-
dav35
- Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2012 5:21 pm
- Thanked: 1 times
- GMAT Score:730
I have been reading through the threads on beat the gmat over the last few months. The success stories have helped me stay motivated during my journey.
I took the GMAT for the first time in October of 2010 with little preparation (i read a one week pamphlet geared more towards format and general test taking tips). I wasn't happy with my score (610), but I didn't have much time to devote to rigorous study.
Long story short, I signed up for Newton and began the coursework in mid January of this year. Since I planned on targeting top 10 schools, my goal was to score 720 on the actual GMAT. I know this may sound aggressive, but I would rather set my goals too high than too low.
Here are my CAT results.
10/9/2010 ACTUAL GMAT - 44Q/30V 610, 5.5 AW
2/4/2012 Newton 1 - 45Q/28V 600... before I started studying
2/25/2012 Newton 2 - 35Q/40V 600... not sure what happened on Q section
2/26/2012 Newton 3 - 45Q/37V 660
3/10/2012 Newton 4 - 39Q/40V 640
3/11/2012 Newton 5 - 46Q/42V 710
I improved my verbal schools dramatically by taking the time to learn the grammar rules (sentence correction) and by altering my approach to Reading Comprehension (i actually read the passage first now!). However, I wasn't satisfied with the consistency of my math scores. Other people (using Newton) have complained about this as well, but I am more concerned with mastering the topics and timing than I am with a score on a practice exam. The good news is that I consistently scored around 40 on the verbal (a big improvement).
That being said, I took my first GMAT Prep CAT today and my score was in line with my last knewton exam. I felt as though my timing was poor this time around and I had to guess on the last 3 math problems (ending up getting 4 of the last 6 incorrect bc of time). The results were encouraging though, since the prep CATs are supposed to representative of what your actual GMAT score would be.
3/18/2012 GMAT PREP 1 48Q/40V 710
I still need to take 2 more CAT practice exams, but I would like to address some of my weak areas as well. I have noticed that most of my errors are in one of the following areas:
(i) DS with algebra
(ii) RC... since related topics
(iii) exponents... where you need to solve for a variable in the exponent
I recently ordered OG12 and plan on working through a mix of problems in each section (including my strengths).
What else can I do to work on improving my timing between now and my test date (3/31/2012)? Would it make sense to focus mostly on the verbal section? It seems like my score is more sensitive to an improvement on the verbal at this point. Now that I have a clear understanding of my weaknesses I feel as though my goal (720) is achievable. Maybe a crazy score (e.g., 740) is within reach! I cannot wait for this to be over.
Thanks!
I took the GMAT for the first time in October of 2010 with little preparation (i read a one week pamphlet geared more towards format and general test taking tips). I wasn't happy with my score (610), but I didn't have much time to devote to rigorous study.
Long story short, I signed up for Newton and began the coursework in mid January of this year. Since I planned on targeting top 10 schools, my goal was to score 720 on the actual GMAT. I know this may sound aggressive, but I would rather set my goals too high than too low.
Here are my CAT results.
10/9/2010 ACTUAL GMAT - 44Q/30V 610, 5.5 AW
2/4/2012 Newton 1 - 45Q/28V 600... before I started studying
2/25/2012 Newton 2 - 35Q/40V 600... not sure what happened on Q section
2/26/2012 Newton 3 - 45Q/37V 660
3/10/2012 Newton 4 - 39Q/40V 640
3/11/2012 Newton 5 - 46Q/42V 710
I improved my verbal schools dramatically by taking the time to learn the grammar rules (sentence correction) and by altering my approach to Reading Comprehension (i actually read the passage first now!). However, I wasn't satisfied with the consistency of my math scores. Other people (using Newton) have complained about this as well, but I am more concerned with mastering the topics and timing than I am with a score on a practice exam. The good news is that I consistently scored around 40 on the verbal (a big improvement).
That being said, I took my first GMAT Prep CAT today and my score was in line with my last knewton exam. I felt as though my timing was poor this time around and I had to guess on the last 3 math problems (ending up getting 4 of the last 6 incorrect bc of time). The results were encouraging though, since the prep CATs are supposed to representative of what your actual GMAT score would be.
3/18/2012 GMAT PREP 1 48Q/40V 710
I still need to take 2 more CAT practice exams, but I would like to address some of my weak areas as well. I have noticed that most of my errors are in one of the following areas:
(i) DS with algebra
(ii) RC... since related topics
(iii) exponents... where you need to solve for a variable in the exponent
I recently ordered OG12 and plan on working through a mix of problems in each section (including my strengths).
What else can I do to work on improving my timing between now and my test date (3/31/2012)? Would it make sense to focus mostly on the verbal section? It seems like my score is more sensitive to an improvement on the verbal at this point. Now that I have a clear understanding of my weaknesses I feel as though my goal (720) is achievable. Maybe a crazy score (e.g., 740) is within reach! I cannot wait for this to be over.
Thanks!
