BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

How to move foward

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 112
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:46 am
Thanked: 1 times

How to move foward

by Thouraya » Wed May 26, 2010 10:10 pm
Dear Eric and David@Veritas,

Eric thanks a million for this database and all-time refeence! Absolutely amazing! I am writing to take your advice....

I have been studying for the GMAT for quite a while now, and must admit that I have evolved a lot..I studied with the official guide, princeton, and kaplan, and I came to realise that Princeton is much easier than the actual exam, so thought to stick to the other two..I have focused on Kaplan online practice tests this last month: I got: 560,570,580, and 620...Some friends of mine have taken the actual exam last week, and told me that it resembeled gmatprep more than kaplan..so after having focused on kaplan for quite a while now, I have decided to re-focus on the official guide..Solved the 249 problem solving quests, got 37 incorrect, and solved the last 56 DS quests (assuming theyre the most difficult) and got 25 incorrect (VERY bad?;))Now regarding gmatprep, my only concern is that there are only two exams (i took one last night, and scored a 560: had 15 incorrect on math, and 19 incorrect on English).On English, I usually do well on the overall exam, but get a few successive wrong answers in the RC section. I just read one of the posts,and decided to change my strategy when tackling RC.I was reading very quickly and then taking some time to answer the questions, so I should probably spend more time reading the texts..Regarding SC and CR, I have no major problems. As for the math, I mainly stumble on probablity questions (which I came to realise are no big deal:worst case scenario is I get two probablity questions which I get wrong, that's why, this section isn't a concern for me as much as the other questions relating to "logic"..those revolving around integers mainly..and sometimes I get the rating problems wrong..

To be honest, I am not sure how to go forward effectively..I am starting to feel there is nothing else I could do more...I haven't scheduled my exam yet; don't want to take it unless I am ready and confident I could get my target score which is around 680 (am I very far from it, considering what I am scoring now?)..The only one thing which is keeping me cool is that my friends were scoring 550-570 on kaplan and the gmat prep;and actually scored in the high 600's on the actual exam..but that's keeping me confused as I feel I'm afraid to trust that these practice tets actually skew the scores downward..

I look forward to hearing from you and many thanks in advance!
Top
Source: — GMAT Strategy |

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 384
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:54 am
Location: Paris
Thanked: 92 times
Followed by:13 members

by Dan@VinciaPrep » Thu May 27, 2010 2:27 am
Thouraya wrote:Dear Eric and David@Veritas,

Eric thanks a million for this database and all-time refeence! Absolutely amazing! I am writing to take your advice....

I have been studying for the GMAT for quite a while now, and must admit that I have evolved a lot..I studied with the official guide, princeton, and kaplan, and I came to realise that Princeton is much easier than the actual exam, so thought to stick to the other two..I have focused on Kaplan online practice tests this last month: I got: 560,570,580, and 620...Some friends of mine have taken the actual exam last week, and told me that it resembeled gmatprep more than kaplan..so after having focused on kaplan for quite a while now, I have decided to re-focus on the official guide..Solved the 249 problem solving quests, got 37 incorrect, and solved the last 56 DS quests (assuming theyre the most difficult) and got 25 incorrect (VERY bad?;))Now regarding gmatprep, my only concern is that there are only two exams (i took one last night, and scored a 560: had 15 incorrect on math, and 19 incorrect on English).On English, I usually do well on the overall exam, but get a few successive wrong answers in the RC section. I just read one of the posts,and decided to change my strategy when tackling RC.I was reading very quickly and then taking some time to answer the questions, so I should probably spend more time reading the texts..Regarding SC and CR, I have no major problems. As for the math, I mainly stumble on probablity questions (which I came to realise are no big deal:worst case scenario is I get two probablity questions which I get wrong, that's why, this section isn't a concern for me as much as the other questions relating to "logic"..those revolving around integers mainly..and sometimes I get the rating problems wrong..

To be honest, I am not sure how to go forward effectively..I am starting to feel there is nothing else I could do more...I haven't scheduled my exam yet; don't want to take it unless I am ready and confident I could get my target score which is around 680 (am I very far from it, considering what I am scoring now?)..The only one thing which is keeping me cool is that my friends were scoring 550-570 on kaplan and the gmat prep;and actually scored in the high 600's on the actual exam..but that's keeping me confused as I feel I'm afraid to trust that these practice tets actually skew the scores downward..

I look forward to hearing from you and many thanks in advance!
Hello!
I know that you didn't address this little message to me, but I thought that I might be able to help a little. I thought that I'd tell you that you can actually take the GMATprep tests twice each. The second time that you take each of these tests you'll get about 85% new questions. Also, your friends were right to say that the GMATprep tests resemble the actual test more than the Kaplan tests. In general the GMATprep tests are pretty good predicators of what you are going to get on the actual test (even though GMAC says that the tests aren't made to predict your score but rather to give you good practice test questions.) Also, you might look into reading the Manhattan GMAT SC, and some of their other books (Number properties, VIPs, etc...)
Cheers!
If my post helped you- let me know by pushing the thanks button ;)

I'm a private tutor in Paris, I provide online and in person consulting for the GMAT and MBA application essays.
GMAT tutor paris
Prepa GMAT
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 112
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:46 am
Thanked: 1 times

by Thouraya » Thu May 27, 2010 5:12 am
Hi Dan,

Thanks a lot for your reply! Even though the message was addressed to Eric and David, but anyone is absolutely welcome to reply! In fact, I'd be so grateful:)

I didn't know about the 85% new questions in the second time I take the GMATPREP exams! Thanks for the tip!! Being a rising GMAT star:p, do you think that the scores I am getting are far from my target score (680?) or u can't really tell?

I'll keep you posted! I am so bored from studying; yet not having the courage to schedule:(

Very Appreciated,
Cheers!
Top
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1031
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:23 pm
Location: Malibu, CA
Thanked: 716 times
Followed by:255 members
GMAT Score:750

by Brian@VeritasPrep » Thu May 27, 2010 11:53 am
Hi Thouraya,

I admire the work you've put into your preparation - I can tell from your message that you're deserving of a high score, and have a few suggestions based on what you wrote that should help get you there:

1) Reading Comprehension - I'm glad that you're changing your methodology, and would highly recommend that as you read each passage you think more about "why it was written" than "what it says". The GMAT tests how you think without too much regard for "what you know", particularly when it comes to RC...they don't care much whether you can fully understand the mechanics of the internal combustion engine or the difference between Whitman and Frost, but they do want to know how you build relationships and interpret author intent when you read. I've written a few articles on here that better detail this strategy with examples: https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/05/ ... ou-do-that

2) Probability and Data Sufficiency - Keep in mind that these questions test logic much more than they test "knowledge". You say that you struggle a bit with question that involve integers, and that you were about 50% accurate on the last quarter of the OG DS problem set - I'd go back to those (and to questions that you've missed on prior practice tests) and see if you can teach yourself the concepts. Don't "memorize" the rules (there are too many to memorize, and the GMAT is phenomenal at adding new number properties and concepts in ways that you haven't seen them), but rather see if you can teach yourself why the rule/property/concept holds. It's that thought process that's so helpful, and a lot of it comes down to asking yourself "what didn't I think about?". Two examples:

Probability: What is the probability, on two flips of a coin, of recording one heads and one tails?

Well, here the "obvious" step that most people see is to calculate the probability of getting heads on the first flip and tails on the second: 1/2 * 1/2 = 1/4.

However, the question doesn't say that it has to be the heads-then-tails progression - it only wants to know that the outcome in the end is one of each. If you ask yourself "what am I missing?", you'll have to consider "is there another sequence that will get me that result?". Well, if you go tails, then heads, you have that result. There, the probability is again 1/2 * 1/2 = 1/4.

So, you have a 1/4 chance of heads-then-tails and a 1/4 chance of tails-then-heads. What do you do with those numbers?

The add/multiply decision comes up a fair amount in probability and combinatorics questions, and I've found that it can often be solved by taking a second to think logically. 1/4 in this case represents "one sequence out of four gives me heads-then-tails" and "one sequence out of four gives me tails-then-heads". Adding these together, you'll find out how many of the four sequences give you the desired outcome, and the correct answer is 1/2.


Data Sufficiency: Is x < 0?

1) (absolutevalue x) = -x

(NOTE: I apologize for not having a nicer way to represent absolute value)

Here, the statement is saying that "the absolute value of x is the same as multiplying it by -1", which eliminates all positive numbers.

However, the statement holds for negative numbers (the absolute value of -5 is 5, and -5 * -1 = 5, for example).

The key to many Data Sufficiency problems is, again, that question of "what else do I know?" or "what am I missing?". Here, 0 is also a potential value: the absolute value of 0 is 0, and 0 * -1 = 0. So, statement 1 is NOT sufficient - negative numbers give us the answer "yes", but 0 gives us the answer "no".


So often on this test, it's a matter of training yourself to think like the testmaker and consider all the options and possibilities. I'd advise that you go back to your mistakes and think through those problems to gain experience with the thought process. Because that, too, is different from just "studying", I think that can help with the boredom/monotony, as well.

Good luck - keep us all posted!
Brian Galvin
GMAT Instructor
Chief Academic Officer
Veritas Prep

Looking for GMAT practice questions? Try out the Veritas Prep Question Bank. Learn More.
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 112
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:46 am
Thanked: 1 times

by Thouraya » Thu May 27, 2010 10:36 pm
Hi Brian,

Thanks a lot for your post; definitely very helpful!

Usually, I review all the questions I solved after I finish taking an exam; both those I got right and those I got wrong. It occured to me to review all the questions I got wrong one more time before I take my exam, and you just confirmed this strategy with your post, thank you! Do you think it would be enough then? cuz I am starting to feel this GMAT thingy can drag on forever if I dont stop it, but at the same time, I am skeptical to take it because I feel all I've been trying to do is not take the exam more than once (I know it's not the end of the world if I had to take it another time, but the idea of having to go through the material -or part of it- one more time brings me heart ache!LOL...Out of your experience, and based on the scores I mentioned above, do you think I would be ready to take the exam and score around a 680? or I am far from it? I am starting to feel I might finally schedule the exam in 2 weeks, correct me if I am wrong..

I had read your post about RC earlier and re-read it now while having what you just told me in perspective-definitely helpful!

Thanks a lot Brian, much appreciated!
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 384
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:54 am
Location: Paris
Thanked: 92 times
Followed by:13 members

by Dan@VinciaPrep » Mon May 31, 2010 4:17 am
Thouraya wrote:Hi Dan,

Thanks a lot for your reply! Even though the message was addressed to Eric and David, but anyone is absolutely welcome to reply! In fact, I'd be so grateful:)

I didn't know about the 85% new questions in the second time I take the GMATPREP exams! Thanks for the tip!! Being a rising GMAT star:p, do you think that the scores I am getting are far from my target score (680?) or u can't really tell?

I'll keep you posted! I am so bored from studying; yet not having the courage to schedule:(

Very Appreciated,
Cheers!
In general I think that you can be confident that you're going to get your desired score when you score at or above your target in around 4 practice tests (particularly the official practice tests), otherwise you're leaving a fair amount up to chance. Of course, it could turn out to be a good day, but it's best to take luck out of the equation
If my post helped you- let me know by pushing the thanks button ;)

I'm a private tutor in Paris, I provide online and in person consulting for the GMAT and MBA application essays.
GMAT tutor paris
Prepa GMAT
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1