas brings it for the Verbal.

#5 - July 15th is SOON. If you don't know the OG14 back-to-front by now, you're behind. (Sorry to freak you out.) However, it's possible to gain 50+ points in 3 weeks. I've seen it happen, esp. when students aren't working full time and have serious time to study. My suggestion would be to get with a private tutor and review your strategies for ALL question-types to make sure that you aren't shooting yourself in the foot in the way in which you approach questions. Feel free to email me at gmatrockstar[at]gmail.com if you need additional resources for specific CR question-types (Assumption, Bolded, etc.). You can see some basic strategy here: https://gmatrockstar.com/2014/01/23/lear ... -overview/

Good luck on the exam!
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Vivian Kerr
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Former Kaplan and Grockit instructor, freelance GMAT content creator, now offering affordable, effective, Skype-tutoring for the GMAT at $150/hr. Contact: [email protected]

Thank you for all the "thanks" and "follows"! :-)
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