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just took the gmat- bombed the math!

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just took the gmat- bombed the math!

by chmny3 » Tue Aug 18, 2009 11:00 am
i just took my gmat and got a surprising 40 on the math and 40 on the verbal (650 total).

This is kind of slap in the face because i was at around 39/40 before i even started my prep! my recent practice scores in quant have been 46 and 47. i already schedule my next test for sept 21, but i need to figure out a game plan to ENSURE that my score will be in the high 40s.

when i first started studying, i noticed i was finishing about 10 minutes early, so i started to slow down in quant with each practice test. on today's actual test, i almost ran out of time! I had about 15 minutes for the last 10 questions! so, i naturally sort of panicked, but i thought i answered a good portion of the questions correctly still.

i know i need to go back and study quant again, but im not sure where to begin. was it just my timing? I think I must have answered some easier questions incorrectly, as well..

help! :'(
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by shadowsjc » Tue Aug 18, 2009 12:21 pm
Did you find the math questions to be similar to the GMATPrep software? Or more like any particular book?

I haven't taken the GMAT yet so I can't give you any solid advice - but it sounds to me like nerves may have played a huge part in your score. Work on your timing per question for the next few weeks and you should do a lot better.
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by DanaJ » Tue Aug 18, 2009 12:50 pm
I agree, it might be test day stress that caused you to underperform. You might need to address this problem before reviewing quant.

Now, about working on the issue of low quant: what are your weaknesses? Have you noticed some particular areas where you struggle? If so, focus on those!

What books did you use the first time around? Maybe we can recommend better books for your second try...
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by chmny3 » Wed Aug 19, 2009 7:14 am
Hi there,

I actually took a manhattatan gmat class (live, not online), so I studied using all of the MGMAT guides, as well as the OG quant and OG 12th Ed.
My quant scores on practice tests were as follows: 39, 40, 42, 43, 46 (gmat cat1), 47 (gmat cat 2). As you can see, my actual quant score of 40 was basically where i started out on my mgmat cats before studying for 2 months, which is discouraging and awful to even think about.
I think timing was definitely an issue- which it has never been before- and perhaps I just panicked when I realized how little time I had. I had to skip 1 problem entirely and blindly guessed, and I noticed that my arithmetic was off on some problems so I had to go back and RE-do the actual math, which probably made me paranoid about my arithmetic, which made me slow down on the questions- thus leading to the mad dash at the end!
I don't think it's merely a case of the nerves, since I did well on my verbal and my AWAs, so I think perhaps I just need a lot more work than I thought I did? I had no idea I'd be able to fluctuate from a 47 down to a 40 within a 2 week period!
What's really the best method the 2nd time around? I've basically been just doing alot of OG problems, keeping flashcards of any problems that I get incorrectly or spend too much time on, and then revisit those problems again in the following weeks. Also, I keep flashcards for different topics (number properties, polygons, triangles, probability, etc.) that I review to keep the rules fresh. I've also been reviewing my Manhattan Gmat Cats.
I'm just really concerned that at the end of the day, my real GMAT score will not properly reflect my actual ability!
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by DanaJ » Wed Aug 19, 2009 10:03 am
I can't really say for sure what the best method is for the second time around, since I was satisfied with my score the first time I took the test.

However, since I see consistent gains in your scores (which should be the case when you are building up your skill), I'm inclined to think that your under the average performance was probably an issue because of timing/test day nerves.

My advice:
- search the forum on tips for keep your head together on G-day
- ALWAYS time your practice, no matter if you do a complete CAT or just 10-problem sets
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by chmny3 » Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:52 pm
thanks!! we'll see how i do with a month more of prep..
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