Having a HORRIBLE time with Data Sufficiency! :(

[wysiwyg6000]

I'm due to take the GMATs in a little under a month and have been studying for about a month now. I recently started taking on the Data Sufficiency questions in my prep and I am doing HORRIBLY on them. I'm using a Kaplan 2010 premier book and only got 11 out of 50 right on the DS test portion. I've never felt so stupid before in my life; I don't know why I can't get these things right. Does anyone have any good tips on how to do better on these? Are there common traps, things I should be on the lookout for? I'm shaky with math to begin with because I've never really been good at it, but this area is really concerning me because I don't want to do horribly after all of my hard work in studying!

[Lattefah84]

I'm due to take the GMATs in a little under a month and have been studying for about a month now. I recently started taking on the Data Sufficiency questions in my prep and I am doing HORRIBLY on them. I'm using a Kaplan 2010 premier book and only got 11 out of 50 right on the DS test portion. I've never felt so stupid before in my life; I don't know why I can't get these things right. Does anyone have any good tips on how to do better on these? Are there common traps, things I should be on the lookout for? I'm shaky with math to begin with because I've never really been good at it, but this area is really concerning me because I don't want to do horribly after all of my hard work in studying!

Me too. Do you have official guides?

[wysiwyg6000]

I do have the GMAT Official Guide 12th Edition, but I'm not using it at this point. Basically, I first started with the GMAT For Dummies book and had thought that it gave me a good fundamental basis for the math. Unfortunately, it didn't. I did the math diagnostic test for the Official Guide and did horribly on it. The questions that it gave were a lot harder than what the Dummies book gave, so I got blown out of the water with that. That's when I decided to pick up the Kaplan 2010 study book about a week ago. I've gone through just about all of the math in that book and have found more confidence in my overall math skills, but the Data Sufficiency ones are still killing me. I reviewed my incorrect answers and found the following trends, would anyone be able to confirm them as a strategy?

-If given multiple linear equations, usually it'll be C or D
-If given explicit value amounts, like C = 2, usually it's useless info and that answer alone won't solve the question
-If given values that are squared, like (a-b)^2 = 4 or b^2 = 4, it's usually useless as well because squared values can be either positive or negative and we don't know

[Lattefah84]

I do have the GMAT Official Guide 12th Edition, but I'm not using it at this point. Basically, I first started with the GMAT For Dummies book and had thought that it gave me a good fundamental basis for the math. Unfortunately, it didn't. I did the math diagnostic test for the Official Guide and did horribly on it. The questions that it gave were a lot harder than what the Dummies book gave, so I got blown out of the water with that. That's when I decided to pick up the Kaplan 2010 study book about a week ago. I've gone through just about all of the math in that book and have found more confidence in my overall math skills, but the Data Sufficiency ones are still killing me. I reviewed my incorrect answers and found the following trends, would anyone be able to confirm them as a strategy?

-If given multiple linear equations, usually it'll be C or D
-If given explicit value amounts, like C = 2, usually it's useless info and that answer alone won't solve the question
-If given values that are squared, like (a-b)^2 = 4 or b^2 = 4, it's usually useless as well because squared values can be either positive or negative and we don't know

From my point of view it's very wrong trying to recognize some "trends" of correct answers. It's too risky and you will not get any skills... If I were you, I would spend time reading these data sufficiency questions, and try to see some logic in it. Although, I have some problems with it too, but when I find out the answer I realize that I coud have done it correctly if I would be focused enough... I wish you good luck!

[KapTeacherEli]

Absolutely, Lattefah has it right. Trying to 'guess' based on 'trends' is doomed to failure. There are certain common rules that are tested a lot on the GMAT, but equally as many traps and tricks.

Focus on the Kaplan method--analyze the statements one at a time, combining them only if necessary, and remembering the answer as 12TEN.

If things are really giving you trouble, it sounds like you may need some help. Consider contacting your local Kaplan center to join a class or get a tutor. Some people's learning styes don't allow them to grasp strategies from a book, no matter how well written, but those same people can instantly pick up those techniques once it's shown or explained to them by a human being.

[Osirus@VeritasPrep]

Yeah, initially I thought I had a math problem, but then when I analyzed my CATs I would miss 9 or 10 data sufficiency questions and like 2 problem sovling, so my issue is missing data sufficiency questions. The only thing I'm trying that helps somewhat is draw on your scratch paper like this, divide your scratch paper into 3 sections. Use the left side to attempt to solve only with statement (1), use the right side to attempt to solve only with statement (2). If you can't solve with either then under both of them attempt to solve together. Don't rush through them. Just because you don't have to "solve" these questions you need to be completely confident that you can solve them before you should choose an answer. The problem when I do this is that I run out of time.

[EMAN]

I'm no math whiz either and I actually got most of them wrong in the diagnostic and was very baffled. After going through the Manhattan books and practicing a lot I get the majority of them, including the most difficult right. It is all learnable if you put the time in. I'm due to take the test in a week or so. Manhattan books were fantastic in honing down the strategy. You have to get good at say, if statement one is not true, you can automatically know eliminate A and D without thinking. Honestly, I heard Kaplan was a lot more difficult on some areas and the content wasn't very indicative of the GMAT. Use the Official Guide to get a better gauge of the difficulty. Just practice and you WILL improve.

[farooq]

I'm due to take the GMATs in a little under a month and have been studying for about a month now. I recently started taking on the Data Sufficiency questions in my prep and I am doing HORRIBLY on them. I'm using a Kaplan 2010 premier book and only got 11 out of 50 right on the DS test portion. I've never felt so stupid before in my life; I don't know why I can't get these things right. Does anyone have any good tips on how to do better on these? Are there common traps, things I should be on the lookout for? I'm shaky with math to begin with because I've never really been good at it, but this area is really concerning me because I don't want to do horribly after all of my hard work in studying!

DS questions are very unique.

Don't think about number of correct or incorrect questions. Focus on the pattern of questions and its solutions. Read all solutions and imbibe maximum form that text.

In DS practice is the key thing.

More Practice...More confidence...More learning...More accuracy.