Q45 to Q48? Study tips for one week out?

Problem Solving — algebra and arithmetic (GMAT Focus Edition)
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Q45 to Q48? Study tips for one week out?

by meanjonathan » Mon Jun 11, 2012 12:39 am
Today is Monday, exactly one week from my test date. My goal has been to achieve a Q48 and I feel like I'm really close. My other practice quant scores (taken as full tests under normal conditions) have been 47, 44, 45. Also, took a GMATFocus and scored 49-44.

Then yesterday, I took my last GMATPrep CAT, and I scored 720, Q45, V44, so a little lower than I'd like on quant. Reviewing the problems, however, I'm noticing that,

1) the questions seems easier than I'm used to (I guess I've become accustomed to really tough MGMAT CATs and the hardest OG questions--and those seem much harder than what I got yesterday). As a sidenote: I think on the MGMAT CATs the questions are tougher but the algorithm accounts for this somehow... Yes?

2) a lot of my errors are just carelessness (for instance, solving the hard part of an algebraic expression only to forget to sub back in for the last bit of simple arithmetic.)

3) I stayed on time pretty much the entire way. Then, on the last 7 problems I got 5 wrong! Five out of my twelve total errors were here on the final seven problems. I remember feeling a little rushed. (But not very rushed! I've been there too and this wasn't that.) Then again, I might have felt a little under the gun and maybe that was distracting(?). Anyone experience anything like that?

So here I am, one week out. Does anyone have some tailored strategy advice for me in my last week? Low-hanging fruit would taste really nice right about now.

(How much sleep should I be getting each night? And does that really make a difference?)

Thanks!!

--M
Source: — Quantitative Reasoning |

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by Jim@StratusPrep » Wed Jun 13, 2012 9:22 am
Definitely get some rest. As for things to focus on... look at the quant areas that come up most regularly and make sure you are getting those questions right most of the time: Exponents and roots, factors and multiples, triangles, circles, statistics and overlapping sets...
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by meanjonathan » Wed Jun 13, 2012 11:15 am
Thanks for the prudent advice. Inequalities, too, probably, right?