GMAT Rescheduled After Depressing GMATPrep Score:560 37Q,29V

I'm not part of the GMAT 700 club, but here are some words of advice. Don't take practice tests so close together. I made the same mistake. In fact, I took 4 practice tests in 6 days and my score went down every time I took them. In short, I burned myself out. Taking a 4 hour test does take a lot out of you.

So what's the lesson here? Take a practice test once every week or twice a week maximum if needed. The only reason you should be taking a practice test is to practice test taking skills, getting used to GMAT format and practicing sitting down in one spot for about 4 hours and keeping the same level of energy for each section. With that said, DO the AWA section's as well. If you haven't done it then you'll notice that your verbal score will drop significantly after attempting the practice test with the AWA because it's the last section. On another note, the verbal section in the actual GMAT is harder than you'll see on the practice tests so endurance is key!

The GMAT is as much of a test of endurance as it is a test of the theory you've learned. There's no point in taking a practice test unless you've absorbed lots of information. But that usually takes about 2 days to learn a theory and strategy down cold, and I mean straight studying without work. So just remember, practice tests are for ENDURANCE ENDURANCE ENDURANCE.

Don't take the scores of practice tests to heart. Practice endurance! You've taken the GMAT Prep which is the most accurate, but the material on other practice tests do not reflect the actual GMAT. For instance, I found that 800 tests focus a lot on geometry, and MGMAT focuses lots of doing lots of computations, making the test harder than the actual GMAT. So if you're scores fluctuate but stay in the same range, it just means that you have more work to do. Don't let it get to you though. Brush your shoulders off and get back to it again. Why do football players run before, during and after practices? To train their bodies so that for game day they're in top shape. The GMAT is the exact same thing for your brain.

If you're not scoring within your target range in the last two weeks before your test, then you might consider moving the date. Otherwise, don't burn through precious practice tests just for the comfort of getting a higher score. You can't cram for the material on this test. For every question you encounter you have to know how to do it intuitively, and also, just know when to give up and make an educated guess. That's test taking skills for you. You have a limited amount of time so why spend time on a question that will take you 4 minutes to get right? If you do this, you'll panic or rush through the rest of the questions and THAT will affect your score a lot because you'll most likely get the rest wrong. What am I geting at? Pacing. Practice tests are also there for you to get a good idea of how long you should be spending on a question.

I had lots of trouble with data sufficiency as well, but data sufficiency is only tricky if you 1) don't read the question properly, 2) don't understand the concept being tested. If you fall in the second case then that means you have to brush up on your theory. DS is tricky because GMAT will exploit the little things you overlooked during your studies. Here's a tip for inequalities. Simplify the DS inequality as much as you can to make the question simpler. Once you've done that you're looking for some thing very simple, such as x>y or is x>0. Don't even look at the statements before you've simplified the inequality! A general tip for DS, always think before you look at the statements, "What do I know, want and need?" After you've established that then you've systematically organized information rather than wasting precious time staring at the question hoping that the answer will fly out at you.

Of course you need to practice everyday. You want to retain all the information you've learned. What's the point in learning something two days ago and not being able to do it a week later? You're wasting your time if you do this, so not only be efficient with your time but also EFFECTIVE. You don't want to be banging your head on the computer screen on test day because you don't remember the rules of a 30 60 90 triangle.

Another piece of advice to you is to be patient. If you're like me, you're willing to put the work in but want to see results fast. Patience and poise are virtues that you really need for a test like this and what you will need for an MBA. You can't expect your score to increase so much in a week. So set small goals, and raise the bar for yourself in increments and get there gradually.

If you're having problems with Critical Reasoning I suggest the Power Score Critical Reasoning bible. It's explanations are thick and logical. After you've gone through that book, and I mean honestly taken in all the information, move on to Manhattan and practice their diagramming. It helps to have write down the info in the stimulus in a way that makes sense to you and understand the causal or lack of causal relationships.

Lastly, have confidence in yourself. A man who is convinced he will die tomorrow will probably find a way to make it happen. So make the opposite happen. The GMAT IS a beatable test as all the members on this forum have proven. It only takes hard work, discipline, setting up realistic goals, a comprehensive study schedule that targets your weaknesses and in my opinion, academic honesty. I hope this helps. Good luck in your studies, and the next time you start a new thread you should give us a debrief of how you raped the GMAT.

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