GMAT Strategy

Ok let me share my story,

Took the GMAT for the first time and got a 500. I was so nervous in the exam and I had never practiced with timing that I couldn't complete neither verbal nor math.

I prepared myself studying from MGmat guides (did 5 guides) and 6 MGMAT CATs and every CAt i got a 580 score. I was so confident with myself that if the last time i didnt prepared myself that well and got a 500, this time i would definitely would get above >500.
So i went and took the GMAT for the second time and finished both sections completely without any problems, i was so sure i was going to get at least a 600. Suddenly the score showed up and again I got a 500!!!

I don't know that to do!! To study again from the guides? or get enrolled into an online course? (even though online courses its like starting from scratch). Can anyone give me any advice ?

Thanks!

@beyondenim - is there a reason why you're being so caustic?
@luiscarlos - It's alright man. These things happen. It could be an off-day or there could be something you're not doing right. I recommend working closely with some professionals at this stage. There are some fine tutors in this very forum, and in most cases, you can get all the guidance you need from the comfort of your home! Your call, brother.
My only suggestion is that you don't lose hope now. I'm sure things will turn around the next time.

Cheers!

I have copied an earlier posting of mine below, but to you in particular luiscarlos I would say that you should not assume that an online course is like starting from scratch. I would say that students often have a nice comfort level if they have already studied a bit when they get to the online course. I would say that despite the amount that you have studied, you would learn something new on just about every problem that we do in a full 42-hour Veritas course (this would likely be true of other companies' courses as well). I would say that you need to stay comprehensive because it is hard to know what you do not know...if you know what I mean.

Below is a posting that I made in response to another student who had a similar question. (By the way if you do decide to take a course and if you have not checked them out here is a link to the verified reviews https://reviews.beatthegmat.com/)

As experts at Beat the GMAT we do not try to convince people to take courses, we just offer info and try to help people succeed...whatever you decide to do we will be here to help!

I generally give the following guidelines to people who have the same sort of question that you do - self-study or get some help.

1) How much time can you devote to your studies? To do it alone does take more time. If you can put in more time per week then you have a better chance of doing it on your own with books. If you are busier with work, then you may be a candidate for getting some help.

2) Are you the kind of person who generally looks at something and tries to figure out the best way of doing it? If you plan your errands so that you have no left turns in traffic or so that you drive the fewest miles then you are a better candidate for self study. If you are a person who does better with some tips and techniques and maybe even a little more you might want to get some help.

3) How disciplined are you? Some people can set a schedule and stick to it. Others do better when they have a class coming up and they know the homework will be reviewed.

4) When was the last time you had a math class? The more you need to review the help you may need.

5) Time or money? It costs more to take a course or tutoring, but it takes longer to do it yourself.


Whatever you choose, best of luck!

luiscarlos59 wrote:Ok let me share my story,

Took the GMAT for the first time and got a 500. I was so nervous in the exam and I had never practiced with timing that I couldn't complete neither verbal nor math.

I prepared myself studying from MGmat guides (did 5 guides) and 6 MGMAT CATs and every CAt i got a 580 score. I was so confident with myself that if the last time i didnt prepared myself that well and got a 500, this time i would definitely would get above >500.
So i went and took the GMAT for the second time and finished both sections completely without any problems, i was so sure i was going to get at least a 600. Suddenly the score showed up and again I got a 500!!!

I don't know that to do!! To study again from the guides? or get enrolled into an online course? (even though online courses its like starting from scratch). Can anyone give me any advice ?

Thanks!

Hello There


Firstly we would say that stay positive and such anxieties are common during exam preparation time. Juggling between work and studies is tough so you need to define a significant time for your GMAT preparation. Sometimes taking few days off work for preparing for the GMAT can help a person tremendously. If you have time this may not be a bad idea.

Take practise GMAT tests to see how you are doing. If you cannot do that don't worry. What might work instead is to set aside 1-2 hours at night on weekdays and major part of your weekend to study and prepare for GMAT- in this case we will suggest a good 2-3 months preparation. However we recommend you to keep taking practise tests to gauge your performance. It will help you in identifying your weak areas and you can focus on them accordingly.

There are various ways you can use to practise for your GMAT. You might need to change your practise style and try this combination to provide you flexibility and different styles to practise so it doesn't get monotonous.

It could be combination of-

1-Books- Books like- The Official Guide for GMAT Review, The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review, The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review etc could be used.

2-Online Study Guide: Websites like Knewton, Grockit etc provide you with practise questions online.

3-Smart phone applications- Kaplan, Veritas etc offer applications to prepare for GMAT on your smart phones.

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