diagnostic test.. 490??? HELP!

[pathaniaus]

guys. jus took a diagnostic. i got a 490. And it seems that Im just weak in all areas.
How the hell do i approach this? This is seriously scaring the crap out of me.

[DanaJ]

Don't freak out, that's all I can say... And remember that not all tests are the same! What kind of test did you just take? Was it the Kaplan free one? If yes, you should know that this particular test provides really scaled scores compared to the rest.

[pathaniaus]

no..it was a manhattan cat exam.. i havent heard about that being any harder or anything.

I'm not sure how to go from here at all. i have the 8 manhattan guides, og 11 and 12 and the og quant n verbal.

I have a lot of studying to do!
What do you think would be the best way to approach and prepare for the gmat?

[DanaJ]

Well, you've obviously got some work to do, but don't fret: you can always improve with hard work and determination! I've heard lots of positive reviews about the MGMAT series, so you'd better start with those, reviewing the basic concepts first. The OG is great for practice questions, but it's seriously lacking in strategy/math review. Just take it on step at a time and you'll get there - but be sure to allocate enough time, dramatic score improvements don't happen overnight!

[Vitalina]

Start with the basics.
which books do you have?
And have you studied at all before the 1st test?

[pathaniaus]

well i have the 8 manhattan guides to go through, and when i took the test i was only about a week in to my studying.
i figured i should jus take one and see how i did.

[4score20]

You have some good study materials. To help with CR you could work some Logical Reasoning problems from the LSAT. To help with RC you could read well written materials such as the Wall Street Journal.