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Study plan for 410 to 650? How do I get there?

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Study plan for 410 to 650? How do I get there?

by StrawberryCow » Sun Dec 08, 2013 4:59 am
Hi there,

I have just taken my first GMATPREP Test but did not achieve my goal. I was aiming for a 650 for my first test, and my score is off by 240 (I screwed up and got a 410). I hail from the most competitive applicant pool Indian IT Engineer Male and my target score is 760.

My verbal section scaled score of GMATPREP is 23 and Quant is 21. On both these sections I had to randomly mark the last 12-13 questions without reading them, because I was running out of time. I am not a native speaker; I did not understand few of the RC and CR questions. I did not even try to attempt the AWA or IR sections as I only wanted to test where I stand in Verbal and Quant.

I have been using OG13 for my prep and here is what I had been up to for 3 weeks of prep (45 RC questions, 50 CR, 40-50 PS, 10 DS), along with the Math review, SC and CR review. I know I haven't even scratched the surface; and there is no doubt that my preparation was not in line with my goal.

Please suggest me a comprehensive study plan for the next 3 weeks (that's when I plan to take the next test). I find DS and CR to be my achilles heel. Want to be crossing the 650 mark in the next test.

I am working full time (in financial services and spend 10-11 hrs daily at work). I can dedicate 3 hrs daily for 7 days a week. I know, I will have to work my socks off; and have made up my mind to give it my all.

A dejected, StraberryCow
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by dominhtri1995 » Sun Dec 08, 2013 6:26 am
Hi StrawbeeryCow,

I think the first step is to continue going through the OG + discussion on BTG. Finish all the OG and review carefully the EXPLANATION will help you get over 600 soon. After that, you will need another strategy to boost your score :)

Good luck

Regard,
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by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Sun Dec 08, 2013 10:02 am
Hi StrawbeeryCow,

Don't be disheartened. You won't be the first person to get a 410 score and then crush the GMAT after more studying. If you check BTG's "I Just Beat the GMAT" forum, you'll find several such stories.
StrawberryCow wrote: I have been using OG13 for my prep and here is what I had been up to for 3 weeks of prep (45 RC questions, 50 CR, 40-50 PS, 10 DS), along with the Math review, SC and CR review. I know I haven't even scratched the surface; and there is no doubt that my preparation was not in line with my goal.
The various Official Guides are great resources for official practice questions, but they're not very comprehensive when it comes to instruction. To perform well on the GMAT, you need to learn all of the core concepts AND you need to learn GMAT-specific strategies for answering questions quickly and accurately. In my opinion, the Official Guides do not provide this level of instruction.


StrawberryCow wrote: On both these sections I had to randomly mark the last 12-13 questions without reading them, because I was running out of time.
Regarding time management, I suggest that you use a Milestone Chart to keep you on track. This is covered in our free GMAT time management video at https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gener ... es?id=1244
Keep in mind that the GMAT is a test of your math and verbal skills AND it's a test of your test-taking skills (endurance, time-management, etc). With time and guidance, your test-taking skills will improve.


StrawberryCow wrote: I find DS and CR to be my achilles heel.
Everyone struggles with Data Sufficiency (DS) questions at first. This question type is totally unique to the GMAT, so it's foreign territory.
If you're looking for some extra DS resources, we have a free set of videos that cover everything you need to know: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat-data-sufficiency


StrawberryCow wrote: Please suggest me a comprehensive study plan for the next 3 weeks (that's when I plan to take the next test). I find DS and CR to be my achilles heel. Want to be crossing the 650 mark in the next test.

I am working full time (in financial services and spend 10-11 hrs daily at work). I can dedicate 3 hrs daily for 7 days a week. I know, I will have to work my socks off; and have made up my mind to give it my all.
A 240-point increase in 3 weeks is a very ambitious goal.

You might consider signing up for Beat The GMAT's free 60-Day Study Guide (https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide).
Each day, you'll receive an email with a series of learning activities that guide you, step-by-step, from Day 1 to test day. This will ensure that you will cover everything that the GMAT tests.

Here's an outline of all 60 emails: https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide-outline

Cheers,
Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
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by StrawberryCow » Sun Dec 08, 2013 10:40 am
Brent@GMATPrepNow wrote:Hi StrawbeeryCow,

Don't be disheartened. You won't be the first person to get a 410 score and then crush the GMAT after more studying. If you check BTG's "I Just Beat the GMAT" forum, you'll find several such stories.
StrawberryCow wrote: I have been using OG13 for my prep and here is what I had been up to for 3 weeks of prep (45 RC questions, 50 CR, 40-50 PS, 10 DS), along with the Math review, SC and CR review. I know I haven't even scratched the surface; and there is no doubt that my preparation was not in line with my goal.
The various Official Guides are great resources for official practice questions, but they're not very comprehensive when it comes to instruction. To perform well on the GMAT, you need to learn all of the core concepts AND you need to learn GMAT-specific strategies for answering questions quickly and accurately. In my opinion, the Official Guides do not provide this level of instruction.


StrawberryCow wrote: On both these sections I had to randomly mark the last 12-13 questions without reading them, because I was running out of time.
Regarding time management, I suggest that you use a Milestone Chart to keep you on track. This is covered in our free GMAT time management video at https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gener ... es?id=1244
Keep in mind that the GMAT is a test of your math and verbal skills AND it's a test of your test-taking skills (endurance, time-management, etc). With time and guidance, your test-taking skills will improve.
StrawberryCow wrote: I find DS and CR to be my achilles heel.
Everyone struggles with Data Sufficiency (DS) questions at first. This question type is totally unique to the GMAT, so it's foreign territory.
If you're looking for some extra DS resources, we have a free set of videos that cover everything you need to know: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat-data-sufficiency


StrawberryCow wrote: Please suggest me a comprehensive study plan for the next 3 weeks (that's when I plan to take the next test). I find DS and CR to be my achilles heel. Want to be crossing the 650 mark in the next test.

I am working full time (in financial services and spend 10-11 hrs daily at work). I can dedicate 3 hrs daily for 7 days a week. I know, I will have to work my socks off; and have made up my mind to give it my all.
A 240-point increase in 3 weeks is a very ambitious goal.

You might consider signing up for Beat The GMAT's free 60-Day Study Guide (https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide).
Each day, you'll receive an email with a series of learning activities that guide you, step-by-step, from Day 1 to test day. This will ensure that you will cover everything that the GMAT tests.

Here's an outline of all 60 emails: https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide-outline

Cheers,
Brent
Thank you Brent. What books or materials should I refer for CR? I did found the GMATPREP CR questions to be a tad higher in difficulty level than the OG13 questions.
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by StrawberryCow » Sun Dec 08, 2013 10:43 am
Brent@GMATPrepNow wrote:Hi StrawbeeryCow,

Don't be disheartened. You won't be the first person to get a 410 score and then crush the GMAT after more studying. If you check BTG's "I Just Beat the GMAT" forum, you'll find several such stories.
StrawberryCow wrote: I have been using OG13 for my prep and here is what I had been up to for 3 weeks of prep (45 RC questions, 50 CR, 40-50 PS, 10 DS), along with the Math review, SC and CR review. I know I haven't even scratched the surface; and there is no doubt that my preparation was not in line with my goal.
The various Official Guides are great resources for official practice questions, but they're not very comprehensive when it comes to instruction. To perform well on the GMAT, you need to learn all of the core concepts AND you need to learn GMAT-specific strategies for answering questions quickly and accurately. In my opinion, the Official Guides do not provide this level of instruction.


StrawberryCow wrote: On both these sections I had to randomly mark the last 12-13 questions without reading them, because I was running out of time.
Regarding time management, I suggest that you use a Milestone Chart to keep you on track. This is covered in our free GMAT time management video at https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gener ... es?id=1244
Keep in mind that the GMAT is a test of your math and verbal skills AND it's a test of your test-taking skills (endurance, time-management, etc). With time and guidance, your test-taking skills will improve.


StrawberryCow wrote: I find DS and CR to be my achilles heel.
Everyone struggles with Data Sufficiency (DS) questions at first. This question type is totally unique to the GMAT, so it's foreign territory.
If you're looking for some extra DS resources, we have a free set of videos that cover everything you need to know: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat-data-sufficiency


StrawberryCow wrote: Please suggest me a comprehensive study plan for the next 3 weeks (that's when I plan to take the next test). I find DS and CR to be my achilles heel. Want to be crossing the 650 mark in the next test.

I am working full time (in financial services and spend 10-11 hrs daily at work). I can dedicate 3 hrs daily for 7 days a week. I know, I will have to work my socks off; and have made up my mind to give it my all.
A 240-point increase in 3 weeks is a very ambitious goal.

You might consider signing up for Beat The GMAT's free 60-Day Study Guide (https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide).
Each day, you'll receive an email with a series of learning activities that guide you, step-by-step, from Day 1 to test day. This will ensure that you will cover everything that the GMAT tests.

Here's an outline of all 60 emails: https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide-outline

Cheers,
Brent
And thank you. I like this 60 day study plan. Will help keeping my prep organized.
https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide-outline
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by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Sun Dec 08, 2013 1:19 pm
StrawberryCow wrote: Thank you Brent. What books or materials should I refer for CR? I did found the GMATPREP CR questions to be a tad higher in difficulty level than the OG13 questions.
The OG13 questions are arranged in order of difficulty from easiest to hardest.
The GMATPrep practice test is computer adaptive, which means it intentionally gives you questions that are at the very edge of your abilities.
This should explain why the GMATPrep questions seem harder.

If you're interested, we have a free video explaining the GMAT scoring algorithm: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gener ... es?id=1251

Regarding CR materials: I don't know of any free (and comprehensive) CR materials out there, but all of the test-prep companies on this site offer good stuff.

Cheers,
Brent
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by StrawberryCow » Mon Dec 16, 2013 5:54 am
Hi there,
I have focused primarily on PS and RC over the last week. And I find that my RC accuracy rate is around 50-60 %. I have worked on the first 100 RCs available in OG 13.
1. How do I improve my RC accuracy rate?
2. On an average I am taking 15-18 mins on each passage. It is slower than the desired speed.
Ok, my next plan for RCs is to improve my reading speed (which is about 175 wpm) and I am trying out certain tricks, tips to achieve it.
3. What additional books and/or materials should I be reading on focusing on?

Thanks, StrawberryCow
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by StrawberryCow » Wed Dec 18, 2013 1:16 pm
StrawberryCow wrote:Hi there,
I have focused primarily on PS and RC over the last week. And I find that my RC accuracy rate is around 50-60 %. I have worked on the first 100 RCs available in OG 13.
1. How do I improve my RC accuracy rate?
2. On an average I am taking 15-18 mins on each passage. It is slower than the desired speed.
Ok, my next plan for RCs is to improve my reading speed (which is about 175 wpm) and I am trying out certain tricks, tips to achieve it.
3. What additional books and/or materials should I be reading on focusing on?

Thanks, StrawberryCow
Could someone please help?
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